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Andrew Harris made most of the Argonauts’ deficiencies disappear on Sunday evening at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

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With the Boatmen doing their greatest to implode, the long run Corridor of Fame working imposed his will and talent with a show of energy working and psychological toughness that gained’t be quickly forgotten.

In simply his best second as an Argo — a day during which he would make CFL historical past — Harris bulled his method for 143 yards speeding and one other 45 receiving — most of these coming within the second half — because the Argos rallied to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 31-21.

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It was an evening that regarded fairly dangerous for head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, till the Argos had been lastly capable of make sufficient performs to enhance their file to 3-2.

The sport had been rescheduled from Saturday following a COVID amongst Riders gamers. However for a lot of the sport, it appeared the Argos had been in COVID protocol given the collective fog that marred the crew’s teaching and play.

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Harris was the exception and the primary cause why the Argos escaped with a win.

The one factor Harris didn’t do was discover the top zone.

The successful margin got here on a late Boris Bede area objective that broke a 21-21 impasse.

The Argos added a clinching TD on the following kickoff with 30 seconds left when Riders’ Mario Alford, who returned a missed area objective on the finish of the opening half for a landing, tried to do far an excessive amount of. He ended up fumbling the ball inside the ten yard line as Enoch Penny-Laryea recovered and bumped into the top zone untouched.

For the second time in as many weeks, Harris made historical past. Final week, he handed Milt Stegall for fourth place on the league’s profession listing for many yards from scrimmage.

This week, Harris grew to become the primary Canadian and solely the sixth participant in CFL historical past to succeed in 10,000 speeding yards.

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“On the finish of day, our crew, as an entire, caught collectively,’’ stated Harris. “I’m happy with our teammates.

“Private accomplishments are nice, however (Sunday) I used to be very happy with my crew and the way we responded to sure conditions.”

A lot would go fallacious, so many factors not noted on the sphere, so many missteps, turnovers and suspect decision-making and but the Argos overcame all of the nonsense and idiocy to tie the sport, 21-21, with 4:49 left within the fourth quarter.

Toronto mustn’t have been on this place, however it was as a result of the crew was embarrassingly dangerous.
Its defence, outdoors of some blunders, held sturdy and compelled a fast two-and-out following Toronto’s game-tying rating that will see McLeod Bethel-Thompson discover a extensive open Cam Phillips behind the top zone.

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Brandon Banks dealt with the following punt and supplied the Argos with nice area place inside Riders territory.

The Argos have made third-and-inches something however routine. After being stopped wanting the goalline on third and quick within the opening quarter, the Argos tried it once more in a while. This time, they did catch a break when the Riders went offside because the chains had been moved and a drive sustained, in the end resulting in a go-ahead landing.

Maybe for the primary time in soccer historical past, a membership had each cause to fireplace its head coach at halftime.

And to assume Dinwiddie was named coach of the yr within the East final season.

The choices he made within the opening half-hour Sunday had been atrocious, his sport plan equally puzzling and the implications had been deadly.

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The Argos had been taking part in an opponent whose quarterback had by no means began a sport on the professional degree and had receivers nobody has heard of out of doors of Kian Schaffer-Baker.

All of the Argos needed to do was play with smarts and never permit the Riders any likelihood to construct momentum by merely defending the soccer.

As a substitute, they gave the depleted Riders life as a result of Dinwiddie exercised some bone-headed choices.

It’s gorgeous why a working again traces up seven yards from scrimmage with a QB in a shotgun formation on third down from the opponent’s one yard line.

Sadly, it has occurred earlier than in the event you recall the opening drive in B.C., when the Argos had been stopped.
Equally perplexing Sunday was the top of half mind cramp that will see Dinwiddie summon the sphere objective crew to aim a 61-yard area objective.

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Bede missed and Alford returned it 112 yards for a landing.

It was a shocking, incomprehensible first half by an Argos crew that regularly shot itself within the foot.
The missed area objective summed up the crew’s utter incompetence in all phases as Saskatchewan took a 15-11 lead into intermission.

Each Riders level got here gift-wrapped courtesy of three Toronto turnovers and that ill-advised area objective.

The Argos scored a area objective within the third quarter following a Riders turnover, however then gave up an enormous play on a busted protection within the secondary, which led to Saskatchewan kicking three factors.

On Toronto’s ensuing collection, the Argos reached the bottom of the lows. First got here an aborted flea-flicker that led to a sack. Then got here a poor snap, which isn’t new, that led to a scoop and obvious rating by ex9Argo Charleston Hughes, whose sack-and-strip within the first half led to a Saskatchewan landing when Jake Dolegala tossed his first main as a professional.

However the Hughes rating was negated as a result of he batted the ball ahead, which isn’t authorized.

Nonetheless, it was one other Argos turnover, however the defence confirmed lots of battle in protecting the Riders to a few factors.

As soon as the dizzying flip of occasions had been accomplished, the Argos had been a 21-14 deficit late within the third quarter.

Early within the fourth quarter, they had been stopped quick on third right down to commit their fifth turnover of the sport.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com