![Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Damonte Coxie (86) celebrates his touchdown over Montreal Alouettes with quarterback Cameron Dukes (11) during first half CFL football action in Montreal, Thursday, July 11, 2024.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/torontosun/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fbo-cfl-argonauts-alouettes-20240711-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=C2H5rW9x5shKgv6JUi-byA)
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MONTREAL — Star Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo exited with an harm because the Toronto Argonauts snapped Montreal’s 300-day unbeaten run with a 37-18 victory Thursday.
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The Boatmen used a formidable floor assault, speeding for 183 yards, and scored touchdowns on offence, defence and particular groups.
Janarion Grant sparked Toronto (3-2) with a 103-yard kickoff return for a landing within the dying moments of the primary half because the Argos handed the reigning Grey Cup champions their first loss this season. It was the third-longest kick return in Argos historical past.
Cameron Dukes threw 131 yards with one TD move on 16-for-20 completions for Toronto, which entered the sport at Molson Stadium on a two-game shedding skid that began with a 30-20 defeat to the Alouettes on June 28.
Montreal (5-1) misplaced its first sport since falling to Toronto on Sept. 15 final season, ending a club-record 13-game run together with playoffs and the Grey Cup.
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Fajardo left on the finish of the primary quarter, holding his hamstring after throwing an incomplete move earlier than heading to the locker room. The Grey Cup MVP was hurried 5 occasions, hit twice and sacked twice earlier than exiting.
Caleb Evans took over for the final three quarters, going 12-of-22 for 127 passing yards, two TD passes and two interceptions.
The Alouettes have been coming off a five-day break after beating the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 on Saturday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-0), who go to the B.C. Lions on Saturday, are the one remaining undefeated CFL group this season.
Alouettes kicker Jose Maltos, changing injured starter David Cote, went 1-for-2 on area objectives, together with a 50-yarder. He additionally scored a rouge on a missed try from 38 yards. Toronto’s Lirim Hajrullahu was 3-for-3.
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Up by 9 factors getting into the fourth quarter, the Argos prolonged their result in 34-18 with 8:22 left as Deonta McMahon ran in a five-yard TD after an important offside penalty by the Alouettes.
Evans, attempting to spark a Montreal offence that earned just one first down within the second half, threw his second turnover of the sport on the following possession with a protracted move try downfield.
The Argonauts kicked a area purpose with 36 seconds remaining for good measure.
The sport began with a sloppy first quarter earlier than the motion picked up halfway by the second as each groups traded rating after rating.
Argos linebacker Wynton McManis kicked it off, intercepting an Evans move supposed for Walter Fletcher and operating it 9 yards into the top zone to offer Toronto a 10-2 lead at 7:55.
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Evans responded with a 22-yard move into the top zone for Charleston Rambo, who hauled in his first CFL landing with 4:20 left within the half to cap a six-play, 71-yard drive.
The Argos made it 17-9 with 2:15 remaining when Dukes related with Damonte Coxie on a 10-yard toss.
Fletcher then sliced and diced by the Argos defence for a 50-yard rush that introduced the ball to Toronto’s four-yard line. The run arrange Evans’ two-yard dish to Tyson Philpot for the Canadian wideout’s league-leading fifth TD reception this season.
Montreal’s momentum was short-lived. After the Alouettes missed the two-point conversion, Grant pulled off the kick-return TD to push the Argos up 24-15 at halftime.
NOTES: Alouettes security Marc-Antoine Dequoy missed the sport with a shoulder harm, with Bryce Cosby changing him within the beginning lineup. Dequoy was a game-time determination after leaving final week’s win in opposition to Calgary. … Montreal receiver Kaion Julien-Grant was a late scratch. … The Argos subsequent play on July 20 after they go to the 0-5 Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field. The Ticats are on a bye this week.
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