Eskimos win nailbiter over Argos
EDMONTON Quarterback Mike Reilly completed a pair of touchdown passes as the Edmonton Eskimos got some revenge for a loss in Toronto last week, coming away with a narrow 16-15 victory over the Argonauts in the rainy rematch on Friday.
It wasn’t all good news for the Eskimos, though, as running back CJ Gable was knocked out of the game on a late helmet-to-helmet hit late in the fourth quarter. Argos defenceman lineman Dylan Wynn was handed a spearing penalty on the play that moved Edmonton downfield and allowed it to eventually run out the clock.
Reilly was good on 21-of-36 passing attempts for 258 yards.
Toronto QB James Franklin was 26 for 36 for 296 yards, with one interception.
After Reilly was picked off in the end zone by TJ Heath on his team’s opening drive, Toronto (1-3) responded with a 42yard field goal by Ronnie Pfeffer.
Franklin returned the favour early in the second, throwing an interception on a third-down gamble to Chris Edwards on the Edmonton eight-yard line.
Edmonton (2-2) finally got on the board with four minutes to play in the second quarter when Reilly completed a short pass to Jordan Robinson, who then turned on the jets and ran 30 yards for the touchdown.
The Eskimos added a punt single to lead 8-3 at the half.
Toronto only got a single out of a 30yard missed Pfeffer field-goal attempt six minutes into the third quarter.
Edmonton extended its lead to 15-4 with three minutes left in the third when Reilly completed an 11-yard TD pass to Duke Williams.
The Argonauts closed the gap on the final play of the third with a three-yard TD run by James Wilder Jr., with Franklin adding a two-point convert pass to SJ Green to trail by three points.
The Esks got another punt single before Pfeffer was able to make it 16-15 with a 28yard field goal that went off the uprights and in, but that was all Toronto could come up with.
The Argos return home to face Winnipeg next Saturday. The Eskimos enter their bye week.
Notes: Newly-acquired Toronto defensive lineman Eric Striker dressed for the first time following his trade from Saskatchewan. Edmonton lost linebackers J.C. Sherritt and Christophe Mulumba-Tshimanga to lower-body injuries in the game.