The Ottawa Redblacks head into the post-season on a win streak.
Backup quarterback Dominique Davis threw for 220 yards and a touchdown as Ottawa downed the Toronto Argonauts 24-9 on Friday in the last regular-season game for both squads.
It was a game where neither team had anything to play for in the standings. The Argonauts (4-14) will finish last in the East Division while the Redblacks (11-7) already had first place in the division and a bye to the East Final locked up following their win over Hamilton last week. Ottawa has won three in a row.
Ottawa Redblacks offensive lineman Jon Gott smashes a beer can on his helmet after chugging it, as he celebrates his team's touchdown against the Toronto Argonauts during second half CFL football action in Ottawa on Nov. 2, 2018.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
In the interest of staying healthy ahead of the East Final in two weeks, the Redblacks sat several starters including quarterback Trevor Harris, Brad Sinopoli, who leads the league with 116 receptions, and William Powell along with his league-leading 1,362 rushing yards.
Davis took over the QB duties for Harris to start the game while Danny Collins went in for the second half.
The Redblacks got a 10-yard field goal from Lewis Ward on the opening drive of the game and a 57-yard single from punter Richie Leoni 65 seconds into the second quarter.
The Argos got three points back on a 30-yard Drew Brown field goal at 3:34 of the second.
The big play of the half was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Julien Feoli-Gudino followed up with a two-point conversion toss to Anthony Gosselin, giving the Redblacks a 12-3 lead eight minutes into the second quarter.
Davis finished the half 16-of-23 passing for his 220 yards, 44 of them on a reception to Dominique Rhymes.
Brown closed out the half with a 45-yard field goal in the final minutes cutting the lead to 12-6 at the half, and then kicked a 13-yard field goal on the Argos opening drive of the second half to make it a 12-9 game.
Collins first pass was intercepted and returned 44 yards to the Ottawa four-yard line, but Redblacks coach Rick Campbell challenged for pass interference and the call was overturned.
Collins promptly went two-and-out but, on Ottawa’s next series after the Argos conceded a safety, he drove the Redblacks deep enough for Ward to kick a 32-yard field goal for a 17-9 lead midway through the third.
It was Ward’s 48th consecutive field goal, adding to the all-time record in professional football he set two weeks ago.
Collins completed 5-of-10 passes for 49 yards.
Following an interception by Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Collins took the Redblacks down field and Mossis Madu capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run at 14:01 of the third. Ward converted the score for a 24-9 Ottawa lead.
Offensive lineman Jon Gott celebrated the touchdown by running to the stands and chugging a beer handed to him by his girlfriend standing in the front row.
The teams played through a scoreless fourth quarter.