Argos stun Lions for comeback win

Quarterback Travis Lulay was enjoying a fine CFL debut for the B.C. Lions on Friday night until veteran Byron Parker of the Toronto Argonauts read his eyes late in the fourth quarter for a pivotal 41-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Parker's TD gave Toronto a 24-20 home win, enabling the Argos, who trailed 17-3 at one point, to keep pace with Montreal atop the CFL East. It was the Argos' first regular season victory over the Lions since late in the 2004 campaign.

"Knowing Parker, he sits there in the wings and then he jumps in," Lions coach Wally Buono said. "We made a lot of mistakes.

Toronto is 3-1 to start the season for the first time since 1997, but coach Jim Barker said the Argos' performance hasn't come close to their ceiling.

"We made way too many mistakes, we made crucial turnovers down in the score zone that took scoring opportunities away, and we had penalties that we haven't had yet this year and still we get away with a win — it's going to help us grow," said Barker.

Parker scored with less than three minutes remaining, and only about four minutes after Brandon Rideau helped Toronto get within striking distance with a touchdown reception. Parker also forced a Jamal Robertson fumble in the second half with B.C. threatening to score, pouncing on the loose ball.

"Coach Barker, what's so good about him, is he makes us believe," Parker said. "No matter what the score is, he always makes us believe we can win." "Last year and the year before, we would just put our heads down and give the game up."

Parker was referring to a stretch where Toronto went just 7-29.

Effort from former Argonaut

Robertson, a former Argonaut  who was deemed expendable in the off-season after two seasons in Toronto, scored both touchdowns for the Lions — a one-yard plunge and a 13-yard scamper. He gained 96 offensive yards on 17 touches from scrimmage. But Robertson's effort wasn't enough for the Lions, who dropped to 1-3.

Robertson had been somewhat forgotten in the run-up to the game, which heavily featured storylines involving the dual owner and the inexperienced quarterbacks.

It was the first edition of the so-called "Braley Bowl." Longtime Lions owner David Braley took control of the struggling Argonauts in the off-season. He pledged neutrality earlier in the week.

The other theme was the Lulay-Lemon matchup. Lulay was starting in place of the injured Casey Printers and making his first pro start of any stripe since a 2007 NFL Europa assignment.

Toronto's Cleo Lemon, by comparison, was the grizzled veteran, with three regular season Canadian starts to his ledger.

Lulay benefited early from a game plan that included a healthy dose of short passes, finishing with 258 passing yards while completing 24 of 38 passes. He could easily have finished with two touchdown passes were it not for drops by Emmanuel Arceneaux and Brent Johnson, the latter an ill-advised bit of trickery involving the standout defensive player.

"In the first half we were making up for our own mistakes," Lulay said. "If we dropped one, we'd catch the next.

"In the second half we didn't do that and it really cost us. They just kind of hung around and we made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized on them."

Lemon threw touchdown passes to Jeremaine Copeland and Rideau, with two interceptions. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 222 yards and appears to be inspiring confidence in teammates who've been in the CFL much longer.

"When you do get a chance, it's great for you individually to better your skills and lead your team," Lemon told CBCSports.ca.

Lulay couldn't get the Lions points in his first three drives but was set nicely on the next possession by an Anthony Reddick interception. Ryan Phillips forced Lemon into the bad pass to set up the pick.

In for some ribbing

Jamall Lee's reception just short of the goal-line helped set up the short Robertson major, which helped make the score 7-3 for the Lions.

The touchdown came only after a play in which sackmaster Johnson, an eligible receiver, will likely receive a healthy dose of ribbing this week from his teammates for handling the ball like a brick in the end zone.

After Paul McCallum made it 10-3 Lions with a field goal, the Toronto offence finally got a rise out of the nearly 20,000 at Rogers Centre with a long gain from Lemon to Chad Owens near the goal-line, but a holding call brought it all back.

Toronto kicker Grant Shaw capped the drive by hitting the upright on a 38-yard attempt.

Lulay found his groove on the next drive, making completions to Lee and Arceneaux. But it was Robertson who was the engine, accounting for 44 of the 85 yards on the drive, including the scoring play.

The touchdown seemed to light a spark under the Argos.

Lemon started the ensuing drive with a 20-yard completion to Owens and threw a perfect 21-yard pass into the end zone to Jeremaine Copeland to help make the score 17-10.

It was Copeland's first touchdown reception in a Toronto uniform after 72 with the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes.

B.C. tried to stretch the field early in the third, with Lulay obliging. He cranked his arm to find a wide open Arceneaux deep in Toronto territory. The ball was on the money, but Arceneaux dropped it.

The Lions moved the ball to the Argos' side again later in the quarter, but Parker jarred the ball loose from Robertson's grasp.

"I thought second half [defensive coordinator Chip] Garber made some great adjustments," said Barker. "Early, Jamal Robertson was killing us catching the ball, and I though the second half we did a much better job of cutting that down."

Lemon briefly left the game after a big hit in the third but came back after Dalton Bell got in a cameo appearance.

After Davis Sanchez picked off a Lemon pass in the end zone, the Argos reloaded.

Corey Boyd blazed for 41 yards on a run, and Rideau took a Lemon pass in stride and proceeded to plow through a couple of B.C. defenders for a 20-yard touchdown. Rideau's first CFL touchdown made the score 20-17 for the Lions.

The critical Parker interception ensued, with Lulay then intercepted by Willie Pile with just over a minute left to seal the outcome.