The Toronto Argonauts handed the Saskatchewan Roughriders their first defeat of the young CFL season, winning 40-34 at Mosaic Stadium on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Toronto\u2019s Chad Kelly threw for two touchdowns and ran for one score before 25,035 spectators.<\/p>\n
Although Kelly was sacked four times, he kept several plays alive with his maneuverability in the pocket, buying additional time for receivers to get open.<\/p>\n
\u201cChad balled out,\u201d Roughriders defensive tackle Mike Rose said. \u201cLet\u2019s leave it at that.<\/p>\n
\u201cChad had a great game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kelly completed 23 of 30 passes for 321 yards as Toronto improved its record to 2-1. Saskatchewan\u2019s Trevor Harris<\/a> also boasted impressive numbers, going 34-for-43 for 409 yards and two TDs.<\/p>\n The Roughriders had won the previous six games Harris had completed, including the 2025 Grey Cup. Saskatchewan had not lost a game that had a bearing on the standings since Sept. 27, when the host Edmonton Elks won 27-25.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing guaranteed in pro football is adversity,\u201d Harris said. \u201cThe great teams just respond better than the others.\u201d<\/p>\n The Roughriders had responded to adversity at various points over their first two regular-season games, thereby carrying a 2-0 record into Friday\u2019s contest.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to overcome the mistakes in the first couple of weeks,\u201d Harris said. \u201cThis week we weren\u2019t able to. We shot ourselves in the foot in all three phases.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to make sure we come back and watch the film and get better from it and respond next week.\u201d<\/p>\n The objective is to return to the win column next Friday against the host Ottawa REDBLACKS.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of things that happened today that weren\u2019t in our favour were unfortunately things that we talked about all week,\u201d Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace lamented on Friday night<\/a>. \u201cWe can talk all we want, but we\u2019ve got to make sure that we understand the initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cI could probably do a much better job of getting these guys prepared for what those situations look like \u2014 watching some stuff on film and (knowing) what to expect.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing is a lot of guys had to step up today. There definitely were some positives. Young guys made some big plays today that I\u2019m extremely proud of. It\u2019s going to help us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, receiver Daniel Wiebe<\/a> and running back Quali Conley<\/a> each had a touchdown to show for their CFL debuts.<\/p>\n Wiebe, who received regular repetitions on offence after veteran receiver Samuel Emilus was injured late in the second quarter, caught two passes for 48 yards. He caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Harris.<\/p>\n Starting at running back while A.J. Ouellette nurses an ankle injury, Conley rushed eight times for 50 yards \u2014 including a 17-yard TD.<\/p>\n Defensive lineman Jaylen Pate, in his CFL debut, registered his first sack.<\/p>\n KeeSean Johnson put up his usual stellar numbers, making 10 catches (a career high) for 112 yards and one touchdown in a losing cause.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a lot of guys step up, but we made some mistakes and (Toronto) came out on top,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to go back to work tomorrow and push forward. It\u2019s a long season.\u201d<\/p>\n A long gainer opened the scoring on Friday. Toronto\u2019s Janarion Grant scored on a 68-yard punt return at 3:12 of the first quarter. Lirim Hajrullahu added the convert.<\/p>\n Hajrullahu\u2019s 51-yard field goal, at 7:36 of the first quarter, gave Toronto a 10-0 lead. His 24-yard field goal put Toronto ahead 13-0 at 1:19 of the second quarter.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan got on the board when Harris threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Johnson at 5:29 of the second quarter. Alex Hale added the convert.<\/p>\n The TD toss gave Harris a career total of 211 and moved him past Hall of Famer Dieter Brock into 14th on the CFL\u2019s all-time list.<\/p>\n Hale\u2019s 36-yard field goal reduced the Argos\u2019 lead to 13-10 at 10:25 of the second quarter.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan went ahead at 13:09 of the second frame when Conley scored his TD. Hale\u2019s convert made it 17-13, Roughriders.<\/p>\n Toronto regained the lead on the final play of the first half when Kelly found Tyler Kahmann for a 27-yard touchdown pass. Hajrullahu\u2019s convert gave Toronto a 20-17 advantage at halftime.<\/p>\n The lead became 23-17 when Hajrullahu split the uprights from 47 yards at 2:37 of the third quarter.<\/p>\n Kelly\u2019s two-yard TD run at 7:26 of the third frame, followed by Hajrullahu\u2019s convert, increased Toronto\u2019s advantage to 30-17.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan countered with a one-yard touchdown run by Tommy Stevens at 13:29 of the third quarter. Hale\u2019s convert made it 30-24, Toronto.<\/p>\n Hajrullahu\u2019s 38-yarder gave Toronto three points and a 33-24 lead at 2:53 of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan responded with the TD by Wiebe at 5:09 of the fourth quarter. Hale provided the convert.<\/p>\n Toronto quickly turned a Roughriders fumble into Kahmann\u2019s second touchdown of the game \u2014 a 21-yard connection with Kelly at 4:27 of the second quarter. Hajrullahu\u2019s extra point gave Toronto a 40-31 lead.<\/p>\n Hale\u2019s 25-yard field goal, with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter, completed the scoring. The Roughriders\u2019 subsequent onside-kick return was unsuccessful, cementing the victory for Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see how we respond,\u201d Harris said. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to respond and come back and work hard when you overcome the mistakes and you end up winning the game.<\/p>\n \u201cI know the makeup of this team. We\u2019ll respond with tremendous focus and tremendous work ethic and come back and get better next week. I know the DNA of this locker room and that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ll do.\u201d<\/p>\n RARE PICK<\/p>\n Until 12:55 of Friday\u2019s first quarter, Harris had thrown 197 consecutive regular-season passes without being intercepted. The interception-free period spanned 68 offensive series.<\/p>\n Including the 2025 Western Final and Grey Cup, Harris\u2019s non-interception streak was 260 passes (covering 93 series).<\/p>\n Time-wise, the interception-less streak spanned 329 minutes 37 seconds (449:37 including post-season).<\/p>\n Harris and former Ottawa teammate Henry Burris are tied for the 11th-longest regular-season streak in CFL history. Burris threw 197 consecutive passes without a pick in 2015 (July 17 to Aug. 30).<\/p>\n Roughriders legend Darian Durant holds the CFL record \u2014 323 consecutive passes without an interception (July 26, 2014 to Aug. 20, 2016).<\/p>\n Harris is fifth on the all-time list, at 228 (Oct. 13, 2018-July 20, 2019, with Ottawa and Edmonton). Durant is seventh at 213 (Oct. 27, 2012-Sept. 1, 2013).<\/p>\n Harris\u2019s streak of 197 is the third-longest in Roughriders history.<\/p>\n TREVOR TIDBITS<\/p>\n \u2022 Harris has exceeded 300 yards in passing in all three games this season and has 1,175 yards overall. That is the second-best total in franchise history after three games, behind Joe Paopao (1,240 in 1985).<\/p>\n \u2022 Harris is tied with Durant for the third-most touchdown passes by a Roughrider after three games (eight). Ron Lancaster had 10 in 1966. Tom Burgess had nine in 1989.<\/p>\n \u2022 Harris threw for 400-plus yards for the fourth time as a Roughrider, tying Burris for third in team history. One of Burris\u2019s four 400-yard games was in the post-season. Kent Austin had 19 400-yard games (including two in the post-season) with Saskatchewan. Durant is second at seven (one in the post-season).<\/p>\n \u2022 With 34 completions on Friday, Harris posted the 14th-highest total in team history.<\/p>\n \u2022 With 38,872 passing yards, Harris is 169 shy of tying Tom Clements for 12th on the CFL\u2019s career list.<\/p>\n FLOWERS FOR ROSE<\/p>\n Rose had the Roughriders\u2019 first two-sack game by a defensive tackle since Micah Johnson versus the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 16, 2025.<\/p>\n Rose, who joined the Roughriders in 2025 after seven seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, registered the eighth two-sack game of his CFL career.<\/p>\n His previous two-sack game \u2014 on Aug. 4, 2024 \u2014 also was against Toronto.<\/p>\n Pate and Ali Saad had the Roughriders\u2019 other sacks on Friday. Harris was sacked twice.<\/p>\n KIAN\u2019S CATCHES<\/p>\n Kian Schaffer-Baker had eight receptions for 89 yards, increasing his season totals to 27 catches and 384 yards.<\/p>\n The latter two totals are the second-best in Roughriders history at the three-game mark. Ray Elgaard had record totals of 28 catches and 393 yards at this juncture in the 1985 season.<\/p>\n EXTRA POINTS<\/p>\n \u2022 Linebacker Josh Woods had a team-high six defensive tackles and registered his first interception as a Roughrider. He intercepted Kelly on the goal line after Toronto had marched to the Roughriders\u2019 18 on its opening possession.<\/p>\n \u2022 Woods has registered the Roughriders\u2019 only turnover of the season. Saskatchewan had forced five turnovers at the three-game mark last season and nine the year before.<\/p>\n \u2022 Mace did not have an update on the status of Emilus after the game. Emilus had filled on punt returns after James Letcher Jr. was injured early in the first quarter. Wiebe fielded punts after Emilus left the game.<\/p>\n \u2022 Including the Grey Cup, Stevens has five touchdowns over the Roughriders\u2019 last four games.<\/p>\n \u2022 Saskatchewan had 475 yards of net offence, compared to 393 for Toronto.<\/p>\n \u2022 Grant has four of the last five punt-return touchdowns against Saskatchewan. With 14 career return touchdowns, he moved into third in CFL history \u2014 one behind Bashir Levingston. Henry (Gizmo) Williams holds the career mark of 31.<\/p>\n \u2022 The Roughriders are to return to the practice field on Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Argonauts handed the Saskatchewan Roughriders their first defeat of the young CFL season, winning 40-34 at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":765186,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-765185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=765185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/765186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=765185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=765185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=765185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}