Argonauts win first home game in ages, topping Stampeders on late field goal

Brady Lidster’s 11-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining capped a wild fourth quarter and earned the Toronto Argonauts a 33-30 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night.

Lidster’s boot came after Toronto’s defence stopped Dedrick Mills on third-and-one, giving the offence the ball at its 54-yard line with 1:32 remaining. From there, the Argos moved to the Calgary four-yard line, setting up Lidster’s kick.

Toronto (4-4) earned the win before 16,160 spectators in its first game this season at BMO Field, which hosted six FIFA World Cup matches. The Argos’ last home contest was a 47-29 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Oct. 4, 2025, a span of 306 days.

Calgary (4-5) had one last chance from its 47-yard line with three seconds remaining, but Toronto’s Benji Franklin intercepted Vernon Adams Jr.’s Hail Mary pass.

Adams had two interceptions in the contest, his first of the season. But Calgary’s defence forced five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble recovery). Adrian Greene had a 67-yard pick-six.

Sam Hicks’ 40-yard TD run at 9:57 gave Toronto a 30-27 lead. But Jude McTamney’s 46-yard field goal made it 30-30.

Lidster’s 19-yard field goal at 1:42 cut Calgary’s lead to 24-23. But McTamney hit from 32 yards out at 4:46 to make it a four-point game.

Greene put Calgary ahead 24-20 with a 67-yard pick-six at 9:42 of the third. Greene stepped in front of Toronto’s Kevin Mital and had a clear path to the end zone. James Burnip’s 51-yard single at 2:40 put the Argos ahead 20-17.

Chad Kelly finished 30-of-43 passing for 349 yards with a touchdown and the four interceptions. The start was Kelly’s first at BMO Field since October, 2024, as he missed all of last season recovering from a leg injury suffered during the 2024 East Division final in Montreal.

Kelly’s last regular-season home start was a 38-31 win over Ottawa on Oct. 19. Before Thursday, Kelly’s last appearance at BMO Field was Nov. 2, 2024 – a span of 642 days – when he threw for 358 yards and four TDs and ran for another in the Argos’ 58-38 East Division semi-final win over the Redblacks.

Hicks, with two, and Janarion Grant scored Toronto’s other touchdowns. Lidster booted four field goals and two converts.

Quincy Vaughn and Adams had Calgary’s other touchdowns. McTamney added three field goals and three converts.

Lidster’s 52-yard field goal to end the second quarter staked Toronto to a 19-17 halftime advantage. It followed Adams’ six-yard run at 14:23 that put Calgary ahead 17-16.

But it was Grant who delivered the first half’s biggest play with a 64-yard punt return TD at 4:37 that put Toronto ahead 13-7 after the unsuccessful convert attempt. The return score was Grant’s second of the season and 12th of his career, moving him into second all-time behind Hall of Famer Henry (Gizmo) Williams (26).

McTamney’s 27-yard boot cut Toronto’s lead to 13-10 at 9:30. But Lidster gave the Argos a 16-10 advantage with a 33-yard field goal at 12:40.

It was a sloppy first quarter with the two teams committing a combined four turnovers. Toronto had three (two interceptions, fumble) while Argo Tarvarus McFadden had an interception, Adams’ first.

Hicks pulled Toronto even with a five-yard TD catch at 9:11. It capped a four-play, 94-yard drive that was aided by an unnecessary roughness call on Calgary’s Kyle Wilson.

Vaughn opened the scoring with a one-yard run at 3:36. It came two plays after Damon Webb’s 45-yard return of Hicks’ fumble on Toronto’s first offensive play.