TORONTO — Sean Whyte kicked a club-record eight field goals as the B.C. Lions held on for a 24-17 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon.
B.C. (9-6) earned a third straight win and seventh in eight games as Whyte broke the club mark he and Lui Passaglia held jointly. The Lions also solidified their hold on second in the West Division.
Edmonton’s Vincent Blanchard owns the CFL record of nine field goals in a single game established Sept. 26 in the Elks’ 37-25 overtime win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Toronto (9-7) had its four-game win streak snapped. The Argos, who’ve already clinched a home playoff game, suffered their first loss at BMO Field in five contests there.
The Montreal Alouettes (11-3) could clinch first in the East Division with a win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) later Saturday.
Toronto had a glorious opportunity to force overtime but B.C.’s defence twice stopped Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle at the one-yard line. The second time was with 11 seconds remaining.
Toronto also threatened to score late in the game, but B.C.’s T.J. Lee intercepted Arbuckle at the Lions’ 11-yard line with two minutes 38 seconds remaining.
Arbuckle finished 27-of-33 in pass attempts for 292 yards and two TDs with two interceptions.
Arbuckle, who turns 33 on Sunday, also started on his birthday last year but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a 47-29 home loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
B.C. starter Nathan Rourke completed 15-of-32 passes for 254 yards before 13,974 spectators at BMO Field.
Arbuckle’s 36-yard TD strike to David Ungerer at 5:30 pulled the Argos to within 21-17. Whyte’s 29-yard field goal at 2:33 put B.C. ahead 21-10 after Toronto’s Shawn Lemon sacked Rourke for a 13-yard loss.
Makai Polk had Toronto’s other touchdown. Lirim Hajrullahu added two converts and a field goal.
Whyte’s 40-yard field goal at the 11-minute mark of the third quarter moved B.C. ahead 18-10. He connected from 19 yards out at 4:19 after Deontai Williams’s 17-yard interception return to the Toronto 29-yard line.
Whyte’s 12-yard field goal to end the second quarter gave B.C. a fortunate 12-10 halftime lead. It came after time appeared to run out on Rourke’s scramble to the Toronto four-yard line, but he was deemed down with one second remaining.
Polk gave Toronto a 10-9 lead with a five-yard TD grab at 13:25. It ended a seven-play, 70-yard drive.
Whyte put B.C. up 9-3 with a 32-yard field goal at 12:05.
Hajrullahu’s 18-yard field goal at 9:27 of the first quarter made it 3-3. But Whyte countered with a 26-yard boot at 13:53 to put B.C. ahead 6-3.
Whyte opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal at 4:53. Lemon recovered a Lions fumble on the drive, but it was nullified by an offside call.
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