Collaros outduels Marsh in rookie QB battle as Argonauts to Alouettes 37-30

MONTREAL – Zach Collaros ran in a touchdown and threw to John Chiles and Dontrelle Inman for two others Sunday as the Toronto Argonauts scored 23 third-quarter points en route to a 37-30 comeback victory over the Montreal Alouettes.

The Argonauts (6-4) retained first place in the CFL East Division by avenging a 20-9 loss to the third-place Alouettes (4-6) in Toronto on Tuesday.

Defensive tackle Kiante Tripp also scored on an interception, and kicker Noel Prefontaine missed three field goal attempts but added two field goals and four singles.

Rookie quarterback Tanner Marsh threw a TD pass to Duron Carter and ran one in himself for Montreal. Defensive back Geoff Tisdale also scored.

The rematch was missing several star players, notably Toronto kick return ace and receiving leader Chad Owens, the reigning CFL outstanding Ppayer, who sat out with bruised ribs.

Marsh started a second game in a row for Montreal in place of the concussed Anthony Calvillo, while Collaros was in for Ricky Ray, who has a shoulder injury.

With both teams missing their starting quarterbacks, running backs and a top receiver, it was not surprising that the first half did not have an offensive touchdown.

Instead, turnovers were front and centre of a game that broke open in the second half.

Montreal got on the board early when John Bowman stripped the ball from Chiles and Tisdale ran it back 47 yards for a touchdown at 1:24.

Montreal added three field goals, while Toronto picked up five points on kicks for a 16-5 Montreal lead at the intermission.

Midway through the third quarter, Bear Woods tackled Prefontaine on a punt attempt, forcinga fumble that Ed Gainey ran to the one. Marsh scored on his first attempt at 8:02.

The Argos answered back with Collaros’ 21-yard TD run at 9:22. Less than two minutes later, Jermaine Gabriel hit Marsh as he was throwing and the ball squirted to Tripp, who ran it in 54 yards for a TD.

On their next possession, Chiles was left wide open for a 54-yard TD reception at 13:31 and Toronto had its first lead of the day at 28-23.

It didn’t last long, as Marsh hit Carter with a 45-yard scoring toss on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

Toronto tied it on a pair of Prefontaine singles and took a seven-point lead when Collaros found Inman with a five-yard TD pass with 1:17 left to play.

Montreal marched back to the Toronto 11, but a last-gasp pass was picked off in the end zone by Alonzo Lawrence.

Notes: John Bowman had a pair of first-half sacks to tie Anwar Stewart for Montreal’s career record of 66. … The Alouettes aired a pre-game, recorded message to the fans from former coach Marc Trestman, who coached his first NFL game for the Chicago bears on Sunday.