By Canadian Press

Argos clinch playoff berth by crushing Redblacks 45-15 in Ottawa

Sep 24, 2022 | 8:31 PM

OTTAWA — McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw three touchdown passes and the Toronto defence intercepted Ottawa quarterbacks five times as the Argonauts clinched a playoff berth with a 45-15 win over the Redblacks Saturday.

The Argos (8-5) scored 20 fourth-quarter points as Bethel-Thomson threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Markeith Ambles before the defence got two pick-six scores as Maurice Carnell (35 yards) and Chris Edwards (89 yards) intercepted Caleb Evans to complete the CFL rout. Boris Bede converted two of the three scores.

Bethel-Thompson finished completing 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards. He did throw an interception.

Evans started the second half in relief of Nick Arbuckle. Evans threw three picks before Arbuckle came back in late in the game and got a meaningless one-yard score with three minutes left. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful.

The loss for the Redblacks (3-10) was the 21st in their past 22 home games.

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The Argos went into the half up 18-6 but increased that lead to 25-9 in the third quarter thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by Chad Kelly late in the quarter.

Redblacks kicker Lewis Ward opened the quarter with a 35-yard field goal five minutes in. Bede tried to get those points back but missed a 50-yard attempt. DeVonte Dedmon attempted to bring the ball out of the end zone but had the ball stripped and the Argos recovered inside the Ottawa 10-yard line.

Three plays later Kelly ran the ball in for the touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter that produced only seven combined first downs, things started well for the Redblacks in the second quarter.

Ward connected on a 31-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, and then on the next series the Argos turned the ball over as Abdul Kanneh intercepted Bethel-Thompson in the Ottawa end zone.

The Argos then immediately took a defensive offside penalty before Arbuckle needed just one play to get his pass picked off by Carnell. Four plays later Bethel-Thomson connected with AJ Oullette on a three-yard touchdown pass. Another pass to DaVaris Daniels to complete the two-point conversion and an 8-6 Toronto lead.

At 11:40 Ward kicked a 36-yard field goal and Bede responded with a 42-yard three-pointer of his own less than two minutes later, and the Argos were up 11-6.

With the Redblacks driving late in the half, Arbuckle was intercepted again, this time by DaShaun Amos. Three plays later and following some atrocious tackling by the Redblacks’ defence, Bethel Thompson found Kurleigh Gittens Jr. in the end zone from 21 yards out in the final minute of the quarter and the Argos went into the half up 18-6.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2022.

Darren Desaulniers, The Canadian Press