RECAP
WILDER JR.’S BIG PERFORMANCE LEADS WAY IN WIN AGAINST ESKS
TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts snapped a two-game losing streak in impressive fashion on Saturday, racking up 457 yards in total offence in a 34-26 victory against the Edmonton Eskimos at BMO Field.
Argonauts running back James Wilder Jr. had a career day, leading his team in both rushing and receiving while accumulating 257 total yards and a touchdown. Wilder finished the game with 67 yards receiving and 190 yards on the ground, becoming the first Argonaut running back to rush for more than 150 yards in a game since 2010.
Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly also had a big performance on the day, throwing for 323 yards and two touchdowns in an offensive shootout that went down to the final minutes.
It did not take long for the game’s first big play to strike, as Eskimos defensive lineman Euclid Cummings stripped the ball from Toronto’s Ricky Ray on just the second play from scrimmage. The fumble was quickly recovered by Eskimos defensive tackle Almondo Sewell, and the Green and Gold took over with excellent field position inside Toronto’s 30-yard line.
The Edmonton offence capitalized on the ensuing drive, with running back Travon Van finding the end zone on a 12-yard run up the middle. Dynamic receiver Derel Walker set up the score with a 13-yard catch and run. The touchdown run was Van’s first offensive touch since returning from injury.
Ray and the Argos’ offence began to rebound from their early turnover on the next drive, with Wilder gaining a hard-earned first down after catching a short pass out of the backfield. Wilder continued to show his versatility a couple plays later, lunging for another first down after taking a reception for 10 yards. The following play appeared to go for a touchdown after Argonauts fullback Declan Cross took a quick screen pass for a 52-yard score, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty.
The Argonauts continued to create momentum after the penalty, as receiver S.J. Green began to get involved on offence. Green’s 6-yard catch set up the Argos’ offence inside Edmonton’s 20-yard line, and Green drew a crucial pass interference call a couple plays later while attempting to get open in the end zone.
Toronto did not waste time capitalizing on the field position, and they fooled the Eskimos’ defence by loading up the backfield and running a play-action pass to the right with backup quarterback Cody Fajardo. The Argonauts quarterback rolled out to the right and found Green for the two-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 7 points apiece. The scoring play was Fajardo’s first touchdown toss of the season and Green’s sixth touchdown of the season.
Wilder continued to play a big role after Toronto’s defence forced a quick punt. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound running back put together back to back 11-yard runs as time expired in the opening quarter. The bruising runner then caught back to back passes for 16 and 11 yards, setting up Toronto’s offence with excellent field position.
Ray threw a beautiful pass on the next play, dropping the ball in perfectly past two Edmonton defenders for a three-yard touchdown to receiver Armanti Edwards. The touchdown was Edwards’ third as a member of the Argos, and the 314th touchdown pass in Ray’s CFL career.
Edmonton answered back quickly on their next offensive series, with Reilly leading his unit down the field on a four-play 77-yard scoring drive. Reilly connected with multiple receivers on the drive, finding receivers Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker for big chunks of yardage before hitting Brandon Zylstra for a huge 46-yard touchdown deep down the right sideline.
Wilder and the Argos’ rushing attack continued to dominate after the Edmonton score, putting Toronto back on top 21-14 after an electrifying 76-yard touchdown run. Wilder went virtually untouched as he sped down the middle of the field towards daylight for his first career CFL touchdown. Wilder racked up an incredible 167 total yards in the first half alone.
Argonauts kicker Lirim Hajrullahu added a 27-yard field goal on the next possession to extend the lead to 24-14.
The big plays kept coming for the Argonauts after that, with Ray and Edwards connecting for one of the most impressive plays of the afternoon. Ray threw a deep pass from inside his own end zone, and Edwards jumped up and adjusted beautifully to reel in the 34-yard reception while somehow staying in bounds down the left sideline.
The Eskimos’ offence came out firing in the second half, putting together a mix of run and pass plays while making their way down the field. But Edmonton’s drive fell short after a kicker Hugh O’Neill missed a 41-yard field goal, sending the ball out of bounds for a single to bring the score to 24-15.
It was the next Edmonton field goal attempt that resulted in the biggest play of the game, however. O’Neill missed a field goal to the left, and the ball ended up in the waiting hands of Argonauts running back Martese Jackson. Jackson then put on a show for the home fans, taking the ball all the way from one end zone to the other for a 125-yard return touchdown, helping put Toronto up 31-15. The highlight-reel play was Toronto’s first missed field goal returned for a touchdown since Chad Owens accomplished the feat in 2013.
Toronto’s formidable rushing attack kept rolling as the fourth quarter of action got underway. Wilder continued to look unstoppable, putting together rushes of 46 and 22 yards on back to back plays. The Argonauts extended their lead as a result, with Hajrullahu knocking through a 26-yard field goal to bring the score to 34-15.
Reilly and the Eskimos’ offence began to get things going down the stretch, as the quarterback connected with Walker for a pivotal 37-yard completion. Walker added another catch for 18 yards before Reilly found Van for the eight-yard touchdown pass. Reilly connected with Walker again for the successful two-point convert, bringing the score to 34-23.
Edmonton appeared to gain even more ground on the Toronto lead when receiver Duke Williams secured a remarkable catch in the end zone with under five minutes left to play. But upon further review, it was ruled that Williams committed offensive pass interference. The penalty ended up being significant, as the Eskimos were forced to settle for a 21-yard field goal to bring the score to 34-26.
The final comeback attempt for Edmonton began with a spark after Reilly threw a deep bomb to receiver Bryant Mitchell for 60 yards, putting the Eskimos’ offence in scoring position with just under two minutes remaining.
But in a game filled with offensive highlights, it was the Argos’ defence that stepped up in crunch time. As Reilly attempted to find an open target in the end zone, Argonauts defensive back Matt Black blitzed up the middle and dropped the Edmonton quarterback for a loss of six yards.
The Argonauts will host the CFL East rival Montreal Alouettes next Saturday, while the Eskimos will take a week off before trying to snap their five-game losing streak on Sept. 30 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
