HALIFAX — For the second straight Touchdown Atlantic game, the Toronto Argonauts have defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders, this time 31-13, in front of another sold-out Nova Scotia crowd.
The Argos, 6-0 for the first time since 1935, got it going early in front of more than 11,000 fans at Huskies Stadium in the heart of Halifax, with Boris Bede kicking it off on a field goal from 35 yards just over a minute into the game, then running back Javon Leake going for 71 yards off an Adam Korsakpunt punt for a touchdown.
Bede added the convert and another field goal to make it 13-0 over the Riders to end the first quarter.
Toronto kept that momentum going in the second quarter, with wide receiver Dejon Brissett making a two-point conversion and quarterback Chad Kelly passing it to Brissett for another touchdown to make it 21-0 before the five-minute mark. Argos defensive back Daniel Robertson intercepted a Mason Fine pass at 6:38 into the quarter.
The Riders had a chance to earn some points late in the second quarter but fumbled before reaching the end zone and the Argos held on to their 21-0 lead going into the halftime break.
Despite the one-sided score, local fans were on their feet and cheering early in the third quarter when kicker Brett Lauther put the Riders on the scoreboard to make it 21-3 with a field goal from 39 yards at 5:40. Lauther is from Truro, N.S., and a former Saint Mary’s Huskies player.
The Roughriders were able to keep the unbeaten Argos at bay going into the fourth, with Lauther adding a second field goal from 44 yards midway through the quarter to close the gap to 21-6.
The Riders continued to hold off the Argos — who lead the CFL’s East Division — until late in the game, with Toronto defensive back DaShaun Amos returning a ball 58 yards for the touchdown. Bede added another field goal to put Toronto up 31-6 with just over three minutes remaining.
The Riders weren’t giving up, though, with quarterback Jake Dolegala passing it deep to wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. for a touchdown, and Lauther with the convert kick, putting the final score at 31-13 for the Argos.
“It was awesome for me, personally, but we want to go out there and win at the end of the day,” Lauther said of being back on his old Saint Mary’s University stomping grounds.
“It’s a team game; on to next week now, but … it was awesome to have friends and family come to a game. It means so much to me.”
Toronto QB Chad Kell told media after the game that the win was a true team effort. “As a whole — offence, defence, special teams — we came out today.”
“This team really plays for each other; this team really has each other’s backs,” agreed running back Andrew Harris. “This team is just full of talent, across the board.”
“Any given guy can make a game-breaking play; any given guy can take over the game,” said the five-foot-10, 216-pound Harris, who hails from Winnipeg, Man. “We genuinely care about each other.
“We’ve got so many ballers on this team. Special teams, defence, offence (and) a great coaching staff."
Toronto’s 6-0 run to begin the CFL season is the franchise’s best start in 83 years.
“I think it shows you how much depth we’ve got across the team,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said of the defending Grey Cup champions.
Dinwiddie said the Argos don’t focus on having a winning streak. “We’re proud of it, but we don’t talk about it,” he said. “We just try to make it to the next game.”
Saskatchewan head coach Craig Dickenson said being at Huskies Stadium “feels a lot like a home game for us.”
“Super job by Halifax, putting on a great event,” Dickenson said. “Hats off to all the folks that were involved in that. We sure felt privileged to be here.”
This year’s edition of Touchdown Atlantic marks the event’s second regular-season game, the last playing out in a year ago at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., where Toronto topped Saskatchewan 30-24 in front of another 10,000-plus sold-out crowd.
UP NEXT
Toronto will travel to Calgary on Friday to play the Stampeders, while Saskatchewan (3-4) will host the Ottawa Redblacks on Aug. 6.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2023.
Kristen Lipscombe, The Canadian Press