ARGOS POST-GAME NOTES: WEEK 9 vs. MONTREAL

TALE OF THE GAME: 

• The Toronto Argonauts returned to BMO Field on Saturday to host the backend of their home-and-home series with the Montreal Alouettes. In a true battle for first place, Toronto tied their season series with the Als at one game a piece and reclaimed outright possession of first place in the East Division with a 38-6 win. The Argos 32-point win marked the first time since July 5, 2014 vs. Saskatchewan that the club has won by 30+ points.
• Argos QB Ricky Ray became the club’s outright passing leader after passing for four touchdowns to surpass Condredge Holloway on Saturday afternoon. Ray passed Holloway for the all-time mark on an 11-yard strike to FB Declan Cross in the second quarter.  The 15-year veteran, who returned to action after being sidelined with a shoulder injury last week, went 35-of-43 passing (81.5%) for 377 yards and four touchdowns. Ray’s fourth touchdown on the afternoon gave him 100 as an Argonaut, making him the only QB in CFL history to record 100 touchdowns with two different franchises (Edmonton Eskimos). Ray managed to hit five different receivers en route to recording his seventh 300+ passing game of the season.
• The Argonauts defence was stout on Saturday afternoon holding Alouettes QB Darian Durant to just 93 passing yards and 138 net yards. The Argos D has now held two of the three players that quarterback East Division teams to their lowest passing totals of the 2017 season, Ottawa’s Trevor Harris (184) and Darian Durant (93).

WORTH NOTING:

• Argos QB Ricky Ray returned to action in full form vs. the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday afternoon. After missing one week due to injury, Ray opened the game’s score with a 16-yard touchdown to WR SJ Green after going 5-of-5 passing for 65 yards on the team first drive. The Argos scoring drive marked just their second opening scoring drive of the season. The last opening drive TD was in Week 7 vs. CGY which also a Ray to Green connection.
• Ray became the club’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns on a 11-yard pass to Declan Cross. Ray is now the Argos the outright all-time leading passer, owning club records in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns.
• After posting a season-high 96 rushing yards last week in Montreal, Argos RB Brandon Whitaker returned to BMO Field to scamper for 89 yards while adding two catches for 30 yards.
• LB Cassius Vaughn notched his second interception of the season and second of his career as he stepped up to pick off Darian Durant’s pass intended for Ernest Jackson on the goal line to put a 10-play Alouettes drive to an end.
• LBs Terrance Plummer and Marcus Ball led the Argos with six tackles each. Plummer’s tackle total set a season-high.
• In just his second career game against his former team, SJ Green had nine receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9, with 135 of his years coming in the first half. Green’s two touchdowns marked the first time an Argos receiver has recorded two in a game since Kenny Shaw vs. Winnipeg on September 17, 2016. Additionally, Green recorded his 500^th reception on a 29-yard pass from Ricky Ray in the second quarter and also notched his 20^th career 100-yard game. Since being traded to the Double Blue in April, he has posted three 100-yard games this season – WK1 - 124, WK2 - 210, WK 9 – 145.
• Rookie LB/DE Justin Tuggle recorded his first career touchdown after recovering a fumbled kickoff by Als Stefan Logan in the second quarter and took it 21 yards for the score.
• DT Dylan Wynn continued his sack streak, recording a sack in each of his last three games. Wynn finished the night with two tackles, one sack and a quarterback pressure. In the last two weeks, Wynn has posted nine tackles and two sacks.
• FB Declan Cross, who caught Ricky Ray’s milestone touchdown, also recorded a career-high five receptions vs. the Als.
• Argos DE Shawn Lemon registered his sixth sack of the season on Saturday and second in as many weeks. Lemon capped off the home-and-home set with the Als with four tackles and two sacks.
• 2017 CFL Draft pick Nakas Onyeka continued to put forth a strong effort on special teams. The Laurier product had two special teams tackles to put his season total at five on the season.