Carter shines as Alouettes clinch playoff spot with 17-14 victory over Argos

MONTREAL - Duran Carter caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Montreal Alouettes clinched a CFL playoff spot with a 17-14 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday afternoon.

Tyrell Sutton also scored a TD for Montreal (9-8), which has won six games in a row. Sean Whyte had a field goal. The Alouettes defence held an opponent to 17 points or fewer for a sixth straight game, while the team went to 7-1 with Jonathan Crompton at quarterback.

The result drove Toronto (7-10) to the brink of elimination, but they can still reach the post-season if they beat Ottawa and Montreal wins at Hamilton to end the regular season next week.

Argonauts third string quarterback Mitchell Gale threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Mike Bradwell at the end of the first half for his first CFL TD pass. The Alouettes played for the run, but Gale opted to pass and found Mitchell alone behind the defence.

Swayze Waters added two field goals.

Wind was a factor and Toronto got the only points of a flag-free first quarter on Waters's 21-yard kick.

The Alouettes used the wind on a six-play 69 yard drive capped by Sutton's 17 yard TD run up the middle 4:02 into the second.

A punt single off Carter's fumble and a 56 yard drive into the wind led to Bradwell's one-yard TD catch at the end of the second quarter gave the Argonauts an 11-7 half time lead.

Waters added a 25 yard boot 12:09 into the third after the Alouettes lost a gamble on third and 3 when ball carrier J.C. Beaulieu came up a yard short.

Montreal got three back to open the fourth, and then Crompton led a four-play drive topped by a toss over the middle to Carter.

The son of former NFL star Cris Carter had career highs in catches with 11 and receiving yards with 181. Sutton carried 123 times for 135 yards.

The Argos lost quarterback Ricky Ray to an injury after a sack by John Bowman at 12:31 of the fourth. Toronto got a last chance with the ball when Waters got to his own punt for an extra set of downs, but backup QB Trevor Harris was unable to move the ball.

The Alouettes looked sure to score on a trick play in the second quarter, but receiver S.J. Green's bomb fell out of the hands of the wide open Carter.

Montreal defensive back Geoff Tisdale left late in the first half with a concussion after a kick in the head while defending a pass. The Argos lost defensive tackle Marcus Thomas (foot) and defensive back Vincent Agnew (left leg) to injuries. In the fourth, linebacker Matt Ware was helped off.