Final
Argonauts clinch playoff spot, eliminate Blue Bombers with 27-8 win
Oct 24, 2010 - 12:13 AM WINNIPEG, Manitoba (CP) - Chad Owens returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown as the Toronto Argonauts clinched a spot in the CFL playoffs with a 27-8 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.Winnipeg were eliminated from playoff contention after their record fell to 4-12 in front of a season-low crowd of 23,446 at Canad Inns Stadium.
The Bombers had a chance for post-season play through a crossover in the West Division, but they had to finish with more points than the third-place B.C. Lions (6-10), which is now mathematically impossible with only two games left.
Toronto is in the playoffs with an 8-8 record and sit in third place behind the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-7), who defeated Montreal (11-5) on Friday.
Owens scored his fourth kick-return touchdown of the season with four seconds left in the first half after Bomber kicker Justin Palardy was short on a 51-yard field-goal attempt.
Three of Owens' kick-return scores have been against the Bombers, including another off a missed Alexis Serna field-goal attempt and one from a punt return. His other was on a punt return against Calgary.
The game was also costly for the Bombers on the quarterback front.
Starting quarterback Steven Jyles left the game with a shoulder injury and was replaced by rookie Alex Brink with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
Brink then injured his right shoulder and rookie Joey Elliott out of Purdue took over with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Elliott finished 8 of 16 for 75 yards and one interception.
Jyles was hurt after Argo linebacker Kevin Eiben tackled him during a run, forcing a fumble that was picked up by Toronto defensive back Byron Parker. The turnover didn't lead to any points.
Toronto also got touchdowns off a 66-yard catch by running back Cory Boyd and a nine-yard run by quarterback Cleo Lemon. Noel Prefontaine booted field goals from 38 and 13 yards
Lemon completed 17-of-29 pass attempts for 212 yards and one TD.
Boyd, the league's leading rusher, finished with 11 carries for 86 yards. Bomber running back Fred Reid rushed 15 times for 105 yards.
Winnipeg's scoring came from a 38-yard field goal by Palardy and 53-yard punt single by Mike Renaud. Prefontaine also conceded two safeties to add four points to Winnipeg's total.
Toronto held a 17-2 lead at halftime.
Prefontaine conceded his first safety midway through the first quarter to give Winnipeg the lead, but then the wheels fell off the Bombers.
Prefontaine booted his 38-yarder at 4:18 of the second and Boyd added his TD four minutes later to go ahead 10-2.
Palardy made his 38-yarder, but was short on his 51-yard attempt that Owens took back for the TD with four seconds left in the half.
Renaud's single was the only scoring of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter opened with Prefontaine's 13-yard field goal followed by his second safety. Lemon's TD made the score 27-8 at 12:06.
- CFL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TORONTO 0 17 0 10 27
WINNIPEG 2 3 1 2 8 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: WIN - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE, 8:54.
WINNIPEG 2-0
2ND QUARTER: TOR - FG, NOEL PREFONTAINE 38 YD, 4:13. TORONTO
3-2
TOR - TD, CORY BOYD 66 YD PASS FROM CLEO LEMON
(NOEL PREFONTAINE KICK),
Oct 23 6:52 PM - CFL
TD TOR
CLEO LEMON 9 YD RUN
(NOEL PREFONTAINE KICK)
TORONTO 27
WINNIPEG 8 2:54 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Argonauts 27, Blue Bombers 8 4th - 2:54Oct 23 6:37 PM - CFL
SAFETY WIN
BALL THROUGH END ZONE
TORONTO 20
WINNIPEG 8 6:42 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Argonauts 20, Blue Bombers 8 4th - 6:42Oct 23 6:32 PM - CFL
FG TOR
NOEL PREFONTAINE 13 YD
TORONTO 20
WINNIPEG 6 12:54 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Argonauts 20, Blue Bombers 6 4th - 12:54Oct 23 6:17 PM - CFL
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TORONTO 0 17 0 17
WINNIPEG 2 3 1 6 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: WIN - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE, 8:54.
WINNIPEG 2-0
2ND QUARTER: TOR - FG, NOEL PREFONTAINE 38 YD, 4:13. TORONTO
3-2
TOR - TD, CORY BOYD 66 YD PASS FROM CLEO LEMON
(NOEL PREFONTAINE
Oct 23 6:12 PM - CFL
SINGLE WIN
MIKE RENAUD 53 YD OFF A PUNT
TORONTO 17
WINNIPEG 6 5:18 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Argonauts 17, Blue Bombers 6 3rd - 5:18Oct 23 6:02 PM - CFL
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TORONTO 0 17 17
WINNIPEG 2 3 5 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: WIN - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE, 8:54.
WINNIPEG 2-0
2ND QUARTER: TOR - FG, NOEL PREFONTAINE 38 YD, 4:13. TORONTO
3-2
TOR - TD, CORY BOYD 66 YD PASS FROM CLEO LEMON
(NOEL PREFONTAINE KIC
Oct 23 5:37 PM - CFL
TD TOR
CHAD OWENS 119 YD RETURN OF BLOCKED FIELD GOAL
(NOEL PREFONTAINE KICK)
TORONTO 17
WINNIPEG 5 0:04 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Argonauts 17, Blue Bombers 5 2nd - 0:04Oct 23 5:22 PM - CFL
FG WIN
JUSTIN PALARDY 38 YD
TORONTO 10
WINNIPEG 5 6:33 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Argonauts 10, Blue Bombers 5 2nd - 6:33Oct 23 5:12 PM - CFL
TD TOR
CORY BOYD 66 YD PASS FROM CLEO LEMON
(NOEL PREFONTAINE KICK)
TORONTO 10
WINNIPEG 2 8:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Argonauts 10, Blue Bombers 2 2nd - 8:00Oct 23 4:57 PM - CFL
FG TOR
NOEL PREFONTAINE 38 YD
TORONTO 3
WINNIPEG 2 10:47 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Argonauts 3, Blue Bombers 2 2nd - 10:47Oct 23 4:52 PM - CFL
END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TORONTO 0 0
WINNIPEG 2 2 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: WIN - SAFETY, BALL THROUGH END ZONE, 8:54.
WINNIPEG 2-0
Oct 23 4:42 PM - CFL
SAFETY WIN
BALL THROUGH END ZONE
TORONTO 0
WINNIPEG 2 6:10 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Argonauts 0, Blue Bombers 2 1st - 6:10Oct 23 4:27 PM
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