Despite a valiant and dramatic comeback, the Toronto Argonauts (0-3) fell to the Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0) in a 39-32 thriller in front of 12,025 at BMO Field on Friday night.

Veteran return-man Mario Alford walked it off for the Riders, scoring a 99-yard touchdown with nine seconds left, right after the Argos tied the game at 32.

The 0-3 start is Toronto’s worst in the Canadian Football League since 2019, where they lost their first six games and won only four the whole season.

Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie was visibly frustrated during his post-game presser, both with the line play, and the lack of team discipline.

“I thought there were a lot of selfish plays, selfish penalties,” he said. “That’s the one thing I hate.”

The Argos coach said that roster changes are in order this week.

It wasn’t the cleanest, nor the prettiest win for Saskatchewan. The Riders took 18 penalties, worth 178 yards, edging out Toronto’s 11 for 129. It was as sloppy as thrillers get.

Alford, along with quarterback Trevor Harris and running back A.J Ouellette – all former Argonauts – were lockstep in causing their old team grief. Ouellette racked up 91 of Saskatchewan’s 144 total rushing yards, while the 40-year-old Harris threw 234 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.

The Argos got off to a strong start in the opening quarter. Pivot Nick Arbuckle was making plays outside of the pocket, ultimately finding Dejon Brissett for an opening drive touchdown.

Saskatchewan’s response was swift.

Ouellette housed a 25-yard touchdown on Saskatchewan’s opening drive. On their second possession, Harris connected with wideout Dohnte Meyers on consecutive play action looks, the latter of which was a 32-yard touchdown. 

The Riders took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.

Towards the end of the first half, Toronto’s offence mounted a 17 play, 97-yard drive, featuring three strong runs for first downs from running back Miyan Williams. Unfortunately for the Boatmen, that drive ended with a turnover on downs inside the Saskatchewan five-yard line.

Saskatchewan arried a seven point lead into the half.

Early in the third quarter, the Green and White hit the Double Blue with what felt like a knockout blow. Harris found Meyers in the middle of the field, and Meyers outraced the Argos secondary to the end zone, for a 70-yard score.

The second-year wideout finished with two touchdowns and 125 receiving yards, a new CFL career high.

Arbuckle and Harris traded interceptions, the second of which gave Toronto the ball inside Saskatchewan’s 5-yard-line. Backup quarterback Jarrett Doege ran in a touchdown at the goal line, notching his first as an Argonaut. 

Lirim Hajrullahu added a field goal (the 300th of his CFL career), and the Argos were down by three heading into the fourth.

A strong fourth quarter drive capped by a touchdown brought the Saskatchewan lead up to 10. After Hajrullahu cut it back down to 7, Riders kicker Brett Lauther missed a field goal, and the rouge made it an eight point game.

The stage was set for Arbuckle, and he delivered. After a 36-yard bomb to Damonte Coxie got Toronto in the red zone, Arbuckle found Kevin Mital for a touchdown, then Brissett for the two-point convert, tying the game at 32.

Alford’s return the very next play sunk the Argo’s ship, and effectively ended the ball-game.

Aside from the hundreds of penalty yards, the disparity between Toronto and Saskatchewan’s run games was most glaring on the stat sheet.

Despite multiple big runs from Williams, Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie shifted his play calling almost exclusively to the pass after the first half.

“I don’t really care about the touches and all that – I’m not a stat guy,” said Williams. “What matters to me is if we win or not.”

Toronto finished with just 55 rushing yards, 37 of which came from Williams, on seven attempts. Toronto’s struggle to utilize the run game was a trend in the first couple weeks.

“He catches well out of the backfield,” said Dinwiddie, about Williams. “We kind of lost that at the end of the game because he was trying to correct the O-Line’s missed blocks.”

Linebacker Kenneth George Jr. and defensive lineman Derek Parish both left the game with injuries, adding to the Argos long list of injured defenders.

The Boatmen have until next Sunday to figure out how to find the win column, when they take on the Ottawa Redblacks in the nation’s capital.