ALOUETTES, LIONS WIN FRIDAY

TORONTO – Troy Smith’s 37-yard TD strike to Arland Bruce III with 2:47 remaining rallied the Montreal Alouettes to a 23-20 win over a short-handed Toronto Argonauts squad Friday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Smith finished with three TD strikes but Montreal’s offence struggled to mount a consistent attack against the Argos. However, the unit needed just three plays to go 71 yards for the go-ahead TD before Smith ran in for the two-point convert to put Montreal ahead by three points before a Rogers Centre gathering of 22,589.

Toronto was poised to get the ball back with just over a minute remaining but Hugo Lopez was flagged for hitting Montreal punter Burke Dales, allowing the Alouettes to maintain possession and run out the clock.

The game had no bearing on the East Division standings as Toronto (11-7) had cemented top spot to secure home-field advantage for the conference final Nov. 17. Montreal (8-10) was already assured of finishing third and will face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – who visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday – in semifinal action next weekend in Guelph, Ont.

The Als and Argos took vastly different approaches to the contest. Montreal, looking to establish much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs, went with all of its starters while Toronto sat out 17 of its regulars, including quarterback Ricky Ray as backups Zach Collaros, Trevor Harris and Mitchell Gale all took snaps.

But it was Toronto that consistently won the field-position battle and led 19-15 on a conceded safety to start the fourth. Harris erased the Argos’ 15-11 half-time deficit with an 11-yard TD strike to Darvin Adams at 7:18 of the third although the convert was blocked.
_______________________________________

VANCOUVER – Andrew Harris rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown as the B.C. Lions beat the Calgary Stampeders 26-7 in the final game of the regular season for both teams Friday night.

The Lions (11-7) had already secured third place, while the Stampeders (14-4) were already assured of first place and an opening-round playoff bye in the West Division. The clubs approached the game like an exhibition contest, with each deploying three quarterbacks and resting several other players.

Lions QB Travis Lulay, in his first game since mid-September, also scored a touchdown for the Lions.

Paul McCallum kicked four field goals from 46, 44, 17 and 23 yards and two converts to account for the rest of B.C.’s scoring.

Calgary’s Rene Paredes booted field goals of 46 and 21 yards while the Stampeders’ other point came on a punt single.

The Stampeders suffered a blow when they lost running back Jon Cornish, who entered the game as the CFL’s rushing leader, with an apparent shoulder injury. Cornish recorded only four carries for 14 yards before leaving the game.

NOTES: Harris finished with 998 yards on the season … Calgary also lost defensive tackle Demonte Bolden, receiver Marquay McDaniel and defensive tackle Micah Johnson to injuries in the first half … B.C. nickelback Korey Banks sat out with a lower-body injury, while linebacker Anton McKenzie was sidelined with an undisclosed ailment that kept him out of practice all week.

(The Canadian Press)