Cox's fumble return for TD helps Alouettes beat Argonauts 27-8

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:25 PM TORONTO (CP) - Chip Cox returned a fumble 61 yards for the touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the Montreal Alouettes to a hard-fought 27-8 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday.

Cox, who deflected a Toronto field goal attempt in the first half, picked up Kerry Joseph's fumble and ran untouched to the end zone at 8:19 before 26,828 spectators with the Rogers Centre roof closed.

Cox's TD, his second fumble return for a score this season, put Montreal ahead 24-8 to cement the victory over a determined Argos squad that was shut out 25-0 the last time these two teams met Aug. 7.

Montreal (11-2) clinched a home playoff game with the win, its fifth straight against Toronto and ninth in 11 head-to-head meetings. If the Calgary Stampeders beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium later Saturday night, the Alouettes will cement top spot in the East Division, and home field for the conference final, for the second straight year.

Toronto (3-10) remains firmly entrenched in the East Division basement, four points behind third-place Winnipeg. But both the Bombers and Argos are chasing the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Eskimos (both third in the West at 6-7) for the final Eastern playoff spot.

If the West Division's fourth-place finisher has more points at season's end than the third-place finisher in the East, the West club will cross over and become the East Division's No. 3 playoff seed.

But the league-leading Alouettes had all they could handle with Toronto, especially an Argos defence that continually pressured Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who came into the game as the CFL's leading passer. The Double Blue had four sacks and an interception, just Calvillo's sixth this season, against the league's top-scoring offence (32.2 points per game).

For the second straight game, Argos starter Cody Pickett struggled, 7-of-17 passing for 64 yards, and was replaced by Joseph to start the second half. Before the fateful fumble, Joseph took Toronto on a smart nine-play, 65-yard drive that Jamal Robertson capped with a seven-yard TD run at 10:08 of the third, pulling Toronto to within 11-8. But it was punter Justin Medlock's 19-yard run that was the march's biggest play, putting the Argos on the Montreal 40-yard line.

Montreal countered with Damon Duval's career-long 53-yard field goal at 12:50 for a 14-8 advantage.

Jamel Richardson had Montreal's touchdown. Duval finished with four field goals, two converts and a single.

Medlock had a single and convert for Toronto.

Richardson's TD was the lone one of the opening half and staked Montreal to an 11-1 halftime lead, prompting the Argos faithful to boo their team off the field once play ended.

And again it was a questionable decision by Toronto first-year head coach Andrus decision that led to Montreal's TD.

With Medlock punting from Toronto's goal-line, Andrus elected to have Medlock kick instead of taking the safety and having a chance to pin Montreal deeper in its zone. Taking over at the Argos' 40-yard line, the Alouettes needed just two plays to score, the points coming on Calvillo's 10-yard TD strike to Richardson.

But Calvillo and Co. had their struggles against a tenacious Toronto defence that registered four first-half sacks. That's an accomplishment considering Montreal came in having surrendered just 20 sacks on the season and the Argos were minus starting cornerbacks Willie Middlebrooks and Jordan Younger due to injury.

That forced first-year Argo Dovonte Edwards to start at one cornerback spot and safety Will Poole to switch to the other position, with Alphonso Hodge and linebacker Willie Pile spending time at safety.

The Argos under Picket had few answers for a Montreal defence that came into the game leading in 20 of the CFL's 25 categories. Toronto had just four first downs and 78 total yards but did have a nice 50-yard drive late in the half. However, Medlock's 27-yard field goal try was deflected by Cox and went for a single at 12:48.

Notes: Younger, receiver Tyler Scott, tackle Cliff Washburn and defensive tackle Walter Curry didn't dress for Toronto. Receiver Andrew Hawkins, quarterback Stanford Samuel, tackle Dylan Steenbergen and defensive tackle Darrell Campbell were Montreal's scratches. ... Robertson came into the game having rushed for 782 yards and is on pace to become Toronto's first 1,000-yard rusher since Michael Jenkins ran for 1,484 yards in 2001. ... Argos receiver Brad Smith is the son of Montreal Alouettes president Larry Smith. ... Calvillo's 30-yard scramble to set up Montreal's opening TD of the game was the longest run of his CFL career.