TORONTO – The last time the Boatmen travelled to the unfriendly confines of Mosaic Stadium, they travelled back to YYZ with a 31-26 victory and started a run of five straight victories en route to capturing the 100TH Grey Cup at home.
Even prior to kickoff, there was a buzz in Argos nation as Toronto welcomed back 100th Grey Cup MVP RB Chad Kackert & K Swayze Waters to the lineup after both missed time with injuries.
QB Zach Collaros started the offence off on the right foot with a strike to WR John Chiles for a first down, but the offence would be forced to punt on the next set of downs. Waters first punt in his return travelled a massive 62-yard punt to put a single on the board for the Argos.
1-0 Boatmen at the 12:48 mark.
A new face in the Argos secondary would make an immediate impact on the Riders first set of downs on offence. Wearing # 12, DB Demetrice Morley jumped in front of a Durant pass and took it into the Riders red zone. Welcome to Toronto, Demetrice.
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Related: Argos vs. Riders |
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A pass interference call on DB Prince Miller gave the Argos 1stand Goal, and Collaros would punch it in to give the Boatmen an 8-0 lead early.
The Riders offence could not muster anything on the ensuing drive, but a botched punt return by LB Ricardo Colclough led to Saskatchewan recovering the ball in the Argos 22-yard line.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on Riders centre Dominic Picard, and a great open field tackle by Morley on Kory Sheets forced the Riders to punt. Riders long snapper Cory Hucklack would sail the ball over punter Ricky Schmidt’s head, giving the Argos promising field position around mid-field.
Two unsuccessful plays followed, but Waters came in and would hit from 48-yards out to make the score 11-0 Argos.
Saskatchewan would take the ball at the 35-yard line and their rough start would continue. Sheets would take the ball in the backfield and be met by two Argos defenders while there. He fell awkwardly and stayed down, clutching his right knee. Sheets would walk off under his own power, but would head to the locker room. Sheets would not return to the football game.
With just over a minute left in a wild first quarter, the Riders marched to the Argos 26-yard line, where K Chris Milo would continue his perfect start to the season from 33-yards out; 11-3 Argos at the end of one quarter in Regina.
The Argos offence took over after the Riders got on the board, but QB Zach Collaros ensured the Riders offence had no time to rest, air mailing a ball right over the head of Chad Kackert and into the waiting arms of Riders DB Weldon Brown, who returned the ball into the Argos red zone.
The league’s best red zone defence showed up in spades on the next two plays, as rookie standout Jermaine Gabriel blasted through the line of scrimmage on first down to tackle replacement running back Neil Hughes, and on the following play, LB Marcus Ball swatted down an attempted pass by Durant, forcing the Riders to attempt a field goal.
The usually automatic field goal unit of the Riders failed to convert an attempt for the first time this season, as Milo’s kick bounced off the upright and back onto the field, keeping the Argos lead at 11-3.
Both defensive units stepped up to the plate and made life difficult on the offences, but at the 5 minute mark of the second quarter Durant lofted one towards the end zone in the direction of WR Chris Getzlaf. Despite pass interference on Argos DB Jalil Carter, he was still able to haul in the first Riders touchdown of the night to cut the Argos lead to only one point at 11-10.
The ensuing Argos offensive drive ended very quickly. Collaros slung a pass towards SB Jason Barnes who had the ball stripped by multiple Riders defenders. DB Prince Miller scooped up the ball and gave the Saskatchewan offence an immediate chance to put points on the board.
Once again, the best red zone defence in the league was forced to step up. And they did.
Two consecutive incomplete passes led to Milo and the field goal unit coming out for a 3-point attempt instead of a point after attempt. Milo put it through from 18-yards out, and gave the Riders their first lead of the game at 13-11.
The Argos took the ball at the 35-yard line, and once again would put the ball on the carpet. Chad Kackert took a hand off and rumbled up the middle un-touched until Riders S Tyron Brackenridge leveled him with a huge hit, forcing the ball out of Kackert’s hands and back into the hands of the men in green.
Durant and the offence wasted no time converting a major, as with a flick of the wrist he found WR Rob Bagg by himself behind the Argos secondary for the score to make it 20-11 Riders in the blink of an eye.
Another single would follow from Swayze Waters on a punt that travelled into the end zone would put one more point on the board for the Argos to make the score 20-12 as both teams headed into the locker room at half time.
The two teams would start the second half with back-to-back unsuccessful drives on offence as both defences adjustments seemed to be working early on.
Kory Sheets’ replacement Neil Hughes would make his presence felt on the Riders next possession, rumbling 42-yards down into Argos territory after a lob pass from Durant. The Riders would take a gamble on third and short at the Argos 6-yard line and would convert to give the offence an opportunity with 1st and goal.
The Argos red zone defence would hold for the third time on the evening, stopping Hughes on two consecutive plays and forcing the Riders to put 3 on the board instead of 7. Milo converted and extend the lead to 11 points at 23-12.
With under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Collaros and the Boatmen were finally able to sustain a long offensive drive that began deep in their own territory; Collaros found receivers John Chiles, Spencer Watt and Dontrelle Inman downfield for first downs.
The drive stalled on the cusp of the Riders red zone, and Waters converted the field goal from 33-yards out to cut the Riders lead to 8 points.
Collaros and the offence got the ball back at the 12-minute mark and marched down the field towards the Riders end zone. Collaros’ go-to-guy John Chiles made two consecutive catches in Riders territory, one for a first down, and then the next for a touchdown to bring the Argos to within two points.
Just for good measure, the Argos would go for two, and Chiles would convert it standing wide open in the endzone.
Ball game tied at 23 a piece.
The Riders offence took a page out of the Argos offensive playbook from the first half on their next drive and turn the ball over to the Argos defence. Durant lobbed one towards a receiver, and DB Alonzo Lawrence intercepted the pass for the defence’s third INT of the evening.
The Boatmen offence took over and wasted no time with the aerial attack. Collaros looked towards Spencer Watt in the corner of the end zone, and the defender interfered with Watt, leading to a 1st and Goal. RB Jerious Norwood would take the ball on the next play and leap over everyone for his first CFL touchdown, giving the Argos back the lead at 30-23.
The Argos offence got the ball back at the 5-minute mark at their own 20-yard line and orchestrate a time consuming drive that took over four minutes off the clock and set up Swayze Waters for a 32-yard field goal attempt with 59 seconds left. Waters would miss his first field goal of the evening, but earned a single point to give the Boatmen a 31-23 lead with 53 seconds remaining.
The Riders took the ball at their own 35-yard line with a touchdown as their only option. Durant found Chris Getzlaf in the middle of the field and Getzlaf turned it into a 45-yard reception to bring the Riders to the Argos 20-yard line with 33 seconds remaining.
The Argos red zone defence, perfect all night, gave up their first touchdown within their own 20-yards on the evening as Durant found Getzlaf crossing across the middle. The Riders were forced to go for two, and the Argos brought a monstrous blitz and got to Durant.
It was 31-29 Argos with an onside kick to go. The “hands team” would come out and recover the Milo kick, and all it took was a knee from Collaros and the offence to seal the Argos second consecutive road victory and second straight win in Riderville.
A 31-29 win for the Argos in Regina, and the Argos are heading home with a four-point lead in the Eastern Division. Phew.