Bakers dozen!

If the Argos were getting a little nervous in the final stages of Friday nights match up with Saskatchewan they didn’t show it. The Riders, who for most of the game allowed the Argos to take the play to them, began to make some noise in the fourth quarter. The Green Riders, who found points hard to come by in the early part, finally knuckled down and got to work as the game began to wind down. They were frequently close to putting points on the board, but came up short time and time again. Offensively they scored on three field goals, a safety and a single.

Henry Burris who started at QB for the Riders found the Argo defensive unit to be a handful frequently scrambling for short gains or rushing passes to incompletion. Despite that Burris managed to complete 20 of 38 passes for 209 yards, but it was an inability to push the ball across the goal line that was the downfall of the Rider attack that and a suddenly very cold kicking game.

For Head coach Danny Barrett frustration with that kicking game must have haunted him along the sidelines, Rider kicker Paul McCallum was hit but much more miss in the game, going three for seven in the game, leaving the Riders twelve points short at the end of the night. Just six of those missed points would have made the difference, in the 17-12 final in favour of Toronto.

Toronto’s offence was a Damon Allen to Robert Baker affair as the Argo receiver caught seven passes, including two for TD’s as the Argo rookie continued to impress his coaches. Defensively the stingy Argo D, continued a three game trend of not giving up any touchdowns keeping the Riders from crossing the goal line. The secondary played havoc with Henry Burris’ passing plans picking him off twice at key points of the game. The brightest part of the Argo season so far has been its defensive game, which rates with the best in the league at the moment.

The win moves the Argos over the 500 mark with a three and two record giving them control of second place and remaining within hailing distance of the front running Montreal Alouettes. The Argos can improve their record and add some space between themselves and Ottawa and Hamilton with Wednesday's game against the Renegades at Skydome, a game that will be broadcast on Sporstnet across the country.

For Saskatchewan a 1-4 record is not where they expected to be at nearing the end of July, they have a chance to get back on track on Saturday when they play the Stampeders at McMahon stadium in Calgary. With both Edmonton and Winnipeg beginning to shake off the early season doldrums, the Riders may quickly find themselves trailing the pack. Whatever key that Barrett needs to find he had best find it quickly, a few more losses and the Riders expected march to Ottawa won’t get to far east of Moosimin.