Argos eliminate Riders from post-season with win at Mosaic

CFL.ca Staff

REGINA — The Toronto Argonauts completed a comeback effort to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29-26 at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, ending any hopes the Green and White had of making the playoffs.

The loss eliminated the Roughriders (6-12) from post-season contention and clinched a spot for the Calgary Stampeders (6-11) who own the tiebreaker in the series.

Trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, backup Cameron Dukes – who took over for Chad Kelly in the fourth quarter – led his team on a scoring drive that ended on a major by running back Daniel Adeboboye and Mason Pierce intercepted quarterback Jake Dolegala to seal the deal for the visitors.

Running back AJ Ouellette scored a rushing major and Chad Kelly connected with Damonte Coxie for a score before being replaced by Dukes.

Wide receiver DaVaris Daniels went over 1,000 yards on the season as the Argos improved to 15-2. Toronto will try to surpass its franchise-record 15 wins next week when they face the REDBLACKS in Ottawa.

Dolegala and the passing offence played a good game up until the final interception. The pivot threw two touchdown passes, one to Kian Schaffer-Baker and another one to Samuel Emilus, who went over 1,000 yards on the season alongside teammate Shawn Bane Jr.

Backup pivot Antonio Pipkin added a rushing major and the defence forced a couple of turnovers with a pick by Nic Marshall and a fumble forced by Bryan Cox Jr. in the losing effort for the Roughriders.

Saskatchewan started the game with a big play. Dolegala went deep to Schaffer-Baker who caught it despite the ball being tipped by the defence. A fumble by Saskatchewan’s receiver was reversed after review showed he was down by contact prior to losing control of the ball. Another completion – this time to Emilus – moved the ball inside the red zone and Dolegala finished the job with a strike to Schaffer-Baker for an early 7-0 for the home team.

Later in the first quarter the Argos put together a game-tying drive. Kelly connected with Daniels deep to make it first-and-goal and Ouellette scored the major after two runs. The point after by kicker Alfredo Gachuz Lozada put the teams even at 7 with 6:30 to go in the first.

The home team responded with their second scoring possession of the game. Dolegala again went to No. 89 over the middle before throwing a back-shoulder ball to receiver Mitch Picton across midfield and a screen pass to Bane Jr. added 27 more yards. The drive stalled in the red zone when two straight passes for Schaffer-Baker fell incomplete and kicker Brett Lauther split the uprights to retake the lead for Saskatchewan.

The big plays kept coming for the Roughriders. Kelly and the Argos were driving down the field when Cox Jr. sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble recovered by defensive lineman Charbel Dabire to give possession back to the Green and White. Dolegala took advantage of the turnover and immediately launched a deep strike to Emilus for a quick first-and-goal. That was when Argos’ defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers made a big play of his own to open the second quarter with an interception on a pass by Dolegala to stop the Riders from adding points to the board.

Dolegala had 177 passing yards in the first quarter but threw the crucial pick on his first play of the second.

Bane Jr. took another screen pass 44 yards and Saskatchewan’s pivot more than made up for his previous mistake with a dart to Emilus behind a couple of Double Blue defenders to cap off a quick touchdown drive. Lauther made it 17-7 with the point after.

Saskatchewan’s defence stepped up once more later in the quarter when Marshall jumped a pass from Kelly to stop another scoring march by Toronto.

The Argos once again marched into Saskatchewan’s territory with under five minutes left to put up points on the board. The running game with Ouellette and Adeboboye got them going before a third-and-five incompletion forced Gachuz Lozada to come in and make it 17-10 with 2:47 left in the half.

Dolegala drove his team down the field once more late in the second quarter with a couple of 16-yard completions to Jerreth Sterns and Bane Jr.. That was enough to set up Lauther for a 46-yard field goal attempt but the veteran missed the kick to the right to keep it a one-score game.

It became a one-point game on the next possession when Kelly completed a deep pass to a streaking Coxie behind Saskatchewan’s defence for a 50-yard major and a 17-16 score with the missed point after by Gachuz Lozada.

The kicker also missed a 42-yard attempt with zeros on the clock as the Riders kept the lead going into halftime.

Toronto started the second half the same way Saskatchewan did the first: with an explosive play. Adeboboye rushed 59 yards all the way to the 30-yard line and the Argos turned it into three points by Gachuz Lozada to take their first lead of the game.

Saskatchewan responded with a touchdown drive that put the home team ahead once more. Dolegala completed five straight passes all the way to the two-yard line and Pipkin muscled his way into the end zone on second down for the Green and White. The Riders decided to go for two but could not convert as the score moved to 23-19.

A fumble by Sterns recovered by linebacker Wynton McManis put the Argos in scoring position to open the fourth quarter. Dukes took over for Kelly after the takeaway but couldn’t get a first down and Gachuz Lozada made it 23-22 with the clock showing 13:50 until the end of the game.

A roughing the passer penalty gave the Riders good field position on their next drive and Lauther converted from 48-yards to push the lead back to four points.

Toronto’s final possession of the game had Dukes converting a third-and-10 with receiver Richie Sindani and moving the ball into Saskatchewan territory. Adeboboye then juked a couple of defenders to take the lead with under a minute left in the game.

Dolegala was picked off by Pierce on the ensuing possession as the Riders were unable to complete a comeback attempt.

The Argos now play one final regular season game against the REDBLACKS in Ottawa on Saturday, October 28, before waiting a couple of weeks to host the Eastern Final on November 11 at BMO Field.

Follow CFL