Chad Kelly and the Toronto Argonauts snapped their two-game losing skid in decisive fashion Friday night, downing the host B.C. Lions 33-17.
Argos quarterback Kelly connected on 18-of-28 pass attempts for 268 yards, including a touchdown, and added a rushing major.
Lirim Hajrullahu made six field goals for Toronto (8-6), including a 51-yard kick to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Nathan Rourke went six for 12, throwing for 110 yards for the Lions (7-7). He also contributed a rushing TD before he was replaced with veteran quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to start the third.
Adams, playing his first game since suffering a knee injury on Aug. 1, had 75 passing yards and an interception. B.C. turned to depth QB Chase Brice late in the fourth and the American threw for 32 yards with a touchdown.
Toronto’s defence wreaked havoc on the Lions’ quarterbacks, amassing seven sacks for 57 yards.
Nathan Rourke rushes it in for the TD 🔥#BCLions pic.twitter.com/wMOp2UzS34
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) September 14, 2024
B.C.’s offensive woes started early as Rourke struggled to connect with his receivers. The Lions amassed four two-and-outs across the first quarter alone.
Toronto had trouble working its way into the redzone through the opening frame, but Hajrullahu steadily put up points with a trio of field goals.
Late in the quarter, Javarion Grant dashed up the field for an 80-yard punt return that gave the Argos a first down at the Lions’ 15-yard line. B.C.’s defence forced the visitors into a third-down situation and when Toronto went for the major, they were called for a procedural foul.
Hajrullahu saved the series with a 15-yard field goal that put the Argos up 9-0 at the end of the first.
The Lions lost a major player just over three minutes into the second when Alexander Hollins went down hard when trying to reel in a long bomb from Rourke. The American wide receiver spent several minutes being looked at by medical staff on the field before walking straight to the locker room favouring his left shoulder. He did not return to the game.
Kicker Sean Whyte got B.C. onto the scoreboard midway through the second with a 40-yard field goal that cut Toronto’s lead to 9-3.
The Argos replied about five minutes later when Hajrullahu sent a 31-yard kick sailing through the uprights, boosting his team’s cushion to 12-3.
Rourke rallied late in the first half, sailing a 31-yard pass to Justin McInnis deep in Toronto territory.
With the Lions stationed at the nine-yard line, the Canadian quarterback surveyed his options before electing to take the ball himself, sprinting nine yards in for a touchdown. Whyte added a convert and B.C.’s deficit shrunk to 12-10.
The Argos weren’t content to close out the half with a two-point lead, however.
As the seconds ticked down, Kelly found Makai Polk midfield and the slotback took off for a 36-yard gain. The duo connected again moments later when the quarterback fired an 11-yard pass to Polk in the end zone. Hajrullahu added a single point as Toronto took a 19-10 advantage into the locker room.
The kicker continued his dominance early in the third quarter with a 27-yard field goal that put the Argos up 22-10.
Late in the frame, Damonte Coxie collected a toss from Kelly, deked his way around the Lions’ defence, and worked his way to B.C.’s eight-yard line. Kelly capitalized two plays later, rushing eight yards into the end zone. Another successful convert from Hajrullahu gave Toronto a 29-10 lead.
READ MORE: Versatile B.C. Lions offence key in push to extend win streak against Argos
The Lions had an opportunity to eat into the deficit before the end of the third, but Whyte missed his 47-yard field goal and B.C. settled for a single.
Hajrullahu sealed the score at 32-11 with a 45-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
B.C. head coach Rick Campbell turned to his third quarterback of the night late in the fourth.
Brice dished off to Terrell, who wove his way through the Argos offence and in for a touchdown with less than two minutes on the game clock.
The Lions tried for an extra point on the conversion only to see Brice stopped about a yard from the goal line.
Toronto added a single on a rouge with 45 seconds left on the clock.
NOTES
Lions defensive back Garry Peters played his 100th consecutive CFL game. … B.C. linebacker Maxime Rouyer left the game with a pectoral injury in the first half and did not return.
UP NEXT
The Argos will battle the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Toronto next Friday. The Lions are on a bye next week and will return to play Sept. 27 when they host the Ticats.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
