For the third consecutive season, the Toronto Argonauts (10-8) clashed with the Montreal Alouettes (12-5-1) on Saturday afternoon from Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in the Eastern Final where the winner advanced to the 111th Grey Cup game next Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Argonauts were looking to advance to their second Grey Cup in three years, while the Alouettes were looking to go to the Grey Cup for the second straight season.
First Quarter:
Montreal got the ball to start the game from their 38-yard line after returner James Letcher Jr. ran for 20 yards on the opening kickoff. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed a three-yard pass to fullback David Dallaire then the drive stalled. Toronto started its first possession from their 26-yard line after returner Janarion Grant returned Joseph Zema’s 57-yard punt for 14 yards before running out of bounds.
On second down, Chad Kelly’s pass was intercepted by Najee Murray with no Toronto receiver near him. Murray ran for 48 yards then Makai Polk forced a fumble and Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey recovered it on their 20-yard line with 12:49 left of the first quarter.
Despite the second chance, Toronto went two-and-out then punted the ball back to Montreal with 11:08 left. Montreal returner James Letcher Jr. returned John Haggerty’s 49-yard punt for 18 yards to reach their 18-yard line.
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed a nine-yard pass to Jacob Mason, followed by a Cody Fajardo 11-yard run reaching the Argonauts’ 49-yard line. On the next play, Fajardo handed the ball off to Walter Fletcher. He ran the ball for 23 yards before Mark Milton smacked the ball out of his arm causing a fumble and DaShaun Amos recovered it on the Argonauts’ 26-yard line with 9:53 left of the first quarter.
Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey had two carries for 11 yards, and quarterback Chad Kelly threw a 22-yard pass to Makai Polk then the drive stalled. Montreal’s offense started on their 17-yard line with 7:20 left.
On the first play, Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo could not find anyone open before throwing the ball to Walter Fletcher. The ball went off the fingertips of Fletcher then Toronto defensive back Benjie Franklin intercepted it for a pick-six 23-yard touchdown giving Toronto a 7-0 lead with 6:47 left of the first quarter.
Montreal returner James Letcher Jr. returned a 65-yard kickoff for 49 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 46-yard line. Montreal running back Walter Fletcher started the drive with two carries for 15 yards then the drive stalled. Kicker Jose Carlos Maltos kicked a 38-yard field goal and Montreal trailed Toronto 7-3 with 4:22 left of the first quarter.
Toronto went two-and-out on their next possession. Montreal took over from their 27-yard line with 2:55 left to go in the first quarter. Montreal’s offense moved the ball up to the Argonauts’ 43-yard line plus getting an additional 10 yards on an illegal blocking penalty on Toronto linebacker Isaac Darkangelo as the first came to an end down 7-3.
Toronto had 55 yards on offense (26 yards passing, 24 yards rushing), two first downs, no red zone opportunities, and the team was penalized one time for 10 yards. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 2 of 7 passes for 26 yards, and one interception.
Montreal had 101 yards on offense (38 yards passing, 63 yards rushing), six first downs, no red zone opportunities, and no penalties. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 4 of 10 passes for 38 yards, and one interception.
Second Quarter:
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo started the second quarter completing a six-yard pass to Austin Mack followed by a one-yard run to reach the Argonauts’ 29-yard line facing third down. Kicker Jose Carlos Maltos made a 36-yard field goal and Montreal trailed Toronto 7-6 with 13:25 left.
On the second play for Toronto, quarterback Chad Kelly was sacked by Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund for an 8-yard loss forcing third down. Montreal got the ball back on their 42-yard line with 11:32 left. Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed a short pass to Charleston Rambo for four yards plus getting an offsides penalty on Toronto defensive lineman Derek Parish for five yards.
Montreal running back Sean Thomas-Erlington rushed for 38 yards and Walter Fletcher ran for four yards to reach the Argonauts’ 21-yard line. Next, Cody Fajardo completed an 11-yard pass to Kaion Julien-Grant to reach the Argonauts’ 8-yard line. Then, Fajardo scrambled out of the pocket before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Julien-Grant to take a 13-7 lead with 8:38 left before halftime to cap off a five-play drive for 68 yards in two minutes.
Toronto started its next drive on their 49-yard line. On the first play, Chad Kelly had pressure in his face before his pass intended for Ka’Deem Carey was off and Montreal linebacker Darnell Sankey made the interception on the Argonauts’ 52-yard line with 7:56 left before halftime.
Montreal’s offense moved the ball up to the Argonauts’ 39-yard line before kicker Jose Carlos Maltos kicked a 47-yard field goal extending Montreal’s lead 16-7 with 5:33 left before halftime. Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey started the next drive with three carries for 15 yards, followed by Chad Kelly throwing to Ka’Deem Carey for a three-yard loss then the drive stalled.
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed an 11-yard pass to Tyler Snead, followed by a Walter Fletcher 8-yard run to reach their 37-yard line and that was all they got facing third down. Montreal punter Joseph Zema punted the ball 34 yards. The ball bounced in front of returner Janarion Grant, who picked it up on his way to score a 71-yard touchdown and Toronto trailed Montreal 16-14 with 1:28 left of the second quarter.
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo started the next by completing two passes for 19 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 50-yard line. Two plays later, Fajardo completed a short pass to Cole Spieker. He ran for two yards before Benjie Franklin forced a fumble and it was recovered by Wynton McManis on the Argonauts’ 34-yard line with 35 seconds left before halftime.
Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly started the drive with a five-yard run. Next, Kelly completed two passes for 51 yards, including a 44-yard pass to Damonte Coxie to reach the Alouettes’ 20-yard line. On the next play, Montreal pressured Kelly and he quickly threw the ball to Damonte Coxie for a 20-yard touchdown.
Coxie made a nice leaping touchdown with Montreal defensive back Lorenzo Burns on him. Montreal challenged for offensive pass interference but lost and Toronto took a 21-16 lead at halftime to cap off a five-play drive for 76 yards.
First Half Stats:
Toronto had 138 yards on offense (94 yards passing, 52 yards rushing, 8 yards lost), 6 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized two times for 15 yards. Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 6 of 13 passes (46.2%) for 94 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and one carry for five yards. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had seven carries for 35 yards.
Wide receiver Damonte Coxie made two catches for 64 yards, and one touchdown, while Makai Polk made two catches for 29 yards. Toronto’s defense made one sack, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception. Toronto scored 14 points off of turnovers.
Montreal had 234 yards on offense (120 yards passing, 117 yards rushing, 3 yards lost), 12 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized one time for 15 yards. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 12 of 22 passes (54%) for 120 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and five carries for 29 yards. Running back Walter Fletcher had five carries for 50 yards.
Wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant made three catches for 35 yards, and one touchdown, while Tyler Snead made three catches for 30 yards. Montreal’s defense made one tackle for loss, one sack, and two interceptions.
Third Quarter:
Toronto got the ball to start the second half from their 49-yard line after a 20-yard kick return by Janarion Grant. Toronto’s offense went two-and-out on their possession. Montreal started its first drive of the second half from their 33-yard line.
Running back Walter Fletcher started the drive with a one-yard run, followed by Cody Fajardo throwing three straight passes for 34 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 42-yard line. On the next play, Toronto defensive lineman Jake Ceresna sacked Fajardo for a two-yard loss then the drive stalled.
Montreal punter Joseph Zema punted the ball 41 yards pinning Toronto at their three-yard line. On the first play, Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly scrambled out of the pocket before throwing a 47-yard pass to Janarion Grant to reach their 50-yard line. Toronto’s offense moved the ball up to the Alouettes’ 19-yard where kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 26-yard field goal extending Toronto’s lead 24-16 with 5:46 left of the third quarter.
Montreal started its next possession from their 40-yard line. Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed two passes for 47 yards to reach the Argonauts’ 23-yard line. Next, Fajardo rushed for six yards to the Argonauts’ 17-yard line. On the next play, Toronto blitzed Fajardo and he was able to escape briefly before Jake Ceresna stripped the ball out of Fajardo’s hand and it was recovered by Wynton McManis on the Argonauts’ 27-yard line with 3:01 left of the third quarter.
Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey started the drive with a 49-yard run reaching the Alouettes’ 34-yard line. Next, Chad Kelly completed a short pass to Makai Polk for seven yards. Then, running back Daniel Adeboboye rushed for five yards to reach the Alouettes’ 22-yard line. Two plays later, Chad Kelly rushed for 9 yards before getting tackled on the Alouettes’ 13-yard line and immediately holding his right ankle. He was placed on a stretcher and taken off the field.
Nick Arbuckle was the new quarterback for Toronto. He tried to get Montreal’s defense to move on third down but they took a five-yard penalty. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 25-yard field goal for a 27-16 lead with 13 seconds left. On the last play of the third quarter, Montreal running back Walter Fletcher rushed for a gain of 13 yards to reach their 53-yard line down 27-16.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed two passes for 34 yards and rushed for eight yards to reach the Argonauts’ 15-yard line. On the next play, Fajardo threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Austin Mack. They attempted to get a two-point conversion but did not get it and Montreal trailed Toronto 27-22 with 11:51 left of the game to cap off a seven-play drive for 70 yards.
Toronto returner Janarion Grant returned a 62-yard kickoff for 31 yards to reach their 49-yard line. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed an 8-yard pass to Damonte Coxie and that was all they would get facing third down. Montreal got the ball back with 10:01 left of the game.
Quarterback Montreal Alouettes completed three passes for 21 yards to reach their 37-yard line facing third down. Montreal punter Joseph Zema punted the ball 40 yards where returner Janarion Grant returned it for 12 yards to reach their 45-yard line.
Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey had two carries for rushed for four yards and quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed three passes for 45 yards to reach the Alouettes’ 13-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 20-yard field goal for a 30-22 lead with 4:02 left of the game.
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo started the drive by throwing an 8-yard pass to Charleston Rambo. After Walter Fletcher rushed for five yards, Fajardo threw two more passes for 29 yards and rushed for six yards to reach the Argonauts’ 22-yard line. Then, Fajardo threw a short pass to Walter Fletcher all alone for a 22-yard touchdown. They did not get the two-point conversion and trailed Toronto 30-28 with 2:06 left of the game to cap off a seven-play drive for 70 yards.
Toronto returner Janarion returned a 61-yard kickoff for 11 yards to reach their 30-yard line with 1:49 left. Toronto’s offense moved the ball to their 54-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Nick Arbuckle’s pass intended for Dejon Brissett was incomplete but a defensive pass interference penalty on Tyrice Beverette ended the game. The Toronto Argonauts defeated the Montreal Alouettes 30-28 to advance to the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver.
Final Stats:
Toronto had 339 yards on offense (255 yards passing, 135 yards rushing, 51 yards lost), 17 first downs, 1 for 4 in the red zone, and the team was penalized five times for 30 yards.
Quarterback Chad Kelly completed 11 of 22 passes (50%) for 182 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and four carries for 26 yards. Backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed 5 of 8 passes (63%) for 73 yards. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had 12 carries for 92 yards.
Wide receiver Damonte Coxie made five catches for 105 yards, and one touchdown, while Makai Polk made six catches for 72 yards. Toronto’s defense made 42 tackles, one tackle for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and nine tackles on special teams.
Montreal had 470 yards on offense (330 yards passing, 156 yards rushing, 16 yards lost), 25 first downs, 2 for 3 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 69 yards. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 27 of 42 passes (64.3%) for 330 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and eight carries for 49 yards. Running back Walter Fletcher had eight carries for 69 yards, two catches for 31 yards, and one touchdown.
Wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant made seven catches for 93 yards, and one touchdown, while Cole Spieker made five catches for 65 yards. Montreal’s defense made 38 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and five tackles on special teams.
The Toronto Argonauts will take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 111th Grey Cup from B.C. Place Stadium next Sunday at 6 pm on TSN and CBS Sports Network. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2024 CFL Season. Purchase CFL tickets today on StubHub.
