TORONTO, ON (July 27, 2024) – The Toronto Argonauts pulled out a tight-scoring game, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16-14 at BMO Field on Saturday night.
The pair of Nick Arbuckle and Cam Dukes both saw action in the game. Arbuckle finished 12 of 22 for 87 yards while Dukes had 37 yards while completing 3 of 4 passes.
Ka’Deem Carey continued to rumble on the ground, going for 62 yards on 10 carries while also adding 35 receiving yards on six catches. Makai Polk led all Argos receivers with 49 yards on three grabs.
Toronto’s defence was the standout on the night, sacking Zach Collaros five times while also forcing three fumbles and an interception.
Jake Ceresna finished the game with four tackles and two sacks, while Ralph Holley, Woody Baron, and Benjie Franklin also registered sacks.
Tarvarus McFadden shined in his return to the Double Blue, coming up with a massive Pick-6 in the victory.
The opening frame of action set the tone for the rest of the game, with the two defensive units going back and forth, frustrating the respective offences. The Argos opened the game with a two-and-out, but after punting the ball to Winnipeg, Brady Oliveira put the ball on the ground after a 22-yard gain. Fraser Sopik got the strip and Royce Metchie recovered the fumble. Unfortunately, Toronto wasn’t able to capitalize on the extra possession.
Winnipeg got the opening points of the contest with a field goal from Sergio Castillo, who made good on his kick from 15 yards out at the 5:03 mark. But he was quickly answered with a 48-yarder from Lirim Harjullahu to knot the game at three after the first quarter.
Toronto’s defence continued to buzz around the field in the second, with another forced fumble coming in the opening minutes. Collaros completed a pass downfield to Drew Wolitarsky, but after trying to get extra yards upfield, Robert Priester jarred the ball loose with a hit. DaShaun Amos scooped the ball up to put the offence in great field position.
With just under seven minutes left in the first half, Castillo hit his second field goal of the game – this time from 40 yards out – to put the Bombers back ahead. But once again, Hajrullahu had an answer on the next Argos drive. A seven-play drive from Toronto ended with a 37-yarder from the veteran kicker.
Winnipeg tried to push the field at the end of the second, looking to get back ahead on the scoreboard heading into the locker room. They managed to get from their own 40-yard line to the Toronto 35. But a last-second field-goal attempt from Castillo missed wide left. The teams stayed deadlocked at 6-6 through two.
The third quarter saw the two teams jockeying for field position, with seven total punts. But neither squad could add to their totals, leaving 15 minutes for someone to pull out a victory.
It would be the Argos that came up with the biggest play of the game to that point early in the fourth. With the Bombers at their own 35, Collaros’ pass out to the left was tipped in the air by Amos, tipped again by receiver Kody Case, and intercepted by McFadden, who took the ball back for a Pick-6. The Hajrullahu point-after made it a 13-6 lead for Toronto with over 10 minutes to go.
The Argos’ defence came up big once again on their next possession. A completion to Nic Demski was thwarted by Metchie, who popped the ball out, and Amos recovered to give Toronto a chance to widen its lead. However, a third-and-short opportunity resulted in a turnover on downs in Blue Bombers territory, as Dukes was stopped on the sneak play.
Winnipeg took advantage of the turnover, with Collaros hitting Ontaria Wilson over the top for a 55-yard connection to knot the game at 13.
The Bombers got the ball back with 2:01 to play in regulation, and they were able to push down into field-goal range. But they also decided to push for the touchdown and tried to convert on third-and-short with under a minute left. Chris Streveler was also stacked up short of the line to gain. That forced overtime.
Winnipeg got the first touch of the extra frame, and after being held short of a first down, Castillo had a 41-yarder to put the visitors ahead. But he missed again. However, the ball went out of the back of the end zone for a single. That gave Toronto the chance to win the game with a field goal.
Hajrullahu stepped up and drilled a 34-yarder for his second walk-off kick of the season.
With the victory, the Argos move to 4-3 for the season. They’ll be back in action next Sunday when they head on the road to take on the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Leave a Reply