The REDBLACKS ended the preseason a perfect 2-0 thanks to a 32-17 victory over the Toronto Argonauts. Ottawa put up ten unanswered points in the third quarter to pull away from Toronto at Alumni Stadium on the University of Guelph campus.
With starting QB Trevor Harris on the sidelines for this one, two other REDBLACK pivots were given chances to impress and impress they did. Dominique Davis got the start and went 18-for-23 with a touchdown through the air and a touchdown on the ground. Danny Collins was 8-for-12, as both quarterbacks passed for over 100 yards.
Defensively, head coach Rick Campbell and DC Noel Thorpe stuck to their plan of giving as many players a chance to get reps as possible. Aarion Penton picked off McLeod Bethel-Thompson and ran it back for a touchdown, while Corey Tindal led the way with seven tackles.
The REDBLACKS got off to a nice start in the contest, as Sergio Castillo knocked through a 45-yard field goal after a long kickoff return by Kieren Duncan. Castillo, Richie Leone and Canadian Lewis Ward are in a fierce competition to make the roster as kickers and punters.
Toronto responded immediately with James Franklin finding Jonathan Epps in the end zone. Jonathan Rose was all over Epps, but it was a perfectly placed pass by Franklin.
Both offences were flexing their muscles early on as Ottawa found pay dirt on their next possession. Dominique Davis guided his troops down the field, using a nice mixture of passing and rushing plays before Cedric O’Neal scampered into the end zone from two yards out.
Davis looked very good on the evening, with his lone blemish being an overthrown pass that was intercepted by Toronto’s Jonathan Dowling. Davis scored himself by plunging in from one-yard to give Ottawa a 15-10 lead following a field goal from the Argos Ronnie Pfeffer.
O’Neal and Davis complimented each other well, with the former finishing the game with 78 rushing yards on 15 carries. The two teamed up to help the REDBLACKS execute a flawless two-minute drill to end the first-half, which culminated in Davis finding Seth Coate on a 19-yard touchdown pass. Ottawa took a 22-10 lead into the locker rooms.
Danny Collins took over under centre for the REDBLACKS in the second half and was able to help extend his team’s lead. Leone capped off a Collins-coordinated drive in the third quarter with a 26-yard field goal.
The REDBLACKS then took a stranglehold on the game when Aarion Penton intercepted a pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson late in the third. Penton then scampered 54 yards the other way for a pick-six, giving his side a 31-10 lead in the process.
The Ottawa defence had a miscue on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Alex Charette went 63 yards to the end zone to cut the Ottawa lead to 32-17. However, that’s how the game would end as the REDBLACK defence held firm in the dying moments.
The REDBLACKS will get the first week of the regular season off, before welcoming the Saskatchewan Roughriders to TD Place for the home opener on Thursday, June 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, Toronto will open up their regular season on Friday, June 15 at 9:00 p.m. EDT in Regina against the ‘Riders.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“It is only preseason, so we keep that in perspective, but it’s always good to win a game when the lights are on. We saw some good things – we’ll watch it with the players tomorrow. There are going to be some tough decisions to be made and we want to make sure we do a good job for these guys because they deserve it.” – HC Rick Campbell
“We did some really good things out there. I’m pretty sure there’s some things we need to correct, but overall, I think we did a really good job. Coach does a great job during the week making it as tough as possible for us, so when it’s gameday, I’m a lot more comfortable out there.” – QB Dominique Davis
GAME NOTES
The two teams have five former University of Guelph Gryphon football players on their rosters. The REDBLACKS third-round pick from the most recent CFL Draft, Andrew Pickett, spent four seasons with the Gryphons…All three REDBLACKS kickers got playing time, although Ward was limited to kickoff and extra point duty. Leone and Castillo were both perfect on field goals…In addition to Penton’s pick-six, Reggie Daniels also recorded an interception.
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
OTT – FG Castillo – 13:40
TOR – TD Franklin to Epps – 10:28
OTT – TD O’Neal – 6:02
TOR – 1Pt. Pfeffer – 4:02
Second Quarter
TOR – FG Pfeffer – 9:48
OTT – TD Davis – 6:13
OTT – TD Davis to Coate (Castillo conv.) – 0:27
Third Quarter
OTT – FG Leone – 4:25
OTT – TD Penton (Ward conv.)– 2:10
Fourth Quarter
TOR – Bethel-Thompson to Charette (Pfeffer conv.) – 15:00
