Alouettes sweep season series with crucial win over Argos
The Montreal Alouettes completed their first three-game season sweep of the Toronto Argonauts since 2011, edging their East Division rivals 21-19 in a defensive showdown at BMO Field on Friday night.
Montreal’s defence dominated, forcing seven two-and-outs, recording multiple sacks from Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Mustafa Johnson and Shawn Oakman, and sealing the win with Wesley Sutton’s game-clinching interception. The victory improved the Alouettes to 7-7, moving them four points clear of Toronto in the East.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson overcame three first-half interceptions, finishing 18-for-30 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Snead led Montreal with 68 receiving yards and a score, while Tyson Philpot caught six of his 11 targets for 66 yards.
Toronto turned to Jarrett Doege with Nick Arbuckle (calf) and Chad Kelly both sidelined, and — in his second career start — the 27-year-old went 25-for-37 for 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jake Herslow extended his touchdown streak to six games.
The Argos’ defence tallied four sacks to go along with their three interceptions, but it wasn’t enough as Toronto fell to 5-9.
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Fresh off a five-sack outing against Edmonton, Toronto’s defensive front picked up where they left off as Derek Parish hauled down Bethel-Thompson to end the Alouettes’ first drive in two snaps.
Looking to respond, Montreal dialled up the heat on Doege’s opening series, but the new starter stayed cool, completing seven straight passes to set up Lirim Hajrullahu’s 25-yard field goal and the game’s first points.
Two plays later, Anthony Lanier II tipped a Bethel-Thompson throw and Wynton McManis came down with it, giving the Argos the ball at Montreal’s 22. The drive went backwards, but Hajrullahu hit from 31 yards to make it 6-0.
Defences owned the early second quarter: Tarvarus McFadden snagged a deep sideline throw to Philpot, Adeyemi-Berglund buried Doege near Toronto’s goal line, and Lanier II replied with a drive-killing sack for the Argos.
Toronto’s relentless blitz kept hammering Bethel-Thompson, yet the Alouettes pieced together an 11-play, six-minute march capped by an 18-yard strike to Charleston Rambo — his first touchdown of the year. Jose Maltos’ convert put Montreal ahead 7-6.
After Hajrullahu missed wide from 52 yards, Montreal looked to keep the momentum rolling before the half. Pressed by the clock and an Argos defence guarding against the deep ball, Bethel-Thompson forced a throw that Derek Slywka intercepted and returned 36 yards to set up an immediate field goal. Hajrullahu drilled the 37-yarder as time expired to send Toronto into halftime up 9-7.
The defensive duel carried into the third quarter. Toronto opened with back-to-back two-and-outs, while Montreal gained just one first down on two possessions. Midway through the frame, Austin Mack broke through with a 29-yard burst to spark a nine-play drive. Toronto’s goal-line defence held firm, forcing the Alouettes to settle for a 12-yard chip shot from Maltos.
After the teams exchanged two-and-outs to start the fourth quarter, Bethel-Thompson delivered his best throw of the game — a 46-yard dime in the bucket for Tyler Snead, who did well to hold on through contact. Two plays later, he went back to Snead for a sliding touchdown in the back of the end zone. Mack high-pointed a sideline fade on the two-point conversion, giving the Alouettes an 18-9 lead with nine minutes remaining.
Down by two scores, the Argos hunted their first touchdown of the game. Doege showed poise, moving the ball quickly on a nine-play, 75-yard drive downfield before finding Jake Herslow wide open in the end zone for his ninth touchdown of the season. Hajrullahu connected on the point-after, making it 18-16.
Toronto tried an onside kick to catch the hands team off guard, but it slipped through Jonathan Edouard’s hands, and Montreal avoided any trouble by punching the loose ball out of bounds. With a shorter field, Montreal milked two minutes off the clock as they set up Maltos for a 26-yard kick, extending the lead to 21-16.
Janarion Grant‘s 44-yard return on the ensuing kickoff got the Argos back in business on the Als’ side of the turf. After one gutsy third-down conversion — a contested seven-yard catch by Makai Polk — the Argos went for a field goal on third and four from the 27. Hajrullahu made the kick, but the Argos still trailed 21-19 and — with 1:34 remaining — now had to fight to get the ball back.
Fight they did, as Parish stepped up with a big second-down sack — his second of the game — to get the ball back to Doege with a minute left. Unlike previous weeks for the Argos, the rally fell short, as Sutton sprawled to secure the game-winning interception.
Both teams are back in action on Friday, September 26, as the Als host the Calgary Stampeders to open Week 17, and the Argos travel west to face the BC Lions.
