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MONTREAL — The Toronto Argonauts obtained their revenge on the Montreal Alouettes, however misplaced their beginning quarterback within the course of.
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Damonte Coxie made 5 receptions for 105 yards and a landing because the Argonauts defeated the defending Gray Cup champions 30-28 within the CFL’s East Division last on Saturday.
Chad Kelly threw 11-for-22 for 182 yards, one TD and two interceptions earlier than he was taken off the sector on a stretcher on account of a grotesque proper leg harm within the third quarter.
Backup Nick Arbuckle went 5-for-8 for 73 yards within the fourth as Toronto returns to the Gray Cup recreation after successful the title in 2022. The Alouettes surprised the Argonauts with a 38-17 upset in final yr’s East last after posting a historic 16-2 report.
Montreal’s Cody Fajardo went 27-for-42 for 330 yards and three TDs, but additionally dedicated one fumble and two interceptions — together with on a attainable game-tying conversion late within the fourth quarter.
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A yr in the past the Alouettes compelled 9 turnovers — together with 4 Kelly interceptions — en path to victory. On Saturday, Montreal turned the ball over six occasions, together with 4 fumbles, earlier than a disenchanted sellout crowd of 23,035 at Molson Stadium.
Toronto kicker Lirim Hajrullahu went 3-for-3 on discipline targets. Montreal’s Jose Maltos was 3-for-3, together with a 47-yarder.
The 111th Gray Cup is at BC Place in Vancouver on Nov. 17. The Argos would face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers or Saskatchewan Roughriders, who met within the West last later Saturday.
The Alouettes led 16-7 with 1:29 left within the first half when the sport’s momentum shifted.
Janarion Grant returned a punt 71 yards for a Toronto TD. Then Cole Spieker’s fumble — Montreal’s third of the half — was recovered by the Argos with 35 seconds on the clock.
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Kelly circled and linked with Coxie on back-to-back completions, together with a 20-yard TD strike as Toronto took a 21-16 lead into halftime.
After the Argonauts went up 24-16, Fajardo fumbled the ball at Toronto’s 21 on a sack by Wynton McManis.
Ka’Deem Carey rushed 49 yards to arrange one other Argonauts discipline objective, however not earlier than Kelly’s harm on a rush with 54 seconds left within the third quarter. Toronto’s gamers kneeled in disbelief round their QB earlier than he was carted off.
Fajardo discovered Austin Mack with a 15-yard TD cross at 11:51 of the fourth, slicing the result in 27-22 after a missed two-point conversion.
After the Argos took a 30-22 lead, Fajardo linked with Walter Fletcher for a 22-yard TD with 1:56 remaining to make it 30-28. However Montreal missed the conversion once more as Fajardo threw an interception.
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The Alouettes reached the pink zone twice early however failed to attain on each events with two fumbles, setting the tone for the remainder of the sport.
Two minutes in, Najee Murray intercepted Kelly and returned it 48 yards earlier than Makai Polk compelled a fumble that Toronto recovered. Fletcher was stripped of the ball on the following possession.
Issues solely obtained worse when the Argos’ Benjie Franklin returned an interception 23 yards into Montreal’s finish zone to open the scoring at 7:11 after Fajardo’s cross bounced off Fletcher’s fingers.
The Alouettes broke by at 8:57 of the second as Fajardo discovered Kaion Julien-Grant with an eight-yard TD cross. A 38-yard rush by Sean Thomas-Erlington helped arrange the rating as Montreal took a 13-7 lead.
Kelly threw one other decide on the following possession, intercepted this time by Darnell Sankey.
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