TORONTO — He'll get credit for securing the Toronto Argonauts their third home win, but Lirim Hajrullahu certainly had plenty of help.
Hajrullahu's 34-yard field goal in overtime earned Toronto a wild 16-14 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night. But it was an Argos defence that anchored the win by scoring the team's lone touchdown while forcing five turnovers and recording five sacks.
"The defence played outstanding," Hajrullahu said. "We had a lot of great plays on special teams too, a lot of guys banged up and still fighting through injuries.
"That defence, we needed them tonight. That's what it took."
Hajrullahu connected on his game-winning kick after Winnipeg's Sergio Castillo missed from 41 yards out on the first overtime possession for a single.
Toronto (4-3) earned its second win in five games and only its third victory in nine matchups against Winnipeg. But the Argos' offence struggled to muster any consistency, recording just 12 first downs and 205 net yards (including 96 yards rushing, 124 yards passing).
Cameron Dukes started at quarterback but after completing three-of-four passes for 34 yards was replaced by veteran Nick Arbuckle in the second quarter. Arbuckle finished 12-of-22 passing for just 87 yards.
"Awful," Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said of his offence's play. "We're continuing to make the same mistakes on simple stuff … we're just not clicking on offence.
"I have to look at what we're doing correctly, what we're not. Maybe it's too much, do I have to simplify it? That was the worst performance offensively that I've been a part of."
But Dinwiddie couldn't say enough about Toronto's defence.
"The defence, credit to them, saved our bacon offensively," he said. "They made the plays and won the football game."
Winnipeg (2-6) suffered a second straight loss and fell to 0-4 on the road. And the Bombers' situation doesn't get any easier hosting the rested B.C. Lions (5-2) on Thursday night.
After making four straight Grey Cup appearances (winning twice), Winnipeg finds itself in a very unfamiliar position.
"It's up to us to win games and we're all that we need in this room to get it done," said veteran linebacker Adam Bighill. "We've had opportunities to do so and we've found ways to let them slip.
"That's unacceptable and obviously not what we're used to doing. It can't happen, we have to get this thing going the right way."
Winnipeg's Zach Collaros hit Ontaria Wilson on a 55-yard TD strike at 11:02 of the fourth to make it 13-13. It came after Bighill stopped Dukes on third-and-one at Toronto's 30-yard line.
But Toronto's defence forced a crucial turnover of its own. Instead of trying the go-ahead field goal, Winnipeg went for it on third-and-one but Chris Streveler was stopped short at the Bombers' 21-yard line with 54 seconds to play.
After a scoreless third, Collaros was looking for Nic Demski but Toronto defender DaShaun Amos got his hand on the ball, which then bounced off Demski, allowing Tavarus McFadden to corral it. He raced 41 yards for the TD at 2:26 in his '24 debut to break a 6-6 tie, delighting the BMO Field gathering of 14,994.
"(Amos) made a great pass breakup and the ball was just bouncing off everybody's hands," McFadden said with a chuckle. "It just fell into mine and I thank God for it."
The '24 season has certainly been a roller-coaster for McFadden. The third-year Argo was released by the club during training, started the season with Ottawa before being let go and returning to Toronto.
"I've got a saying I live by and that is it's God's time, not yours," McFadden said. "You can control only what you can control and when your number is called, you've just got to always be ready."
Collaros was 25-of-32 passing for 317 yards with a TD and interception.
Hajrullahu had two field goals and a convert in regulation for Toronto.
Castillo also kicked two field goals and a convert in regulation for Winnipeg.
Hajrullahu's 37-yard field goal at 12:14 of the second made it a 6-6 contest at halftime. Castillo had a shot to put Winnipeg up but missed from 42 yards out with 14 seconds remaining.
The score flattered Toronto as Winnipeg controlled the opening half, amassing 218 net offensive yards, compared to just 69 for the Argos. Collaros was a solid 15-of-20 passing for 169 yards but the Bombers' offence was plagued by two lost fumbles and Castillo's miss.
Castillo's 40-yard boot at 8:06 earned Winnipeg a 6-3 advantage. His 15-yard field goal at 9:57 of the first opened the scoring before Hajrullahu connected from 48 yards out at 4:41.
UP NEXT
Argonauts: Visit the Calgary Stampeders (3-4) on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Blue Bombers: Host the B.C. Lions (5-2) on Thursday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2024.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
