ESKS HOLD OFF ARGOS
Franklin falters as Reilly comes alive
James Franklin always wins when he starts games between the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts.
At least, he did before Friday, when the Eskimos won their first game of the season against an East Division opponent, taking a 16-15 count from the Argos in front of 31,056 fans at Commonwealth Stadium.
After winning two with the Eskimos over the last three seasons, Franklin was unable to equal that total in his first two starts with the Toronto Argonauts in place of injured starter Ricky Ray, completing 26 of 36 passes for 296 yards and an interception.
Trailing by one point with 2:50 remaining, the former Eskimos backup quarterback was unable to come up with a game-winning drive like the one that saw Toronto come back to win 20-17 a week ago.
This time, it was Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly’s turn to take his offence on a clock-chewing drive to protect the lead in the dying seconds. He completed 21 of 36 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on the night.
Friday’s game wasn’t just a rematch of last week’s opener in this back-to-back series, it was a replay of what the Eskimos have seen all too often this season: Rain falling while they fell behind early on the scoreboard.
In his first game back at Commonwealth Stadium since being traded in the off-season, Franklin completed seven of his eight firstquarter passes for 125 yards, helping the Argos to a 3-0 lead off a 42yard field goal by Ronnie Pfeffer.
While it was the only score of the opening frame, it was the fourth time in five games this season the Eskimos gave up an early lead.
The second quarter opened with Toronto gambling on the doorstep of the end zone as Franklin was intercepted on third-and-goal from Edmonton’s four-yard line.
Rookie running back Jordan Robinson got Edmonton on the board for a 7-3 lead, hauling in a screen pass from Reilly and scampering 30 yards into the end zone for his first CFL touchdown with 3:52 left in the half.
A couple of single points and a Ludacris halftime performance later and the Eskimos had an 8-4 lead early in the third quarter.
Reilly found Duke Williams for a third-down conversion to extend a drive that ended in an 11-yard touchdown reception by the same receiver to take a 15-4 advantage.
But a roughing-the-passer penalty against Eskimos defensive end Gerald Rivers set the Argos up in the red zone on the way to a one-yard touchdown run by James Wilder Jr. A two-point conversion pass to S.J. Green pulled Toronto to within three points of the Eskimos.
Hugh O’Neill bounced a punt inside the five yard-line, only to have it roll out the back of the end zone to make it 16-12 with 10 minutes left to play.
Pfeffer made it a one-point game when he connected for a 28-yard field goal.
The Eskimos are on a bye next week, returning to face the Montreal Alouettes on the road on Thursday, July 26.