• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Alouettes get back on track, sink Argos thanks to Marsh

Sep 4, 2013 - 3:21 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Tanner Marsh led Montreal to a victory in his first career CFL start, as the Alouettes held the Toronto Argonauts to one point over the final three quarters en route to a 20-9 decision in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Marsh, forced to start with Anthony Calvillo still on the shelf, came out on top in battle of backup quarterbacks as he threw for 309 yards with a touchdown and an interception while completing 18-of-27 passes.

S.J. Green caught eight passes from Marsh for 143 yards while Arland Bruce III added a touchdown against his former team.

Montreal (4-5), which lost to Toronto by 25 points in Week 7, pulled within two points of the East Division-leading Argonauts (5-4), who have dropped two in a row for the second time this year.

Zach Collaros, filling in for the injured Ricky Ray, tossed for 256 yards and a touchdown, was picked off once and lost a fumble in the setback.

"Offensively we weren't very good," Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich said.

Noel Prefontaine recorded a single when he missed a field goal on the game's opening possession, and a botched hold on the next Toronto possession resulted in a turnover.

The mistakes were an afterthought when John Chiles hauled in a 34-yard major later in the opening quarter, but Montreal responded with 17 straight points heading into halftime.

Sean Whyte booted a 12-yard chip shot and Bruce, who played in Toronto from 2004-09, caught his first touchdown of the season when Marsh split a pair of defenders on a 28-yard strike.

With under two minutes left in the half, Collaros was hit from behind and lost the ball. Shea Emry scooped it up and went 38 yards the other way, and Montreal took a 17-8 lead into the break.

Toronto turned it over twice in a scoreless third quarter, the second a fumble by Dontrelle Inman deep in Montreal territory that turned into a Whyte 14-yard field goal two minutes into the fourth.

Prefontaine managed a single a little later, but Montreal controlled the clock the rest of the way to secure the win.

Game Notes

Ray suffered a shoulder injury in last week's loss to Calgary and will be sidelined for at least a month ... Chiles totaled 90 yards on four catches ... These teams play again in Montreal on Sunday.