CFL.ca Staff
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TORONTO — Steve Slaton had 157 combined yards and a touchdown as the Argonauts made the East playoff picture more interesting with a 26-24 win over Hamilton.
Slaton had 16 carries for 80 yards and added five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown with a crucial 31-yard grab late.
The Argos now own the season series on the Tiger-Cats, setting up what will be an intense race for the East Divison Playoff spots.
After injuries had made their way through the Tiger-Cats backfield, Hamilton elected to go with Nic Grigsby at tailback after he was signed earlier in the week. The CFL rookie was a force with Winnipeg earlier in the year but a disagreement with management over his role, led to his release.
His first carry came on the game’s opening play from scrimmage as he took a handoff left of the formation but was stuffed for a loss of two. The Argonauts sent a blitz on the following play and forced Hamilton QB Zach Collaros to take an Intentional Grounding call which led to a safety and the first points of the game.
Grigsby’s playing time was limited from then on out as Mossis Madu took over the majority of the snaps on the ground.
Ricky Ray and the Argos offence then got their first chance to try and re-create magic that helped lift them to a one-point come-from-behind win two weeks ago against their very same rival.
Ray connected with Chad Owens for 8 and then Maurice Mann who got behind coverage fora 33-yard conversion. It helped set up a 36-yard Swayze Waters field goal to take an early 5-0 lead.
The Argos defence sent the house again on two consecutive plays following a Grigsby first down and got the ball right back.
Ray then went to work on an 8-play, 57-yard drive with first down passes to Owens but couldn’t capitalize once in the red zone as Waters added a 23-yarder to increase the lead to eight.
The red zone issues the Argos were having were put to bed on the next drive as Ray, combined with two penalties of 10-yards plus by the Ticats, helped Toronto post the game’s first major. Ray put together an 8-play, 70-yard touchdown drive which was capped off by Slaton. Slaton took a dump pass over the middle, stuttered-stepped a defender and raced up field, diving into the end zone to increase the first-quarter tally to 15-0.
For the first time this season, Slaton was the lone tailback in the Argonauts offence with Curtis Steele a late scratch due to injury.
With the Toronto offence doing its part, the defence continued its stellar play as the second quarter began. The Argos defensive line got to Collaros on consecutive plays, collapsing the pocket quickly and forcing their old teammate to scramble.
The ‘Cats were a minus 14 yards in total offence in the first quarter thanks to an Argos defence that stepped up its game following a tough outing against Montreal last week at home.
The Tiger-Cats forced Ray into making his first errant throw of the afternoon on the ensuing drive when DB Rico Murray tallied his team-leading fifth interception of the season but Collaros and the offence quickly went two-and-out.
Hamilton was able to get a stop deep in Toronto territory which seemed to spark the Hamilton bench. On their next offensive series, the Argos took a pass interference penalty before Collaros found a seam in the Toronto secondary. The third-year pivot threw a strike to Luke Tasker on a post route who went virtually untouched 50-yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 15-7.
The defence followed suit by forcing a fumble on the Argos next drive but could not cut into the lead more. Despite not turning into points, the turnover did pin Ray and the Argos offence inside their own 10 yard line.
Both defences held in the final few minutes of the half as the Argos took a 15-7 lead. Slaton led the way for the Argos in the first half with 67 combined yards and could have had at least 35 more if it were not for holding penalties that nullified gains late in the second quarter.
As the second half resumed, the Argos moved the ball with ease on their first possession, highlighted by a 45-yard strike from Ray to John Chiles. The sophomore CFL fumbled on the next play after linebacker Simoni Lawrence stripped and recovered the ball which set up the Tiger-Cats offence at their own 40 yard line.
Collaros promptly connected with Tasker for 23 yards before rolling right out of the pocket and spotting a wide open SB Sam Giguere on the far side of the field. He hauled in the pass and quickly turned the completion into a 45-yard touchdown to cut the lead to one early in the half.
What was ailing Collaros in the first half seemed to be a distant memory in the second. A swarming Argos defensive line began to simmer down and Collaros began picking apart the Argos secondary as he went to work on his third possession of the third quarter.
Collaros masterfully led a 10-play, 109-yard touchdown as he calmly marched his team out of the worst field position a quarterback could have. A perfect 8-for-8 in completions to Madu, Tasker and Giguere for 22 yards to set up the game’s next score. Collaros dropped back, went through his reads and confidently tossed a ball into the endzone where Banks hauled in the 27-yard touchdown pass to give Hamilton a 21-15 lead.
An impressive Argos march on the ensuing drive, where Stalon romped for 22, was once again snuffed out by Lawerence who got his mitts on a Ray fumble at the Toronto 35 yard line on the last play of the quarter.
The Argos defence returned the favour two plays later when linebacker James Yurichuk hauled in a tipped pass off the hands of Tasker for the interception.
The Argos then scrimmaged from midfield and a 32-yard completion from Ray to WR Spencer Watt allowed Waters to cut the lead to three by converting a 29-yard field goal.
The Double Blue defence then stepped up, got a stop and Ray began to march. First, the future Hall of Famer found Mann for 30 yards to set up the Argos inside Hamilton territory. He then dumped the ball off to Slaton in the flat who got up field for 11 more. Three plays later, third-stringer Mitchell Gale fell forward, after the Ticats got called for offside, for the 1-yard TD plunge to give Toronto the lead again, 25-21 with 4:56 remaining.
Collaros and the ‘Cats took over and quickly moved the ball up to the Toronto 38 yard line on four completions, with the last one being a third-and-two connection to keep the drive alive at the three-minute warning.
Hamilton head coach Kent Austin would not gamble on third-and-ten two plays later and elected to kick a 45-yard Justin Medlock field goal with 2:31 remaining to cut the lead to 25-24.
The Tiger-Cats punted back and had Ray and the Argos stuck in their own end on a second down and nine yards to go but Ray calmly dropped a pass into Slaton who was running a wheel route down the sidelines for 31 yards to get into Hamilton territory.
A Waters field goal attempt from 33 yards out however went wide and the Cats had life with 21 seconds left and down 26-24. Hoping for a miracle, Collaors dropped back with no time on the clock and was sacked by Yurichuk to preserve the win.
