Amos, Grant score key TDs to rally Argos past Stampeders

TORONTO — Again when the Toronto Argonauts needed a spark, Janarion Grant delivered.

Grant and DaShaun Amos scored key second-half touchdowns to lead Toronto past Calgary 39-25 on Friday night. The Argos erased a 15-7 halftime deficit by outscoring the Stampeders 32-10 in the second half.

Five nights earlier, Calgary outscored Toronto 21-0 in the fourth quarter for a 27-23 home victory.

Grant's electrifying 86-yard punt return TD at 6:35 of the third quarter put Toronto ahead 16-15 before Nick Arbuckle found David Ungerer III for the two-point convert.

"We call him the life of the party, he's our heat beat," said Toronto running back Ka'Deem Carey of Grant. "When his heart starts beating, all of ours do and he took it to the crib.

"That was something special. We keep seeing that all year."

Grant has four return TDs this season — three on punts, one on a kickoff.

"As soon as I caught it, I saw the sideline and knew I had to use my speed to my advantage and hit it," Grant said. "I saw one blocker take care of the kicker and it was all she wrote after that.

"I know every time I touch the ball I can make something happen."

Lirim Hajrullahu's 45-yard field goal at 13:00 put Toronto ahead 21-15. He connected from 41 yards out at 4:44 after linebacker Robert Priester's recovery of Jake Maier's fumble at Calgary's 32-yard line.

But Toronto (5-4) needed Amos and Carey — both former Stampeders — to come up big in the fourth to earn its 13th win in 14 regular-season games at BMO Field and nine straight there versus West Division teams.

Amos registered a 55-yard pick-six at 5:13 before Carey ran in the two-point convert to put Toronto ahead 29-22 in front of a BMO Field gathering of 13,481. Rene Paredes' 33-yard field goal at 11:15 cut Calgary's deficit to 32-25, but Carey scored on a 10-yard run at 13:26.

"We had our backs against the (wall) and to go out here and pull off a good win against Calgary, me and D did our thing," said Carey, who ran for 89 yards on 13 carries.

Amos felt no redemption earning a win over the team he spent his first three CFL seasons with before joining Toronto in 2022. Last year, Amos suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Calgary.

"It's not about who we play, it's about us," he said. "This year, I was able to play a healthy game and help my team win."

Tommy Stevens' two-yard run at 2:06 put Calgary ahead 22-21. But Toronto defensive tackle Ralph Holley tackled Stevens for a six-yard loss on third-and-one that set up Hajrullahu's 16-yard field goal at 9:29 to put the Argos up 32-22.

"It (Grant's TD) gave us added momentum … but that third-down sneak in their end was huge," said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. "That won us the game."

Grant gave Toronto a glorious scoring opportunity with a 39-yard kickoff return to open the second half. With the Argos at the Calgary 25, Arbuckle hit Carey on a 13-yard completion but linebacker Cameron Judge recovered Carey's fumble.

Calgary (4-5) fell to 0-5 on the road and has just one win in its last 11 games away from McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders haven't recorded a back-to-back sweep of Toronto since '08.

Toronto heads on a bye week before hosting the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3-1) on Aug. 22. And they could have a familiar face back by then.

On May 7, the CFL suspended quarterback Chad Kelly for Toronto's two exhibition games and at least its first nine regular-season contests for violating its gender-based violence policy. It followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both Kelly and the club.

Kelly, the league's outstanding player last season, had to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert. Both must be completed to the satisfaction of the CFL, which could reinstate Kelly but also modify the discipline.

"I don't know," Dinwiddie said regarding Kelly's situation. "Once I get some clarity I'd love to talk about it with (media).

"Right now we're just focused on the guys that are here and continue to fight and find a way to win football games. That's kind of where we're at as an organization."

Cam Echols and Peyton Logan had Calgary's other touchdowns. Paredes kicked three converts and a field goal while Cody Grace added a single.

Makai Polk scored Toronto's other touchdown. Hajrullahu booted two converts and three field goals.

Logan's two-yard touchdown run at 14:47 of the second earned Calgary its 15-7 halftime lead. It was set up by Demerio Houston's 31-yard interception return.

Toronto appeared poised for a late field goal try but Grant's 43-yard kickoff return to the Calgary 32-yard line was erased by a holding penalty. Paredes hit the upright from 35 yards out earlier in the second, his first miss in 26 attempts.

Maier put Calgary ahead 8-7 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Echols at 10:54 of the first. Arbuckle had a 22-yard scoring strike to Polk at 7:43 after Grace's 57-yard punt single at 2:54.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2024.