Argonauts celebrate 150th anniversary with win over Edmonton Elks

| American Football | 10/07/2023

TORONTO – Celebrating their 150th anniversary, the Toronto Argonauts got much more than the gift of a win.

Their 35-12 win over the Edmonton Elks eliminated the Elks from playoff contention, and the Argos kept their home record perfect in victory.

Chad Kelly threw for 165 yards in the win, while AJ Ouellette put in the work for 65 yards on 14 carries on the ground and Damonte Coxie led the Argos receiving corps with 83 yards on four receptions.

Tre Ford threw for 220 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss while Gavin Cobb led the Elks through the air with 79 yards and a touchdown on four receptions.

After the first drives from both teams ended unsuccessful, Toronto kicked off the scoring as Kelly found David Ungerer III on the deep left as he extended to make a 20-yard catch on the sideline, putting the Argos on the Elks five-yard line to set up a Cameron Dukes touchdown to put Toronto on the board first.

Back in the lineup after missing the game against Winnipeg, Shawn Oakman tallied a sack on Ford for his fifth sack of the season to force a punt where Javon Leake got across midfield to put Toronto in good field position on their next drive.

With the ball back in Toronto’s possession, DaVaris Daniels and Ungerer fought for first downs to put Toronto on the Edmonton 12-yard line, but unable to convert on the ground after Kelly was sacked by A.C. Leonard, Boris Bede put a 24-yard field goal through the uprights to gain a double-digit lead in the first quarter.

But Ford and the Edmonton Elks had an answer, as Ford dropped a ball in near perfectly for Cobb to put the Elks at the Argonauts 45-yard line, which resulted in a Dean Fatihfull 28-yard field goal to make it a six-point game

Another huge Javon Leake kickoff return for 41 yards set the Argos up on the Edmonton 14-yard line, allowing Kelly to connect with Damonte Coxie for 12 yards to get to the two-yard line. Deonta McMahon would run in the touchdown, while Tommy Nield grabbed the two-point convert to extend their lead.

With Toronto dominant on their home field, they looked to once again shut down an Elks attempt before Tre Ford escaped pressure from two defenders, finding Cobb for 16 yards and his first career touchdown to cut back the lead.

With Jonathan Jones sacking Ford to start the third quarter and force 2nd-and-25, Bede hit a 42-yard field goal to give the Argos their first points of the second half, before Wynton McManis would grab a pick-six on the very next drive, his second of the season, to put the Argos up by 17 with one quarter to go.

Holding the Elks scoreless in the third quarter, the Argos added to their lead to run away with the victory as they opened the fourth quarter with a nine-play drive for a touchdown.

The Argos used both Ouellette and Daniel Adeboboye on the ground to move the chains, before Kelly found Nield for 35 yards to get to the Edmonton two-yard line where Dukes would rush in his second touchdown of the night, which would put the game out of reach for the Elks.

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