Franchise record and season highs headline key Argos win over Als – The Toronto Observer

Chad Kelly finished 19-30 with 287 yards and an interception. Makai Polk led Toronto in receiving with 103 yards on five catches. 

Alouettes’ (11-3-1) Cody Fajardo went 20-29 with 225 yards, two passing touchdowns, and a late pick, Cole Spieker added 99 receiving yards and a score. With an Ottawa Redblacks loss earlier in the day Saturday, the Als clinched top seed in the east. 

The Argos established the run game early, handing the ball off to Carey between the tackles for 12 and 13 yard gains on the first two plays of the game.  

“Definitely momentum when you can break off those runs early, it just feels like nobody can touch you,” said Carey.   

On the first play of the Argo’s second drive, Kelly’s struggles continued. There appeared to be a miscommunication between the signal-caller and David Ungerer III, and the QB threw the ball directly to Montreal defensive back Dionte Ruffin. 

Ruffin ran his team-leading fifth interception of the season back to the Argos’ 10-yard line. Fajardo then hit Walter Fletcher on a flat route towards the sideline and he turned up field and shoved past two defenders at the goal line to find paydirt.

A successful extra-point conversion made the score 7-3 Alouettes.  

The Argos managed to advance the ball inside the Als ten-yard line on each of their next three possessions. This included a play where Makai Polk broke free from the secondary and Kelly hit him in stride with an impressive fifty-yard pass resulting in a 77-yard catch-and-run.  

However, they failed to convert each time, ultimately kicking three short field goals.  

With the Argos up 19-7 at 4:59 of the second quarter, the Alouettes came storming back. First Fajardo lofted a pass to Spieker for a 35-yard touchdown, and then after the next Argo drive went nowhere, James Letcher Jr. ran the ensuing punt back 100 yards to the house for a 22-19 Als lead.  

Hajrullahu made his fifth field goal – a 49-yarder – as the first half expired, tying the game at 22.  

At 8:44 of the third quarter, the all-out offensive on the ground continued. This time McMahon got in on the action, taking a pitch from Kelly to the outside for a six-yard touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion the score sat at 28-23 Argonauts.  

“We wanted to establish the run,” said Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “We always want to run it downhill, it was there.

“They’re (Montreal) going to make you run it, they’re second in the league as far as giving up rushing yards. They play a light box, right, so they’re going to force you to be patient.”

Down 31-23 at 8:36 of the fourth, Al’s Fajardo connected with Reggie White Jr. for a 34-yard completion to the Argo’s two-yard line. Montreal then scored on a QB sneak and converted a two-point attempt to tie the game at 31 apiece.  

Then it was Hajrullahu’s time to shine. The Western product kicked his seventh field goal of the game to make the score 34-31 at 2:16 of the fourth.  

Next, the Double Blue’s defence forced a key three-and-out, with the Alouettes turning the ball over on downs after a desperation heave from Fajardo was unsuccessful.  

The former Grey Cup champion Hajrullahu drove home his franchise record-breaking eighth field goal of the night at 0:49 of the fourth.  

NOTES: Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa have a chance to do something unique — force a cross-over to the West. If all three finish with more points than the third place West club (currently B.C.), the lowest placed East side would make the post-season … A West team has crossed over 11 times … Argos offence stayed hot — their last five games have been their top five of the season in terms of yardage; 439, 494, 412, 388, and 517 … Kelly has thrown for 1917 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions, adding 156 yards and four touchdowns on the ground since his week 12 return.

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