The stage was set on Sunday afternoon at BMO Field as the Toronto Argonauts hosted the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final for the right to play in the 109th Grey Cup championship game next weekend in Saskatchewan.
In the first quarter, Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw two passes for 62 yards, including a 46-yard pass to A.J. Ouellette. Three plays later, Bethel-Thompson threw a 16-yard pass to Brandon Banks at the Alouettes’ six-yard line. Banks initially missed the catch, but his feet kicked the ball up in the air and ended up catching the ball.
After this, running back Andrew Harris ran up the middle for a six-yard touchdown, putting Toronto up 7-0 with 9:16 left. It was Harris’s first touchdown as an Argo. He played eight games before suffering a pectoral injury that cost him the rest of the regular season.
On Montreal’s second possession, quarterback Trevor Harris threw a 35-yard pass to Tyson Philpot. Philpot jumped in the air to make the catch with a Toronto defender on him. Three plays later, the Alouettes cut Toronto’s lead to 7-3 on a 25-yard field goal by David Cote with 6:54 left.
Late in the first quarter, Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw two passes for 39 yards, including a 30-yard pass to Andrew Harris. Two plays later, Bethel-Thompson threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Ouellette for a 14-3 lead with 1:59 left.
Montreal began the second quarter facing second down on their 49-yard line. They made it to Toronto’s 50-yard line before punting the ball. Toronto went back to work. First, wide receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. had a seven-yard run before quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw three passes for 29 yards.
On the next play, Montreal’s defense was expecting a quarterback sneak by Chad Kelly. However, Toronto’s offense faked the sneak, and Kelly threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DaVaris Daniels for a 21-3 lead with 9:20 left.
Montreal needed to respond on their next drive. Quarterback Trevor Harris threw three straight passes for 49 yards. Next, Harris threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot up the middle. Philpot caught the ball in between two Toronto defenders and ran into the endzone, making it 21-10 with 6:34 left.
Late in the second quarter, Toronto kicker Boris Bede made a 13-yard field goal, extending their lead to 24-10 with 2:48 left, but Montreal got those points back on a 30-yard field goal by David Cote, making it 24-13 at halftime.
Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was 11/16 for 193 yards, and one touchdown, while running back Andrew Harris had four carries for 25 yards, and one touchdown as part of Toronto’s 279 yards on offense.
Meanwhile, Montreal quarterback Trevor Harris was 14/16 for 225 yards, and one touchdown and wide receiver Tyson Philpot had five catches for 83 yards, and one touchdown as part of Montreal’s 240 yards on offense.
In the third quarter, Montreal running back William Stanback found an opening on the left side and ran for a 52-yard touchdown. Next, Montreal went for a two-point conversion and got it, making it a three-point game 24-21 with 13:54 left.
Midway through the third quarter, Toronto kicker Boris Bede made a 35-yard field goal for a 27-21 lead with 10:37 left. However, Montreal got the three points back when David Cote made a 32-yard field goal, making it 27-24 with 4:55 left.
Late in the third quarter, Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kurleigh Gittens Jr., extending their lead to 34-24 as the third quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter, Montreal kicker David Cote made his fourth field goal of the afternoon for 35 yards, making it 34-27 with 4:25 left. Montreal’s defense needed to come up with a stop, but Toronto’s offense found ways to get first downs, and eventually ran out the clock to win the game 34-27.
The Argonauts will play in the 109th Grey Cup championship game next weekend in Saskatchewan against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 6 pm on ESPN2. It’s the Argo’s first Grey Cup appearance since 2017 when they beat the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup game.
Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was 19/27 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Andrew Harris had nine carries for 42 yards, and one touchdown, while wide receiver DaVaris Daniels had three catches for 108 yards and one touchdown.
Toronto’s defense allowed 454 yards, with 44 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery.
Montreal quarterback Trevor Harris was 25/30 for 362 yards and one touchdown. Running back William Stanback had 12 carries for 84 yards, and one touchdown and wide receiver Tyson Philpot had eight catches for 127 yards, and one touchdown. Montreal’s defense allowed 446 yards, with 44 tackles.
Montreal gave it their all in this game, but in the end, they did not have enough firepower to overthrow the Argonauts. Montreal needs to make some upgrades in the off-season on both sides of the ball. If they can make those upgrades, Montreal will have a chance to make the Grey Cup next year.
