'It's just tough': Riders fall short to Toronto Argonauts 20-19

Toronto, Ont. -

On a night of missed opportunities, fittingly an errant field-goal try made Chad Kelly's season debut a winning one.

Lirim Hajrullahu's single on the game's final play earned Toronto a wild 20-19 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night. After making his first four attempts, Hajrullahu missed from 40 yards out but the ensuing single earned the Argos (6-4) their fifth home victory in six games.

"First game back I had a lot of nervousness in me and we came out on top," Kelly said. "Obviously a win is a win.

"It was one point (Hajrullahu's single) but it's a huge win against coach Mace (Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace) who knows all of these players, he knows what we're good at and what we're bad at."

Mace is in his first season as Saskatchewan's head coach after serving as Toronto's defensive co-ordinator (2022-23).

Kelly, 30, saw his first action since being reinstated, with conditions, by the CFL on Sunday. The league suspended Kelly on May 7 for Toronto's two exhibition games and at least its first nine regular-season contests for violating its gender-based violence policy.

It followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former Argos strength-and-conditioning coach against Kelly for sexual harassment and the team for wrongful dismissal. The lawsuit was settled in June through mediation.

A season-high BMO Field gathering of 19,327 looked on with the Canadian National Exhibition in full swing. The crowd -- Toronto's largest since 24,812 attended its first-ever game here -- gave Kelly a warm ovation when he was introduced.

Kelly, the CFL's top player last season, was in his first game since Toronto's 38-17 East Division final loss to Montreal last November. He showed definite rust in completing 24-of-39 passing for 322 yards with an interception as three times the Argos turned the ball over on downs at Saskatchewan's goal line in the contest.

Saskatchewan took possession at its eight-yard line but following a sack and incompletion punted from its one-yard line with 26 seconds remaining. Janarion Grant's 12-yard return put Toronto at the Riders' 37 with 16 seconds to play.

"I thought Chad was seeing the field, doing the things he needed to do," said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. "We really couldn't expect him to have a great performance because we had too many mistakes.

"Offensively, we've got to get better next week. We're going to Hamilton, we're going into the hornet's nest, we've got to go find a way to win the football a little more cleanly."

Another lost opportunity for Toronto came on a flea flicker from Saskatchewan's 23-yard line in the third. But Makai Polk had to slow down for Kelly's fluttering pass, allowing Riders defenders to knock it down and force Hajrullahu's 30-yard field goal to open the fourth, pulling the Argos to within 16-13.

Aided by Grant's 48-yard punt return and a Riders' facemask penalty, Toronto drove to the Saskatchewan one-yard line. But after Kelly was stopped short on consecutive running plays, the Argos turned the ball over on downs a third time when Ka'Deem Carey was held out of the end zone.

Hajrullahu made it 16-16 with a 25-yard field goal at 9:54. But Brett Lauther countered with a 36-yard kick to put Saskatchewan ahead 19-16 at 12:55 before Hajrullahu made it 19-19 with a 50-yard field goal at 13:58.

Saskatchewan (5-5-1) suffered a second straight loss and ran its winless streak to five games (0-4-1). Starter Trevor Harris was 18-of-29 passing for 190 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

"It's just tough," Mace said. "We're finding new ways to end the game like that and it just crushes me for the guys.

"We've got to become a team that has to finish these types of games. We've been in enough of them now that we should understand how to do that."

KeeSean Johnson scored Saskatchewan's touchdown. Lauther kicked the convert and four field goals.

Cameron Dukes had Toronto's touchdown. Hajrullahu booted the convert and four field goals and a single.

Lauther connected from 40 yards out at 7:32 of the third to put Saskatchewan ahead 16-10. Toronto drove to the Riders' two-yard line but after Deonta McMahon was stopped for no gain on second down, the Argos turned it over on downs with Kelly's incompletion.

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Hajrullahu's 36-yard field goal at 14:33 of the second cut Saskatchewan's half-time lead to 13-10. But it also capped a wild finish to the quarter.

After Saskatchewan linebacker C.J. Reavis stopped Dukes on third down, the Riders took possession at their one-yard line with 50 seconds to play. But Benjie Franklin intercepted Harris, putting Toronto at the Saskatchewan 24 with 44 seconds remaining.

Kelly appeared to find Damonte Coxie on a 29-yard TD strike but upon review by the command centre, it was ruled as an incompletion. Toronto then unsuccessfully challenged the call citing pass interference then had to settle for the field goal.

And that left Dinwiddie shaking his head.

"I don't know why we have a command centre," he said. "What is it doing?

"It's slowing down games. I'm not trying to get fined, I'm just going to leave it at that."

Dukes pulled Toronto to within 13-7 with a one-yard TD run at 8:58. It was set up by DaShaun Amos' 25-yard interception return.

Lauther's second 43-yard field goal at 6:12 pushed Saskatchewan ahead 13-0.

Harris capped a 69-yard, seven-play march with a 13-yard TD pass to Johnson at 13:04 of the first to put Saskatchewan ahead 10-0. Lauther opened the scoring with a 43-yard boot at 7:48.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2024.