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Lemon throws three TDs as Toronto downs Montreal

Sun 15th, August 2010

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Cleo Lemon threw three touchdown passes as he and the Toronto Argonauts stunned the Montreal Alouettes, 37-22, at Rogers Centre.

Lemon completed just 13 passes on the night for the Argos (5-2), yet he generated 269 yards through the air. Chad Owens caught six passes for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"A solid win, a great team effort, the guys came out ready to play;" said Lemon after the victory. "We have many guys here who are new to the league much like myself and if everyone just makes plays and makes the right decisions we'll be alright."

The Alouettes (5-2) were led by Anthony Calvillo as the signal-caller hit on 37-of-49 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also picked off once and suffered a lost fumble as the team was beaten for the first time since the season opener.

"It showed up on the tape that they're an excellent football team. We knew that, they (were) 4-2 for a reason;" Calvillo remarked after the matchup. "They came out and played hard, they threw the ball early and they got momentum."

The first points of the night came courtesy of a 64-yard pass play between Lemon and Owens to make the score 7-0 in the first quarter. Toronto then recovered a fumble by Calvillo, who earlier had thrown an interception, and advanced it to the goal line following a pass interference call in the end zone. From there it was Cory Boyd who powered his way over the right side for the major and the 14-0 advantage.

In the second quarter the Als finally began to move the ball with Calvillo capping an eight-play, 89-yard drive with a 17-yard TD strike to Kerry Watkins in the front corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, Montreal chose to keep the ball away from Owens and instead angled the ball to Ryan Christian at the goal line. Christian sprinted to his left and then turned up the field, catching blocks the entire way as he charged 110 yards to the goal line and then flipped into the end zone. The first TD of Christian's career was also the longest kickoff return for a score in Toronto history, surpassing the 109-yard effort by Terry Greer in 1981.

Argos kicker Grant Shaw boosted the lead to 24-7 when he converted a 20-yard field goal with less than three minutes remaining in the first half. The successful kick was set up by a fake punt by Toronto, as Ryan Crawford raced 42 yards into Montreal territory in order to continue the 68-yard drive.

With time left on the clock and despite constant pressure, Calvillo methodically moved the ball down the field and with eight seconds remaining hit Jamel Richardson from seven yards out, making the score 24-14 at the break.

The first points of the second half came from Toronto as Lemon finished off a five-play, 68-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring strike to Andre Durie, the receiver using his right hand to pin the ball between his shoulder pad and helmet to complete the remarkable play.

Calvillo and the Als turned right back around and recorded another major as S.J. Green slipped behind the defense and walked into the end zone from 49 yards out to make the difference just 10 points again, 31-21, midway through the third quarter.

The touchdown pass for Calvillo was the 369th of his career, leaving him 25 behind Damon Allen who holds the all-time CFL record with 394 passing scores.

The Alouettes appeared to be on their way to another major score early in the fourth quarter, but they had to settle for a field goal attempt which Damon Duval hooked wide left, leaving the club with just a single.

Lemon and Owens hooked up again in the final period as the signal-caller lofted a 40-yard pass to the goal line and the diminutive receiver ran underneath it to make the score 37-22 following what was thought to be a failed PAT. Owens, who became the first Toronto receiver with more than 100 yards receiving this season, agreed that this was a statement game.

"This was a big win for us, especially the way we performed at Montreal, we beat ourselves then. If we don't make mistakes...we'll be alright and we did that tonight."

Game Notes

Ben Cahoon, who had 10 catches for 99 yards, is now second all-time in receptions in CFL history, passing Darren Flutie who had 972 and trailing only Terry Vaughn who made 1,006 catches during his career...Cahoon's streak of 134 games with at least one reception is third all-time behind Don Narcisse 216) and Tony Gabriel (137)...Montreal was shut out in a quarter for the first time this season when the Als went scoreless in the opening frame...Missing the matchup for the Argos was offensive lineman Cedric Gagne-Marcoux who suffered a right calf injury prior to the contest...Toronto's Jeremaine Copeland suffered an apparent left shoulder injury early in the game and will be getting an MRI on Sunday.