The Toronto Argonauts (2-5) hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-3) at a rainy BMO Field on Saturday night in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup. The conditions on the field made it challenging for both teams.
First Quarter:
In the first quarter, Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw the ball behind to Janarion Grant. Then, Grant threw the ball to Damonte Coxie for 41 yards to the 40-yard line. On the next play, running back Deonta McMahon injured his right knee and had to be helped off the field.
Winnipeg defensive lineman Willie Jefferson was called for an offsides penalty, giving the Argos five more yards at the 33-yard line. On the next play, Nick Arbuckle got the defense to freeze with a pump fake before throwing the ball to Damonte Coxie for the touchdown. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed the extra point. Toronto took a 6-0 lead with 11:28 left to cap off a three-play drive for 81 yards.
Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira had four carries for 28 yards, and quarterback Zach Collaros completed two passes for 14 yards to the 31-yard line. On the next play, Collaros threw the ball to Keric Wheatfall in the endzone. However, Wheatfall could not control the catch, and it was ruled an incomplete pass. On third down, kicker Sergio Castillo made a 39-yard field goal. The Blue Bombers trailed the Argonauts 6-3 with 6:44 left.
Toronto’s offense would go two-and-out. Their special teams made sure to get the ball back. Punter Josh Haggerty punted the ball 50 yards to Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval. As Vaval started to run, he was immediately tackled by Derek Slywka, popping the ball out, and it was recovered by Brandon Calver at the 30-yard line.
Toronto’s offense moved the ball to the 25-yard line before kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 32-yard field goal. The Argonauts extended their lead to 9-3 with 4:01 left.
After Winnipeg’s offense went two-and-out, the defense stepped up. Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle handed the ball off to Khalan Laborn. Winnipeg linebacker Kyrie Wilson smacked the ball out of Laborn’s arm, and it was recovered by James Vaughters, who picked it up to score a 29-yard touchdown. Winnipeg led Toronto 10-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Winnipeg’s offense had 54 yards (22 yards passing, 41 yards rushing, 23 yards lost), and Toronto’s offense had 63 yards (74 yards passing, 10 yards rushing, 21 yards lost).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Toronto’s offense moved the ball to the 18-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Nick Arbuckle found a wide-open DaVaris Daniels for the touchdown. There was a miscommunication on Winnipeg’s defense that allowed Daniels to get open. Toronto led 16-10 with 11:37 left to cap off a nine-play drive for 84 yards.
Later in the second quarter, Toronto’s offense moved the ball to the 15-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 22-yard field goal for a 19-10 lead with 6:50 left. Toronto’s defense would get the ball back when Cameron Judge intercepted Zach Collaros. He returned it for 10 yards to the 33-yard line. After going two-and-out, kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 40-yard field goal. Toronto now led Winnipeg 22-10 with 5:30 left.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw a 46-yard pass to Nic Demski. Running backs Brady Oliveira and Matt Peterson combined to rush for seven yards to the 17-yard line. On the next play, Collaros attempted to throw the ball to Jerreth Sterns. The ball went off Sterns’s hands, bounced off of Toronto linebacker Wynton McMannis’s helmet, and was intercepted by Benjie Franklin at the 10-yard line.
Late in the second quarter, Toronto’s offense moved the ball to the nine-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 16-yard field goal. The Argonauts led the Blue Bombers 25-10 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Toronto had 305 yards on offense (258 yards passing, 68 yards rushing, 21 yards lost), 15 first downs, 1 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized two times for 15 yards. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed 14 of 21 passes (66%) for 217 yards, two touchdowns, and two carries for 19 yards.
Running back Khalan Laborn had seven carries for 42 yards. Wide receiver Damonte Coxie made five catches for 127 yards and one touchdown, while DaVaris Daniels made three catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. The defense made one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions.
Winnipeg had 104 yards on offense (79 yards passing, 48 yards rushing, 23 yards lost), 6 first downs, 0 for 1 in the redzone, and the team was penalized three times for 20 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 5 of 10 passes (50%) for 79 yards and two interceptions.
Running back Brady Oliveira had seven carries for 44 yards, and wide receiver Nic Demski made one catch for 46 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown.
Third Quarter:
Toronto got the ball to start the third quarter. The offense moved the ball to the 14-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 21-yard field goal for a 28-10 lead with 8:57 left.
Winnipeg made a quarterback change with Chris Streveler replacing Zach Collaros. Late in the third quarter, Streveler led the offense to the 18-yard line. On the next play, Streveler scrambled out of the pocket before throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jerreth Sterns.
The Blue Bombers trailed the Argonauts 28-17 to cap off an 11-play drive for 82 yards heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle rushed for 13 yards and threw four passes for 44 yards leading the offense to the 24-yard line. A time count penalty on Toronto moved the ball back to the 29-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made his sixth field goal of the night for 36 yards for a 31-10 lead with 8:44 left.
After the touchdown by Winnipeg in the third quarter, the offense was quiet for the rest of the game. Late in the fourth quarter, Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira rushed for 17 yards before Cameron Judge forced the ball out. Derek Slywka recovered the ball and took a knee. The Argonauts defeated the Blue Bombers 31-10 to end a two-game losing streak. For Winnipeg, they have now lost three straight games.
Final Stats:
Toronto had 438 yards on offense (257 yards passing, 116 yards rushing, 35 yards lost), 23 first downs, 1 for 4 in the redzone, and the team was penalized seven times for 55 yards. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed 22 of 31 passes (71%) for 316 yards, two touchdowns, and three carries for 35 yards.
Running back Khalan Laborn had 13 carries for 50 yards. Wide receiver Damonte Coxie led the receivers making six catches for 145 yards and one touchdown, while DaVaris Daniels made four catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 33 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.
Winnipeg had 319 yards on offense (227 yards passing, 115 yards rushing, 23 yards lost), 16 first downs, 1 for 2 in the redzone, and the team was penalized six times for 55 yards. Quarterback Chris Streveler completed 11 of 18 passes (61%) for 148 yards, one touchdown, and four carries for 16 yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira led the rushers with 13 carries for 82 yards, and wide receiver Jerreth Sterns led the receivers making four catches for 72 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 49 tackles, one tackle for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Next week, the two teams will meet in a rematch on Friday at 8:30 pm on TSN and CFL+.
