TORONTO – DaShaun Amos and Janarion Grant scored key second-half touchdowns to rally the Toronto Argonauts past the Calgary Stampeders 39-25 on Friday night.
Amos, a former Stampeder, returned an interception 55 yards for the touchdown at 5:13 of the fourth quarter. Then Ka’Deem Carey, another former Calgary player, ran in the two-point convert to put Toronto ahead 29-22 before a BMO Field gathering of 13,481.
Tommy Stevens’ two-yard TD run at 2:06 gave Calgary the 22-21 lead. But Ralph Holley sacked Stevens for a six-yard loss on third-and-one, putting Toronto possession at the Stamps’ 25-yard line, setting up Lirim Hajrullahu’s 16-yard field goal at 9:29.
Rene Paredes’ 33-yard field goal at 11:15 cut Toronto’s lead to 32-25, but Carey scored on a 10-yard run at 13:26.
Grant’s 86-yard punt return touchdown highlighted a 14-point third that gave Toronto a 21-15 lead heading into the fourth. After Grant’s TD at 6:35, Nick Arbuckle found David Ungerer III for the two-point convert and an 18-15 lead.
Hajrullahu’s 45-yard field goal at 13:00 put Toronto ahead 21-15. He connected from 41 yards out at 4:44, which was set up by linebacker Robert Priester’s recovery of Jake Maier’s fumble at the Stampeders’ 32-yard line.
Grant gave Toronto a glorious opportunity for points with a 39-yard kickoff return to open the second half. With the Argos at the Calgary 25, Arbuckle hit Carey on a 13-yard completion but linebacker Cameron Judge recovered Carey’s fumble.
Toronto (5-4) earned a split in the home-and-home series with the Stampeders after losing 27-23 at McMahon Stadium last weekend.
Calgary (4-5) fell to 0-5 on the road and has just one win in its last 11 games away from McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders haven’t recorded a back-to-back sweep of Toronto since 2008.
Toronto has won 13 of its last 14 regular-season home games and nine straight there versus West Division teams.
Toronto now heads on a bye week before hosting the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3-1) on Aug. 22. And they could have a familiar face back under centre by then.
On May 7, Argos quarterback Chad Kelly was suspended by the CFL for the club’s two exhibition games and at least its first nine regular-season contests for violating its gender-based violence policy. It followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both Kelly and the CFL club.
Under terms of the ban, Kelly, the league’s outstanding player last season, had to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert. Both had to be completed to the satisfaction of the CFL, which could reinstate Kelly but also modify the discipline.
Cam Echols and Peyton Logan had Calgary’s other touchdowns. Paredes kicked three converts and a field goal while Cody Grace added a single.
Makar Polk scored Toronto’s other touchdown. Hajrullahu booted a two converts and three field goals.
Logan’s two-yard touchdown run at 14:47 of the second quarter staked Calgary to its 15-7 halftime lead. It was set up by Demerio Houston’s 31-yard interception return to the Toronto 35-yard line after corralling Micah Awe’s deflection.
Toronto appeared poised for a late field goal try but Grant’s 43-yard kickoff return to the Calgary 32-yard line was erased by a holding penalty. That prompted the Argos to kneel on the half’s final play.
Calgary could’ve led by more but Paredes hit the upright from 35 yards out earlier in the second. It was his first miss in 26 attempts.
Maier put Calgary ahead 8-7 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Echols at 10:54 of the first. It capped a smart 84-yard, five-play march.
Arbuckle concluded Toronto’s opening possession with a 22-yard scoring strike to Polk at 7:43. Grace’s 57-yard punt single at 2:54 opened the scoring.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2024.
