It may not have been a classic, but it was a wildly compelling game on Monday night. Entertaining for the wrong reasons at times, but there were enough points scored, lead changes, and big plays from both teams to keep it interesting.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a bit weird.
More often than not the wind becomes a factor at Tim Horton’s Field. That wasn’t the case for the most part on Monday, but there was at least a slight breeze blowing during all four quarters. Usually, having the wind at your back is at least a slight advantage, magnified as the wind speed increases.
There were 70 points scored during the Labour Day Classic, with 60 of them scored into the wind.
Just another quirky stat that somehow seem to occur every LDC.
How about this one, not relegated to one game.
Alden Darby Jr recovered a fumble and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown. It was one yard shy of the Argos regular season record of 101 yards, set by Don Wilson in a game in Edmonton in 1991.
But that’s not the weird part.
Darby’s TD was his second of the season. The Argos have also scored on fumble recoveries by Jermaine Gabriel and Llevi Noel, both at BMO Field against Winnipeg.
Without having the official statistic, the assumption would be that a team who scores a touchdown on either a fumble return or a pick six would win the game.
The Argos have lost all three games where they’ve scored a TD in that manner.
That’s the weird part.
Darby has fit in very nicely at the strong side, or Sam linebacker spot. Cassius Vaughn played the position for the majority of his starts in Toronto, before they moved him to the boundary halfback spot a couple of games back.
Darby has a nose for the football – last night was his third touchdown in just 19 CFL games – and moving him closer to the middle will allow him to use that skill a little more often. He had an interception to go with the fumble recovery on Monday.
THE SECRET WEAPON
It was a surprise to many, but it shouldn’t have been.
Ryan Bomben, the Argos starting right guard, caught a TD pass Monday night. It was the third touchdown catch of his career, giving him one each with Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal. His first CFL catch came as an Alouette against the Argos in his rookie season back in 2011.
The possibility of Bomben catching a pass should not have caught the Ticats off guard, no pun intended. Bomben moved to tight end as J’Micheal Deane came in to take over as the right guard, making Bomben an eligible receiver.
The 6’5”, 295 pound o-lineman lined up at the right tight end in a four-point stance, selling the run perfectly. He released and was untouched as James Franklin rolled to his right.
Jumal Rolle is the Ticats starting field corner. He was initially covering receiver Rodney Smith, who ran a crossing route. Rolle followed him and literally almost ran into Bomben, but spied that Franklin was on the run. He left Smith, completely ignoring Bomben, leaving the big man the back of the end zone all to himself.
The throw was a hair low, but the former Guelph Gryphon did offensive linemen everywhere a solid when he slid, making sure he was under the ball, cradling it like it was his newborn daughter, who joined the family last month.
A friendly piece of advice to Bomben, after holding her gently in your arms, never throw your daughter as high in the air as you did the football after the catch. You’re welcome.
Hauling in the pass must have been especially sweet for Bomben, a Burlington native and former Ticat, who was playing in his first LDC in Double Blue.
THE REMATCH
The Ticats fifth-straight LDC win came in their nineteenth consecutive season without a Grey Cup (I know, low-hanging fruit, but the ‘Argos Suck’ chants got old quickly on Monday).
After their victory, one can assume that there will be many fans heading down the QEW from The Hammer to take in Saturday’s rematch at BMO Field (1:00 pm, TSN, TSN 1050). This makes it more important for Argo fans to come out, ensuring the home field advantage.
The Boatmen have played much better at home than on the road. They’re 3-2 in friendly surroundings, and when BMO is rocking like it was in the last game against B.C., there’s zero doubt it makes an impact on the field.
Saturday’s game is a huge one for the Argos, and a solid turnout would certainly add to what should be a fantastic atmosphere. We know our friends from down the QEW will show up for the game. Here’s hoping for a solid Double Blue turnout as well.
