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Jennings, Lions ruin Ray's return to Argonauts

REUTERS/Ben Nelms

On a night when gusting winds and stout defences dictated terms, Jonathon Jennings and the BC Lions forged a late drive to defeat the Toronto Argonauts 16-13 on Wednesday and complete a 2-0 trip to Ontario.

Working against the wind in autumn-like conditions at BMO Field, the Lions (7-3) moved 59 yards to set up Richie Leone for the winning 30-yard field goal on the last play of the game. Jennings and the Lions coolly converted three second downs en route to the quarterback's fourth game-winning fourth-quarter drive of the season, which leads the CFL.

Toronto (4-5) welcomed back veteran QB Ricky Ray back from missing three games with a knee injury and had the wind in the final quarter, but could only produce three points. The Argonauts started their last possession at their 46-yard line with 5:20 left and stalled when Ryan Phillips dropped Brandon Whitaker for a loss on a swing pass on second-and-4.

Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian was omnipresent with 13 tackles, a sack, and an interception. The pickoff led to a field goal that put the Lions ahead for the first time.

Jennings was 22-of-31 for 199 yards and an interception, while Emmanuel Arceneaux was the Lions' leading receiver with eight receptions for 61 yards. Anthony Allen had 12 rushes for 54 yards and a TD, while Leone was 3-of-3 on field goals and averaged 50.5 yards on six punts, one of which went for a single.

Ray finished 24-of-29 for 213 yards with one TD and one interception, but the Argonauts did not get in the end zone after marching 73 yards to pay dirt on the game's first possession. Kevin Elliott made six receptions for a game-high 89 yards and had the lone Toronto TD. Lirim Hajrullahu was 2-of-2 on field goals.

With 29 combined points, the contest is tied for the CFL's lowest-scoring game this season.

The Lions' defence was able to keep Toronto at bay in the fourth quarter after their offensive counterparts could only muster two field goals while working with the wind in the third. On a double pass, Arceneaux overthrew wide receiver Marco Iannuzzi, who was wide-open behind coverage. Leone salvaged the drive with a 47-yard field goal. The combo of Elimimian's interception and an Argonauts face-mask penalty gave the Lions possession at Toronto's 14-yard line, but the Lions failed to move and added another three-pointer.

The Argonauts were on the Lions' 12-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter. They came away level at 13-13 after kicking a field goal following Keynan Parker's pass breakup on a throw to Tori Gurley deep in the end zone. Parker drew into the lineup after Ronnie Yell went down with an injury during pregame warmups.

The wind factored into BC's only touchdown. In the second quarter, the Lions got a short field at Toronto's 42 after Hajrullahu's punt was caught in a headwind. Jennings had a 13-yard scramble on a second-and-8 to sustain a drive that Allen capped with a 1-yard TD.

The Argonauts visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (also 4-5) for the traditional Labour Day Classic rivalry game Monday. Depending on the outcome of Thursday's tilt between the Ottawa RedBlacks (4-4-1) and host Montreal Alouettes (3-6), the game could become a first-place showdown.

Hamilton has a 31-13-1 record against Toronto on Labour Day.

The Lions, who defeated Ottawa in the first leg of their Ontario road trip, host Montreal on Sept. 9.

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