Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Robert Edwards scored the go-ahead touchdown
during a 13-point fourth-quarter, helping the Montreal Alouettes rally to beat
Toronto 24-20 and capture first place in the East Division.
Edwards ended with 93 yards on 19 carries and Anthony Calvillo passed for 226
yards and a score for Montreal (10-8), which finished the regular season tied
with Toronto but won the division by virtue of taking two-of-three from the
Alouettes this season.
Montreal will have a bye and then host the East final two weeks from Sunday.
The Alouettes will play either Toronto or Winnipeg.
Arland Bruce ended with 124 yard and a touchdown receiving to lead Toronto
(10-8), which could have clinched its second straight division title with a
win.
Damon Allen finished 16-of-29 for 194 yards with a touchdown and Ricky
Williams had 70 yards rushing for the Argonauts, who lost their final two
games of the season and will have to wait and see if they will host the East
division semifinal or travel to Winnipeg.
Winnipeg failed to clinch second place with a loss at British Columbia
later on Saturday.
Down 20-11 after Toronto's Noel Prefontaine hit a 25-yard field goal late in
the third quarter, the Alouettes began their comeback in the fourth quarter.
David Duval first hit a 45-yard field goal to draw within 20-14. Then Edwards
ran in from eight yards out to give Montreal a 21-20 edge and Duval capped the
scoring with a 27-yard field goal late in regulation.
Duval, who started the scoring with a single, accounted for 12 points on the
game.
Prefontaine answered with a single of his own, sending the game into the
second quarter tied at 1-1.
Toronto then exploded for 15 second-quarter points. After a 22-yard field goal
gave Toronto a 4-1 lead, Montreal went ahead 8-4 when Calvillo hooked up with
Dave Stala on a 65-yard TD play.
Toronto then scored on a five-yard pass from Allen to Bruce. Duval then
conceded a safety and Prefontaine hit a 43-yard field goal to send Toronto
into the locker room with a 16-8 lead.
In the third quarter, Prefontaine recorded a single and Duval hit a 30-yard
field goal to make it a 17-11 contest.
