DANIELE FRANCESCHI – ARGOS ADMIRALS INSIDER
TORONTO – Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray lifted his arms in approval as slotback Chad Owens marched into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown on Friday night at Rogers Centre.
It isn’t often that the Argos’ humble, even-keel signal caller expresses emotion, but under these circumstances the celebratory behaviour was warranted.
Trailing by 17 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Ray guided the Double Blue to a thrilling 34-33 comeback victory over the team’s provincial rivals, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Argos’ future Hall of Fame pivot engineered three touchdown drives in the final frame, including a brief two-play, 80-yard sequence, capped off by Owens’ remarkable 69-yard game-winning major score.
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Related – Argos vs. Ticats |
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VIDEO: Owens Game-Winning TD |
Evidently, Ray was the driving force behind the Argonauts’ improbable fourth quarter surge. The Boatmen’s veteran field general completed 34 of 46 pass attempts for 431 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Ray also added a touchdown along the ground, plunging across the goal-line from one-yard out with 2:07 remaining in regulation time.
In speaking with reporters following Friday night’s game, Argonauts slotback Chad Owens discussed the significance of character and perseverance in relation to his team’s on-field success.
“I think this game kind of summarized our whole situation this year,” began Owens. “From all the different things we’ve had to overcome, this game was just like that. It didn’t look like it was going our way… we could have easily given up, but that’s not what we’re built on.”
The Flyin’ Hawaiian concluded the contest with six receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown. Interestingly, Owens nearly lost his balance on the go-ahead score. He stumbled momentarily prior to regaining his footing and outrunning Ticats defensive back Erik Harris.
“I got excited as soon as I caught it. I went to turn and I almost lost my footing, so my whole running gate got thrown off,” said Owens. “I gave him a chance to recover… I’m just glad that I had enough juice left to take it all the way.”
On a larger scale, Friday night’s victory has the potential to be a season-defining moment for the Double Blue.
With the win, the Argonauts moved into a first-place tie with the Tabbies, as both squads currently sit two points clear of the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Division standings.
Wide receiver John Chiles made his return to the Argonauts’ starting lineup on Friday following a prolonged absence due to a variety of minor ailments. The Boatmen’s sophomore wideout led the team in receiving with eight receptions for 123 yards.
“It was a great team win,” declared Chiles. “It wasn’t pretty but we fought it out. We needed to get this win. It was a great team effort.”
Despite the dramatic victory, discipline remains an area of concern for the Double Blue. The Argonauts committed 21 penalties on Friday night resulting in a grand total of 203 uncontested yards for the Tiger-Cats.
Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich was extremely disappointed with his team’s lack of discipline in Week 16. The Argos’ third-year bench boss affirms that his squad will need to rectify their disciplinary woes if they hope to achieve sustained success during the final month of the CFL regular season.
“We’ve got a ton to clean up but we survived for another week,” commented Milanovich. “It was such a frustrating night for most of the evening but there’s some character underneath the mistakes.”
The significance of Friday night’s contest cannot be understated. It was arguably the Argonauts’ most important game of the 2014 season. Toronto now owns a 1-1 record against Hamilton in 2014, with the two teams slated to meet again on Saturday, October 25 at Rogers Centre.
“This is the biggest win of the season,” proclaimed Owens. “It has to be. Every game from here on out is the biggest game of the season. We have to have that mentality all the way to the Grey Cup.”
“You dream of those things,” said Owens of the Argos’ breathtaking win. “This game against Hamilton, we needed it. This was going to be the determining factor of our season.”
The Argonauts have now won three consecutive games dating back to their Week 13 victory over the B.C. Lions in Vancouver.
The Boatmen will return to the gridiron on Saturday, October 18 against the Montreal Alouettes in a pivotal Eastern Division showdown at Rogers Centre.