VANCOUVER — The Toronto Argonauts broke their two-game losing streak in style with a 33-17 win over the BC Lions on Friday at BC Place.
The Argos scored a late touchdown in the first half to halt any momentum by the home team before controlling the final two quarters of play. Toronto’s defence held strong all game, forcing the home team to punt the ball seven times and registering an interception with defensive back DaShaun Amos.
Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 18 of 28 passes for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) and kicker Lirim Hajrullahu was a perfect six-of-six on field goals to push the Argos to 7-6.
BC struggled on offence for most of the game, with pivot Nathan Rourke scoring a rushing major in the second quarter before the team went to veteran Vernon Adams Jr. for the second half, to no success. Quarterback Chase Brice added a late touchdown pass to running back Jordan Terrell, but it was too little to late as the Leos dropped to 7-7.
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Toronto opened the scoring in the first quarter with a Hajrullahu 51-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
The Argos added to their lead halfway through the first with another boot from their kicker, this time from 42-yards out.
Janarion Grant kept the momentum going for the visitors with an 80-yard return all the way to the Lions 15-yard line. Kelly and the Argos gained 14 yards to make it third-and-goal from the one, but a procedure penalty pushed them back five yards and the team sent in Hajrullahu for his third field goal of the night.
BC went two-and-out four times in the first quarter as the offence struggled to contain Toronto’s defensive line in both the running and passing game.
The Lions offence finally got going in the second with a long pass from Rourke to Keon Hatcher for 40 yards, but a sack on second down by Ralph Holley forced the Lions to kick a field goal. Sean Whyte cut the visitors lead to 9-3 with a little over nine minutes left in the first half.
Hajrullahu pushed the lead back to two scores with a 31-yard field goal with 4:36 to go in the second quarter.
Rourke connected with Justin McInnis for a big second-and-17 conversion late in the half to move the Orange and Black into scoring position. The receiver caught another first-down pass on the next play to set up first-and-goal. BC’s pivot then scrambled right to break the plane of goal and score the first major of the game. The point after by Whyte made it 12-10 with the clock showing 1:12 left.
The Argos responded with a long drive of their own. Kelly found Makai Polk for 52 yards all the way to BC’s 11-yard line before scrambling left to connect with the receiver again, this time in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. The major made it 19-10 going into halftime.
Toronto picked up right where they left things off to open the third quarter, marching down the field for another score. Rookie Kevin Mital got things started with a 10-yard catch and Ka’Deem Carey pushed the offence further with a 13-yard gain. Kelly then went to Polk once more for another first down. It wasn’t enough for a touchdown, but the Boatmen got into Hajrullahu’s range again and the kicker scored his fifth field goal of the night.
BC went to Adams Jr. in the second half in an attempt to spark the offence, but the veteran’s first drive went nowhere after a couple of sacks pushed the Leos back from scoring range and forced yet another punt.
The following drive featured veteran DaVaris Daniels catching a 34-yard pass from Kelly and Carey adding a couple of strong runs for a first down inside BC’s 35-yard line. Damonte Coxie was next in line making plays for the Double Blue, juking his way to a pair of first downs to set up first-and-goal. After a first-down incompletion, Kelly scrambled his way into the end zone to stretch the lead to 29-10 with the extra point.
Whyte missed a 47-yard attempt for BC to add a single as Grant had no room to return and took a knee in the end zone in the opening play of the fourth quarter.
Hajrullahu added his sixth field goal of the night to push the lead to 32-11 with 10:19 of play left.
Amos stopped a promising BC drive with an interception close to his own end zone that kept Toronto ahead by 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Patrice Rene blocked a punt for the Leos with under three minutes left to give the team a chance to add points to the board. Brice entered the game and threw a touchdown pass to Terrell for the final score.
Toronto’s back on the field next Friday, September 20, as they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BMO Field in Week 16 action. BC meanwhile will head to their bye week before hosting the Ticats on Friday, September 27, at BC Place.