The Toronto Argonauts (3-3) Jekyll & Hyde season continued on Friday night in Regina, as the team stumbled on the road in a 30-16 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-2).
The Argos repeatedly shot themselves in the foot in this contest. The Boatmen turned the ball over three times, committed twelve penalties, and failed to score in the first half’s pivotal 1st and goal situation. The Boatmen sunk a hole in their ship early and were trailing 18-3 at halftime. The sizeable deficit, created mainly through self-inflicted wounds, was too much for the team to recover from in the second half.
The rejuvenated Roughriders snapped their two-game losing skid. Saskatchewan will head to BC next Friday to take on the Lions.
The Argonauts will need to regroup after this disheartening loss and head home next Friday at BMO to face Montreal in a pivotal Eastern showdown. Depending on what happens in Montreal’s game tomorrow night with BC, the Boatmen could be in a three-way tie in the East. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Stamps earlier in the evening, 23-17.
EAST DIVISION
| RK | TEAM | GP | W | L | T | PTS | F | A | HOME | AWAY | DIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 112 | 112 | 2-0-0 | 1-3-0 | 2-1-0 |
| 2 | Toronto | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 112 | 141 | 2-0-0 | 1-3-0 | 1-1-0 |
| 3 | Montreal | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 113 | 97 | 0-1-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-1-0 |
| 4 | Ottawa | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 80 | 155 | 0-2-0 | 1-2-0 | 0-1-0 |
Argonauts @ Roughriders Week 7 Game Recap
Saskatchewan would get the ball to start the game at their own 32. Cody Fajardo and the Riders’ offense would put interim defensive play-caller Rich Stubler’s defense to the test early.
The very first two plays of the game seemed like a bad omen for Toronto. Argonauts’ linebacker Brandon Calver was injured on the opening kickoff, which led to a slight delay. Then, The Argos defense would miss several tackles on the first play from scrimmage; on a quick screen from Fajardo to Kyran Moore that went for 19 yards.
Saskatchewan, who hadn’t scored a major in their last 31 possessions, would take their opening drive all the way down to the Argos’ 1 -yard line. Thanks to some strong running by William Powell, a Dexter McCoil major foul penalty, and two Fajardo completions to Schaffer-Baker. Cody Fajardo would cash in SSK’s first score of the game on a quarterback sneak to give his team an early 7-0 lead.
The Argonauts’ poor start to this game would continue on their first offensive series. Nick Arbuckle would connect with Chandler Worthy for a 14-yard pickup through the air. The very next play, John White would sprint for 16 yards, but Riders DB Elie Bouka would force a fumble that was recovered at midfield by Micah Johnson.
The turnover would give the Riders’ excellent field position on their second drive. But the Argos defense would hold Saskatchewan to one first-down before forcing them to attempt a 53-yard field goal. Brett Lauther’s kick would fall short, and Chandler Worthy would return the miss out to the 27.
The Argos offense would sputter on their next drive, going two and out. Saskatchewan’s offense would once again drive into Toronto territory. And once again, the Argos defense would hold the Riders to another field goal attempt. This time down to the 38 for a 48-yard field goal attempt. The usually reliable Brett Lauther would miss yet another field goal, but this time, the misfire would result in the Boatmen conceding the single in the end zone.
Toronto’s offense would respond to the single with their best drive in the early going. Thanks to an illegal contact penalty on a Nick Arbuckle pass intended for Eric Rogers, which kick-started things for The Boatmen. Nick Arbuckle would lead the Argos down into the red zone, with four separate completions to RB DJ Foster and an 11-yard hookup with Eric Rogers. But the big play was a 26-yard run by Chandler Worthy. However, SSK’s defense would hold inside their own 10-yard line and force the Argos to take the three points. Boris Bede would knock through a 15-yard field goal to cut the Riders lead to 8-3.
The momentum would stay in Toronto’s favor going into the second quarter. Thanks to Toronto’s defense. Saskatchewan’s next offensive series would begin with two big plays by the Boatmen. Firstly, Charleston Hughes would record his first sack of the year against his former team, taking down Fajardo. On the very next play, on a pass intended for Brayden Lenius, Crezdon Butler would intercept Cody Fajardo, presumably setting up the Argos offense in scoring position. However, an illegal hit after the turnover by DB Matthew Boateng would cost the Boatmen 15 yards.
The momentum shift for Toronto would not last long. Three plays after the big interception by Butler. The Riders would force a turnover as well. Deon Lacey would sack Nick Arbuckle, causing a fumble, and Keion Adams would recover the loose ball. The careless ball handling by Arbuckle in the pocket would prove costly.
It would only take the Riders three plays on offense to capitalize on the Toronto turnover. Two William Powell runs followed by a touchdown pass from Cody Fajardo to Brayden Lenius would extend Saskatchewan’s lead to 15-3.
Down 12, the Argos would continue to put themselves in a hole with dire penalties. Their next offensive series would start at their 13-yard line because of a roughness penalty called on fullback Dion Pellerin.
However, Nick Arbuckle and the Toronto offense would dig themselves out of the hole, courtesy of a roughness penalty on Riders DL Peter Robinson. And a 59-yard hookup from Arbuckle to Eric Rogers brought the Boatmen down deep inside the 5-yard line.
The Argos would get the ball down to the 1-yard line. But facing a third down, Toronto would opt to go for the major, but John White would be stopped short. The big play by the Rider defense would keep the Boatmen off the scoring board in a significant momentum shift.
Saskatchewan would start their next drive from inside their end zone. The Riders appeared to go two and out to give the football back to Toronto, but the Argonauts would continue to shoot themselves in the foot with undisciplined play. A pass interference penalty by Jamal Peters would keep SSK’s offense on the field.
Three plays later, the Argos defense once again appeared to hold the Roughriders to a punt, but an offsides penalty would give SSK another first down. Cody Fajardo and William Powell’s running would bring the Riders’ offense to midfield. And yet another penalty by Toronto’s D would extend SSK’s drive even further.
A roughness call on Trevor Hoyte on a 17-yard run by Fajardo would set the Riders’ offense up in Toronto territory. The trifecta of penalties by Toronto’s D would lead to the Riders scoring three more points on a Brett Lauther field goal right before the end of the first half. Saskatchewan would go into the break up 18-3.
At the break, the Toronto Argonauts had nine penalties and two turnovers. Down 15 with the ball to start the second half. The Boatmen would respond with a six-play 75 yard-scoring drive. Nick Arbuckle would use the play-fake to connect on four passes on the drive for 66 yards, utilizing a heavy RPO scheme. The big play coming on a 28-yard connection to Devaris Daniels. Two plays later, Arbuckle would find Daniels again for a 21-yard score. Down 18-9, Ryan Dinwiddie would inexplicably decide to go for two. But the conversion would fail when Micah Johnson sacked Arbuckle.
The Argos defense would force the Riders offense to punt on their first series of the 3rd quarter. But Toronto’s offense would fail to keep momentum on their side, going through a quick two and out.
The Argos penalty problems would rear their ugly heads on Saskatchewan’s next offensive possession. Toronto’s Dexter McCoil would go offsides on first down. One play later, a Dewayne Hendrix sack, resulted in Shawn Oakman being called for an unnecessary roughness penalty. But the Boatmen’s defense would eventually force Saskatchewan to punt the football away. However, Toronto’s offense would once again fail to move the football with another quick two and out.
Down two starters on defense in Cameron Judge and Henoc Muamba. The Riders’ ground game would get cooking thanks to William Powell and a 25-yard run by Cody Fajardo. The rushing attack by the Roughriders would bring them into Toronto territory as the 3rd quarter came to a close.
The Riders would extend their lead early in the 4th quarter with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Fajardo to Kian Schaffer-Baker. SSK would successfully convert a two-point conversion pass with Mitchell Picton to extend their lead to 26-9 over Toronto. Brett Lauther’s ensuing kickoff would sail through the end zone to net the Riders another point with a single. The 9 point swing to start the final quarter would give the Riders a 27-9 advantage.
Down 19, Toronto’s offense would respond with a scoring drive of their own. The Argos would quickly march down the field in 6 plays and score a major when Nick Arbuckle hit Eric Rogers from 18 yards. Boris Bede would take on the extra point to cut the Riders lead down to 27-16.
The Argonauts’ defense would get their offense the ball back by forcing Saskatchewan to punt at midfield.
With 7 minutes left in the game, down by 11, the Boatmen would march near midfield. Facing a 3rd and 6, Nick Arbuckle would connect with Daniels for a seven-yard gain to extend the drive. But with time ticking away and the game reaching the 3-minute warning. The Argos would face another do-or-die 3rd down. Keion Adams would sack Arbuckle, and Toronto would turn the ball over on downs.
On their next drive, the Riders would tack on a late Brett Lauther field goal to extend the margin to 30-16. One last-ditch rally attempt by Toronto would end with Nick Arbuckle throwing an interception to put a bow on the game officially.
Final Score: Saskatchewan Roughriders 30 Toronto Argonauts 16
Argonauts @ Roughriders Boxscore
PASSING
| PLAYER | CP/AT | % | YDS | TD | INT | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/33 | 66.7% | 309 | 2 | 1 | 59 |
RUSHING
| PLAYER | CAR | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 39 | 5.6 | 16 | 0 | |
| 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 4 | 0 |
RECEIVING
| PLAYER | REC | ATT | YDS | YAC | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 7 | 97 | 20 | 24.2 | 59 | 1 | |
| 6 | 8 | 91 | 46 | 15.2 | 22 | 0 | |
| 4 | 6 | 67 | 3 | 16.8 | 28 | 1 | |
| 4 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 4.2 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 |
FIELD GOALS
| PLAYER | FGA | FG | LG | S | YDS | FG MISS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
PUNT RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 26 | 0 |
KICKOFF RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 25 | 0 | |
| 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 21 | 0 |
FG MISSED RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 27 | 0 |
PUNTING
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | S | NET | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 133 | 44.3 | 49 | 0 | 101 | 33.7 |
KICKOFFS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 204 | 68.0 | 95 | 0 |
DEFENCE
| PLAYER | DT | ST | QS | INT | FR | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PASSING
| PLAYER | CP/AT | % | YDS | TD | INT | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/31 | 67.7% | 212 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
RUSHING
| PLAYER | CAR | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 122 | 5.8 | 33 | 0 | |
| 8 | 58 | 7.2 | 25 | 1 | |
| 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1 | -4 | -4.0 | -4 | 0 |
RECEIVING
| PLAYER | REC | ATT | YDS | YAC | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 11 | 99 | 51 | 11.0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 3 | 5 | 30 | 26 | 10.0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 3 | 4 | 27 | 14 | 9.0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 10.5 | 12 | 1 | |
| 1 | 1 | 18 | 17 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2 | 3 | 15 | 12 | 7.5 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FIELD GOALS
| PLAYER | FGA | FG | LG | S | YDS | FG MISS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 47 | 53, 46 |
PUNT RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 14 | 0 |
KICKOFF RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 17 | 0 |
FG MISSED RETURNS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|
PUNTING
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | S | NET | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 118 | 39.3 | 54 | 0 | 84 | 28.0 |
KICKOFFS
| PLAYER | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 357 | 71.4 | 94 | 1 |
DEFENCE
| PLAYER | DT | ST | QS | INT | FR | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
