Marc-Antoine Dequoy and Kabion Ento returned interceptions for touchdowns as the Montreal Alouettes stunned the Toronto Argonauts 38-17 in the CFL East Division final Saturday.
Montreal’s stellar defence forced nine turnovers — resulting in 21 points. That included four interceptions of Toronto’s Chad Kelly, who was making his first career playoff start and was also stopped twice in short-yardage situations and lost a fumble.
Toronto turned the ball over on downs four times.
Kelly, the East Division’s outstanding player nominee was intercepted three times in the third, the last Ento returned 22 yards for the TD at 9:13 to put Montreal ahead 24-3.
Later in the quarter, the BMO Field gathering of 26,620 — the largest crowd for an Argos game since they moved there in 2016 — booed the offence off the field.
Dequoy had a 101-yard TD return in the first quarter. Montreal advanced to its first Grey Cup since winning two straight titles (2009-10) and will face either the Winnipeg Blue Bombers or B.C. Lions next weekend at Tim Hortons Field.
Cameron Dukes’ one-yard TD run at 4:43 of the fourth pulled Toronto to within 24-10. But James Letcher Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for the touchdown — his third return score this season — at 5:19.
Kelly, the East Division’s outstanding player nominee, then found DaVaris Daniels on a 64-yard TD strike at 6:43. That cut Montreal’s lead to 31-17.
It was the second straight stellar performance by Montreal’s defence, which didn’t allow a touchdown in last weekend’s 27-12 East Division semifinal win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Alouettes were 0-3 against Toronto in the regular season tbut haven’t lost since 23-20 setback to the Argos on Sept. 15, a span now of seven games.
Kelly enjoyed a record-setting ’23 campaign, his first as Toronto’s starter. He won 15-of-16 starts in guiding the Argos to a franchise-best 16-2 record, which also tied the single-season league mark for wins.
In August, Kelly signed a three-year, $1.865-million extension that made him the league’s highest-paid player.
Edmonton was 16-2 in 1989 but lost the West Division final to Saskatchewan, which went to win the Grey Cup.
Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson (94) tackles Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) on a run during second half CFL Eastern Division final football action in Toronto, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Kelly’s 93.8 win percentage was the best ever by a player with at least 14 starts. Kelly completed 270-of-394 passes (68.5 per cent) for 4,123 yards with 23 TDs and 12 interceptions while running for 248 yards and eight TDs — tied for second-most in the CFL.
Toronto’s offence also led the CFL in fewest turnovers (27) and was tied for fewest interceptions (15). The Argos entered Saturday’s game sporting a 9-0 home record (one win came in Halifax) and 10-0 within the East Division.
Tyler Snead and Jeshrun Antwi had Montreal’s other touchdowns. David Cote added five converts and a field goal.
Toronto’s Boris Bede booted two converts and a field goal.
Cody Fajardo’s eight-yard TD pass to Snead at 5:13 of the third — despite tight coverage from Toronto safety Royce Metchie — staked Montreal to a 17-3 advantage. It followed Shawn Oakman’s unnecessary roughness penalty on a Cote field goal that gave the Als first down at the Toronto seven-yard line.
The touchdown was set up by Reggie Stubblefield’s interception.
Montreal led 10-3 at the half, thanks to a defence that accounted for its lone TD. The unit also stopped Kelly twice on third down despite Dukes usually being Toronto’s short-yardage quarterback.
And although Toronto continually enjoyed great field position and accumulated 174 net yards, the offence gave the ball away four times (downs twice, interception and fumble).
The Argonauts defence did its part with five first-half sacks (three by Oakman, two by Reggie Barlow) and an interception.
Toronto’s offence began smartly, driving to the Montreal seven-yard line. But Dequoy returned Kelly’s pass for Tommy Nield 101 yards at 3:03 of the first.
Bede’s 45-yard field goal at 6:26 of the second cut Montreal’s lead to 7-3. But Cote’s 46-yard boot at 9:08 move the Alouettes ahead 10-3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2023.
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout on Friday.
Dermott, a 27-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., produced two goals, five assists and 26 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.
The six-foot, 202-pound blueliner has also played for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto drafted him in the second round, 34th overall, of the 2015 NHL draft.
Over seven NHL seasons, Dermott has 16 goals and 46 assists in 329 games while averaging 16:03 in ice time.
Before the NHL, Dermott played two seasons with Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters. The team was coached by current Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the evening before they were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.
The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. At a virtual court hearing Friday, a judge ordered that he be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving.
“’You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me,’” his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County.
The defense described Higgins as a married father and law-abiding citizen before the crash.
“He’s an empathetic individual and he’s a loving father of two daughters,” said defense lawyer Matthew Portella. “He’s a good person and he made a horrible decision that night.”
Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said. A prosecutor on Friday said he had been drinking at home after finishing a work call at about 3 p.m., and having an upsetting conversation with his mother about a family matter.
He then had a two-hour phone call with a friend while he drove around in his Jeep with an open container, Flynn said. He had been driving aggressively behind a sedan going just above the 50 mph speed limit, sometimes tailgating, the female driver told police.
When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and veered left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreas, the two other drivers told police.
“He indicated he didn’t even see them,” said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins’ admitted “impatience” caused two deaths.
Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.
Higgins has a master’s degree, works in finance for an addiction treatment company, and served in combat in Iraq, his lawyers said. However, his wife said he had been drinking regularly since working from home, Flynn said.
Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the league and was set to enter his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport’s top players and a fan favorite across North America.
Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as attached at the hip throughout their lives. Both women are expecting, and both gave moving eulogies at the double funeral on Monday.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
