The Montreal Alouettes will not have an easy time on Friday night as they attempt to end a two-game losing streak against the mighty Toronto Argonauts.
The reigning Gray Cup champions will arrive at Percival-Molson Stadium as the only undefeated side in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with a 3-0 record.
The Queen City’s founding has been so successful since the beginning of this campaign for the following reasons:
A dominant ground game
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The Argos lead the CFL in yards rushing, averaging 136.7 yards per game. The club is also by far the team at the Ambrosia circuit to score the most touchdowns on land. Argonauts players crossed the goal line in nine runs. That’s five more majors than any other formation.
Toronto’s backfield is led by American AJ Ouellette, who has four touchdowns in three games. Veteran Andrew Harris represents a luxury second option and youngster Daniel Adeboboye is showing great potential. As if that wasn’t enough, quarterback Chad Kelly is also dangerous on the ground. The center had 77 yards and three majors on 11 carries.
points per ton
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Speaking of Kelly, he leads one of the most effective offenses in the league. He and his offensive teammates averaged 40 points per game. That’s more than 10 points more than any other formation. Toronto also ranks third in mileage (367.7) per game.
Kelly, who will be only his fifth start as a CFL starter, has led the Argonauts to 42 offensive streaks this season, 11 of which ended in touchdowns (26.2%).
Also good on the other side of the ball
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Friday night should be tough for Alouettes running back William Stanback. The “Argos” concede the fewest average rushing yards per game (57.7) and the fewest average yards per carry (3.6). Also, they’ve only conceded one touchdown so far this season.
The Argonauts also have a +9 difference in turnovers, with 13 taunts and just four conceding. They capitalized on ball losses and scored 65 of their 120 points (54%). Defensive back Robertson Daniel stands out with three interceptions, a forced fumble and a touchdown.