On Sunday night at BMO Field, the Toronto Argonauts hosted the Ottawa Redblacks in a clash of two East Division teams. The Argonauts were looking for their fourth win of the season, while the Redblacks were still searching for this first win of the season.
In the first quarter, Redblacks’ kicker Lewis Ward made two field goals (46 yards, 31 yards), and Argonauts kicker Boris Bede made a 42-yard field goal as Ottawa led 6-3 at the end of the first quarter with Toronto having the ball to start the second quarter.
On Toronto’s second possession, quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw three passes for 35 yards to get them to Ottawa’s 29-yard line. Then, Bethel-Thompson, off a fake handoff, throws a 29-yard touchdown to Brandon Banks, who made a nice over-the-shoulder catch, putting Toronto up 10-6 with 7:34 left.
Late in the second quarter, Toronto kicker Boris Bede made his second field goal for 32-yards that extended their lead 13-6 with 59-seconds left. On Ottawa’s last possession of the second quarter, quarterback Caleb Evans threw three passes for 33 yards, and a Jackson Bennett four-yard run put them on Toronto’s 30-yard line.
Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans did a pump fake and scrambled out of the pocket before throwing a 30-yard touchdown to Jaelon Acklin, tying the game 13-13 at halftime.
In the second half, Ottawa shut out Toronto. Ottawa had the ball to begin the third quarter. They marched down to Toronto’s 14-yard line before Lewis Ward made a 21-yard field goal, putting the Redblacks in the lead, 16-13, with 9:53 left.
After the field goal, Toronto tried to move the ball down to Ottawa’s territory, but Andrew Harris had the ball knocked out of him by Lorenzo Mauldin and recovered by Ottawa. The Redblacks were unable to take advantage of the turnover and gave it back to Toronto. The Redblacks led 16-13 and had the ball to start the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans and running back William Powell led the offense down to Toronto’s seven-yard line. On 1st and 7, Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans faked a handoff before throwing a low pass to Nathaniel Behar for a seven-yard touchdown, putting the game away with a 23-13 lead with 6:53 left.
Toronto had a couple of opportunities to get back into the game but came up short both times, and the Redblacks went into victory formation to win their first game of the season, 23-13. The Redblacks are now 1-6, and the Argonauts drop to 3-3.
The Redblacks have been dealing with many injuries this season, including their starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli. Caleb Evans has done a nice job filling in for Masoli, and the Redblacks fought hard to get their first win of the season. Meanwhile, Toronto took a step back, and they need to make corrections before their next game against Hamilton.
Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans was 24/29 for 286 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and seven carries for 31 yards. Running back, William Powell had 11 carries for 50 yards, while wide receiver Jaelon Acklin had seven catches for 144 yards and one touchdown.
The Redblacks’ defense allowed 373 yards, 45 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. The Redblacks host the Calgary Stampeders next Friday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+.
Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was 25/39 for 340 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and three carries for six yards. Running back, Andrew Harris had nine carries for 17 yards, while wide receiver Markeith Ambles had five catches for 84 yards.
The Argonauts’ defense allowed 399 yards, 59 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Toronto hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next Saturday at 7 pm on ESPN2.
