Argos at Redblacks (TSN, 7:30 p.m.)

Special teams return with score to settle

OTTAWA— The game had been won, the room was taking in the celebration, and none of it felt right to James Yurichuk.

The Argonauts’ special teams captain was tasked with handing out a game ball to the player in his unit that he thought played exceedingly well in the 30-17 victory over the Alouettes last Monday. He’d watched defensive captain Keon Raymond hand defensive back T.J. Heath a ball for his game-changing goal-line interception of Montreal quarterback Kevin Glenn, and when it was his turn the eight-year vet went a different route.

He thanked the offence and defence for saving his group in the win, then handed the ball back to Milanovich and said the group would save the ball and put it back in the pot for next week.

“It’s like we got invited to a pizza party. We got to eat the pizza, but we didn’t really chip in. It was the offence and defence paying for it,” Yurichuk said of his decision. “I couldn’t hand it out.” Milanovich appreciated the gesture. “It was probably our worst game on special teams, as far as returns and coverage,” he said. “I thought (the Alouettes) put it on us a bit.

“I’ve seen (a player give the ball back), but not often. When it’s pretty obviously one-sided like that, I’ve seen it happen.”

Stefan Logan had 176 total return yards for the Als on Monday at BMO Field and Argos kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed both of his field-goal attempts, from 37 and 49 yards. In a 13-point win, the Argos were helped by Montreal kicker Boris Bede and his three misses.

“I think it said a lot about the guys’ standards and what they want to get to,” Argos special teams coach Kelly Jeffrey said. “As a ceremonial kind of thing it probably wasn’t appropriate to give it away, and I think it was a good move.”

This past week, the Argos added kicker Ryan Hawkins to their practice roster. Jeffrey said the addition wasn’t about putting a scare into Hajrullahu.

“Lirim is 1,000 per cent our guy and he’s done really well this season,” he said. “Ryan’s there if we get a bad ankle or something else. It helps to have someone know the system, so he’s not called up out of the blue.”

Yurichuk said he’s expecting much more out of himself and the entire special-teams unit this time.

“Whatever you did last week wasn’t good enough. We have to bring it up a notch,” he said. Chris O’Leary