Star Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo exited with an injury as the Toronto Argonauts snapped Montreal’s unbeaten run with a 37-18 victory Thursday.
Janarion Grant sparked Toronto (3-2) with a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the dying moments of the first half as the Argos handed the reigning Grey Cup champions their first loss this season. It was the third-longest kick return in Argos history.
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Cameron Dukes threw 131 yards with one TD pass on 16-for-20 completions for Toronto, which entered the game at Molson Stadium on a two-game losing skid that started with a 30-20 defeat to the Alouettes on June 28.
Montreal (5-1) lost its first game since falling to Toronto on Sept. 15 last season, ending a club-record 13-game run including playoffs and the Grey Cup.
Fajardo left at the end of the first quarter, holding his hamstring after throwing an incomplete pass before heading to the locker room. The Grey Cup MVP was hurried five times, hit twice and sacked twice before exiting.
Caleb Evans took over for the last three quarters, going 12-of-22 for 127 passing yards, two TD passes and two interceptions.
The Alouettes were coming off a five-day break after beating the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 on Saturday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-0), who visit the B.C. Lions on Saturday, are the only remaining undefeated CFL team this season.
Alouettes kicker Jose Maltos, replacing injured starter David Cote, went 1-for-2 on field goals, including a 50-yarder. He also scored a rouge on a missed attempt from 38 yards. Toronto’s Lirim Hajrullahu was 3-for-3.
Up by nine points entering the fourth quarter, the Argos extended their lead to 34-18 with 8:22 left as Deonta McMahon ran in a five-yard TD after a crucial offside penalty by the Alouettes.
Evans, trying to spark a Montreal offence that earned only one first down in the second half, threw his second turnover of the game on the ensuing possession with a long pass attempt downfield.
The Argonauts kicked a field goal with 36 seconds remaining for good measure.
The game started with a sloppy first quarter before the action picked up midway through the second as both teams traded score after score.
Argos linebacker Wynton McManis kicked it off, intercepting an Evans pass intended for Walter Fletcher and running it nine yards into the end zone to give Toronto a 10-2 lead at 7:55.
Evans responded with a 22-yard pass into the end zone for Charleston Rambo, who hauled in his first CFL touchdown with 4:20 left in the half to cap a six-play, 71-yard drive.
The Argos made it 17-9 with 2:15 remaining when Dukes connected with Damonte Coxie on a 10-yard toss.
Fletcher then sliced and diced through the Argos defence for a 50-yard rush that brought the ball to Toronto’s four-yard line. The run set up Evans’ two-yard dish to Tyson Philpot for the Canadian wideout’s league-leading fifth TD reception this season.
Montreal’s momentum was short-lived. After the Alouettes missed the two-point conversion, Grant pulled off the kick-return TD to push the Argos up 24-15 at halftime.
NOTES: Alouettes safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy missed the game with a shoulder injury, with Bryce Cosby replacing him in the starting lineup. Dequoy was a game-time decision after leaving last week’s win against Calgary. … Montreal receiver Kaion Julien-Grant was a late scratch. … Earlier Thursday, Argos and Toronto FC president Bill Manning and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment parted ways by mutual decision. Argos GM Michael Clemons will report directly to MLSE president and chief executive Keith Pelley.
UP NEXT
Alouettes: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 25 after a bye week.
Argos: Visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 20.
