Article author:
Canadian Press
David Alter
Toronto — Regulation time after the Toronto Argonauts gathered in the points The difference on Monday when Boris Bead missed the turn with 25 seconds left was when Winnipeg Blue Bombers won 23-22 and escaped the BMO Field with an undefeated streak.
Defending Gray Cup Champion Blue Bombers appeared to be heading overtime after abandoning a late lead 4-0 to start the CFL season. However, Bead's miss kick ruined Toronto's comeback.
McLeod Bethel Thompson overcame the dire first half of Argos throwing 314 yards. He completed 27 of the 37 pass attempts as the team's record dropped to 1-2.
Andrew Harris ran back to Argos, playing in his first match against a team that helped him win consecutive titles in 2019 and 2021. He was a 22-carry, 111-yard Toronto top rusher.
Winnipeg's defense started scoring with Toronto's first ownership of the game.
While deep in their territory, Bethel Thompson's intended path to Brandon Banks was chosen by Winnipeg's Winston Rose for a 46-yard touchdown intercept return. Kicker Mark Riegio converted the additional points that gave Winnipeg a 7-0 lead.
Bethel Thompson made his second pick-off in the opening quarter after a bubbling snap threw in a hurry. It gave Winnipeg a short field position. In subsequent possessions, Winnipeg pivots Zack Collaros connected to Drew Wolitarsky with a 15-yard touchdown pass. Riegio converts raised the bomber to 14-0.
The Toronto pivot managed an attack of only 18 yards in the first quarter.
Winnipeg started the second quarter with a 15-yard field goal, raising the bomber to 17-0.
Argos appeared to be set to score the first point of the game after moving the ball to Winnipeg's 29-yard line. They realized they were in a third and one situation and decided to choose it, but turned the ball down. Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwoody challenged the ball spot after the team's attempt failed, but Cole was backed by the CFL command center.
Argos registered the first points of the game in the second half of the first half. Bead connected with a 52-yard field goal that cut Winnipeg's lead 17-3.
Collaros was effective in the first half of Winnipeg, completing 15 of the 17 passes with 132 yards and one touchdown. He also made a pass cut, but over time he was desperate to add points.
Toronto got off to a much better start in the second half and was a little lucky to match. Bethel Thompson's pass in the end zone appeared to be the third passcut in the game. The ball went into the hands of defensive back Demerio Houston. However, Banks was able to remove the ball from Houston's hand while in the end zone of the first touchdown of the Toronto game.
Vedic converts cut Winnipeg's lead to 17-10 in the third quarter.
In the second half of the third, Toronto was on Winnipeg's 10-yard line and had a chance to draw the match, but Bethel Thompson's pass to Banks failed. Malcolm Thompson picked up the ball and turned it to Nick Taylor. Nick Tailor ran the ball to the middle of the game without harm.
Liegghio achieved a 20-yard field goal with subsequent ownership and raised Winnipeg to 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
After the change of ownership, tensions began to rise on the Argos bystanders. The bank and the offensive lineman Philip Blake had to be separated by their teammates. Toronto's general manager, Pinball Clemons, wasn't on the sidelines to start the game, but came down to the field to cool things down. Clemmon returned to his seat after the bystander's tension seemed to be suppressed.
Bead achieved the game's second field goal with Toronto's next possession to cut Winnipeg's lead to 20-13. In the second half of the fourth, Bead scored a 39-yard field goal, keeping Toronto within 4 points of 20-16.
Liegghio responded with another field goal of raising Winnipeg to 23-16 and reaching regulation time at 1:38.
With subsequent ownership in Toronto, Bethel Thompson designed one of his better drives in the game. He found the Marquise Ambles on a 4-yard TD pass to cut Winnipeg's lead to 23-22, and Bead missed the conversion.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published on July 4, 2022
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