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Argonauts rally past Blue Bombers

Jul 20, 2013 - 3:57 AM Winnipeg, MB (Sports Network) - Ricky Ray completed all but one of his 20 passes while tossing a pair of majors and rushing for another in the Toronto Argonauts' 35-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday at Investors Group Field.

Ray finished with 286 passing yards and passed Danny McManus (3,640) for third place on the CFL all-time completions list before leaving the game midway through the third quarter with a left knee injury.

Ray hooked up with Andre Durie for 48 yards on the play, but was hit as he released the ball and went down awkwardly. He limped to the bench with a trainer at his side and did not return to the game, with the Argos already holding a comfortable lead.

Durie hauled in six passes for 108 yards, while Chad Owens added seven catches for 89 yards and his first major of the season for the Argonauts (2-2), who had dropped back-to-back games.

Winnipeg signal-caller Buck Pierce completed 10-of-14 passes for 139 yards and an interception in the first half before being replaced by Justin Goltz to start the third quarter. Goltz finished 13-of-15 for 170 yards in the setback.

Chad Simpson carried the ball 10 times for 50 yards and scored the lone touchdown of the game for the Blue Bombers (1-3), who have lost two straight.

Winnipeg's first series produced a 34-yard field goal from Justin Palardy, but Ray responded by completing his first six passes, culminating in a 15-yard toss to Owens in the back left corner of the end zone to make it 7-3.

Palardy knocked down a 31-yarder on the first play of the second quarter to bring the Bombers within one before a Pierce interception later in the frame helped the Argos extend their lead.

Jamie Robinson returned the interception 47 yards into Winnipeg territory and on the next play, Ray found Spencer Watt for a 30-yard major to make it 14-6.

The Argos added another major late in the half when Owens made an 8-yard grab to get his team down near the goal line before Zach Collaros punched it in from one yard out, giving Toronto a 21-6 cushion heading into halftime.

Toronto put the game away with another touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter. Ray surpassed McManus' mark early in the trek before capping it with an 18-yard scramble into the end zone to push the lead to 28-6.

Ray was injured on the second play of Toronto's next touch, but the Argos were able to muster a 30-yard field goal from Noel Prefontaine.

Palardy connected on a 22-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, but a single and a 24-yard field goal from Prefontaine pushed the margin to 35-9.

Prefontaine conceded a safety late in the fourth and Simpson scored from a yard out on the ensuing Winnipeg possession. Goltz found Isaac Anderson on the two-point conversion to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Ray now has 3,644 career completions ... Toronto starting running back Chad Kackert left the game with a knee injury early in the fourth quarter ... Dating back to 1961 and taking into consideration only regular-season matchups, the Argos hold a narrow 54-51-2 advantage over Winnipeg, thanks to victories in five of the last six encounters ... Winnipeg wide receiver Clarence Denmark caught four passes for a game-high 112 yards.