Hogan: Argos Perfect Crossover History
We know when and where, we just don’t know who.
The Toronto Argonauts will host the Eastern Semi-Final on October 31 at 1:00 at BMO Field. What has yet to be determined is who their opponents will be. It will be whichever team finishes in fourth place in the West; either the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, or Calgary Stampeders.
No matter who survives the final two-week sprint to the playoffs, the team that crosses over to the East will not have an easy task in beating the Argos. The Boatmen have hosted a Western team four times, winning each game.
Here’s a look back at the previous crossover games hosted by the Argos.
2002: Argos 24, Saskatchewan 14.
The 8-10 Argos were back in the playoffs after a two-season hiatus, while it was the 8-8-2 Roughriders first post-season game since losing the 1997 Grey Cup to Toronto.
Saskatchewan jumped out to 12-0 lead, but in the last minute of the first half Mac Cody caught a punt and flipped it to Bashir Levingston who returned it 76 yards for a touchdown.
The Argos rode that momentum, with a Robert Drummond TD accounting for all the scoring in the third quarter. Quarterback Reggie Slack would ice the game with a late touchdown run.
A stellar second-half performance by the Argo defence was the key to this game. The Double Blue D shutout the Riders in the final 30 minutes, their only two points coming on a conceded safety on the game’s final play.
The win allowed the Argos to advance to the Eastern Final in Montreal, where they were thumped 35-18 by the eventual Grey Cup champion Alouettes.
2003: Argos 28, BC 7.
It was raining outside, but even under the protection of the Dome the Argos and Lions played a sloppy, mistake-filled game at the Rogers Centre.
The Lions couldn’t generate much offence; regular quarterback Dave Dickenson was a late scratch with a knee injury, starter Spergon Wynn was injured in the first half, and neither he nor third stringer, rookie Casey Printers, were able to move the ball against a tough Toronto defence.
It was a pedestrian first half. It looked like the Lions would take a lead into halftime, but an Antonious Bonner interception, his second of the half, led to a late Damon Allen to Lal Knight touchdown – atoning for an earlier drop on a sure TD – and the Argos 10-point last minute outburst gave them a 13-6 lead at the break.
Perhaps the most memorable play in the game was a perfectly executed fake field goal, where the Argos acted like they had too many men on the field (they didn’t), sent Knight sprinting to the sidelines, then snapped the ball to kicker Noel Prefontaine, who threw a perfect pass to the motion receiver. But remarkably the officials blew the whistle as the ball was snapped, despite being advised before the game that the Argos may run a trick play. It negated a touchdown.
The Argos would advance to Montreal for the Eastern Final, dropping a controversial 30-26 decision, where Anthony Calvillo had fumbled before crossing the goal line on what turned out to be the game-winning TD. There was no instant replay and the touchdown call stood.
2012: Argos 42, Edmonton 26.
The Argos would make CFL history in this game, punctuated by an uncharacteristic show of emotion from their future hall-of-fame quarterback.
Toronto finished with a 9-9 record, good enough to host the 7-11 Green-and-Gold in the Eastern Semi-Final.
Edmonton led 7-0 after 15 minutes before the Argos had a quarter for the ages. After a Chad Kackert TD tied the game, Chad Owens – who less than two weeks later would be named the league’s Most Outstanding Player – electrified the Rogers Centre crowd with a 59-yard punt return touchdown. Before the frame was done, the Argos would score 31 points, still the CFL post-season record for most points in a quarter.
The final scoring play in the quarter was most unlikely. On a second-and-goal from the seven-yard line with six seconds on the clock, rookie head coach Scott Milanovich called a quarterback draw. Following a great block by center Jeff Keeping, first-year Argo Ricky Ray ran into the end zone, then jumped up and spiked the ball back between his legs, thrilled by the quarter his team executed against his former team.
The dominant win allowed the Argos to visit Montreal in the Eastern Final, a game they’d win in dramatic fashion. They would then host Calgary in the 100th Grey Cup, a game they’d win decisively.
2017: Argos 25, Saskatchewan 21.
It was a wild, unpredictable game where the Argos biggest run was by a quarterback, biggest catch was by a running back, and longest play was by a linebacker.
This game was not a semi-final, but the Eastern Final. The Argos won the East with a 9-9 record, while the Riders were 10-8, yet still finished in fourth in a powerhouse West. Saskatchewan crossed over to face the second place Redblacks in Ottawa, beating the home team 31-20.
The Argos first playoff game at BMO Field was played on a brisk fall day. The 25,000 on hand were treated to a methodical performance by the Boatmen, who led 17-3 at halftime, sparked by a 39-yard pick six by Terrance Plummer. They added the lone point scored in the third quarter to lead 18-3.
But the Riders weren’t done. They scored the opening 10 points of the final frame, then took the lead on a 79-yard punt return by Christion Jones. Sask led 21-18 with 2:44 left.
The always calm Ricky Ray then took the field for what would become the definitive drive of his days in Double Blue. Moving into an exceptionally strong wind from the north, the Argos would have to get deep into Rider territory to give Lirim Hajrullahu a realistic shot at a game-tying field goal.
Ray worked his way down the field with a handful of short passes, but with 67 seconds left, the Argos found themselves third-and-five from the Rider 40, too far for a field goal attempt, despite the strong leg of Hajrullahu.
Unexpectedly, Ray’s target on a pivotal passing play would be running back James Wilder Jr., who ran a wheel route to perfection, catch Ray’s pass, and finish with a 22-yard gain. One play later, Ray would hit Armanti Edwards at the one-yard line, and a Cody Fajardo QB sneak would send the Argos to the championship game in Ottawa, where they would upset Calgary 27-24 in a game that somehow had an even more thrilling fourth quarter.