TORONTO – Lirim Hajrullahu’s 29-yard field goal on the game’s final play earned the Toronto Argonauts a 26-23 win over the hard-luck Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday afternoon.
asserted
goal → earn → afternoon
Hajrillahu’s boot capped a stellar 12-play, 74-yard march by Toronto (7-6), which took possession at its 14-yard line with 2:25 to play.
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which → cap → 2:25
And it continued a season of misery for Ottawa (0-12).
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it → continue → Ottawa
Brett Lauther made it 23-23 with a 21-yard field goal at 10:09.
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it → make → 10:09
It was set up by Kalil Pimpleton’s 88-yard punt return to the Toronto 17-yard line before a BMO Field gathering of 12,494.
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It → set → 12,494
Lauther pulled Ottawa to within 23-20 with a 28-yard field goal at 7:21.
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Lauther → pull → 7:21
Kelly found Damonte Coxie on a 21-yard TD strike a minute in to put Toronto ahead 23-17 as Redblacks’ defensive lineman Luiji Vilain blocked the convert.
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lineman → find → convert
Toronto earned its fifth win in its last six meetings with Ottawa.
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Toronto → earn → Ottawa
Starter Chad Kelly was 35-of-42 passing for 443 yards with two touchdownsm adding to his CFL-leading 29 on the season.
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Kelly → pass → season
He also had two interceptions, bringing his league-leading total up to 20.
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He → have → 20
Ottawa not only remained winless this season but suffered its 18th straight defeat dating back to 2025.
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Ottawa → remain → 2025
The Redblacks extended their CFL’s modern era record for consecutive defeats.
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Redblacks → extend → defeats
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The contest was Redblacks head coach Ryan Dinwiddie’s first at BMO Field since heading to Ottawa.
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contest → get → Ottawa
He spent five seasons as Toronto’s head coach, appearing in the East Division final four times and winning two Grey Cups (2022, ’24) while being named the CFL’s coach of the year in 2023 after leading the Argos to a club-record 16 wins.
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He → spend → wins
And Toronto under Dinwiddie went 30-13 at BMO Field and 51-35 overall while reaching the playoffs four times.
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Toronto → go → playoffs
But Ottawa’s struggles continue despite bringing 12 new faces — including 11 on defence — to the active roster for Saturday’s contest.
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struggles → continue → contest
But Ottawa starter Jake Maier suffered a 12th straight defeat, extending his CFL record for most losses by starting quarterback to begin a season.
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Maier → suffer → season
Maier completed seven-of-10 passes for 42 yards before being replaced by McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the second quarter.
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Maier → complete → quarter
Bethel-Thompson, who won two Grey Cups with Toronto (2017, 2024), was 16-of-23 passing for 192 yards and a TD.
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who → win → yards
Bryson Barnes and Keelan White scored Ottawa’s touchdowns.
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Barnes → score → touchdowns
Lauther kicked the converts and three field goals.
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Lauther → kick → converts
David Ungerer III had Toronto’s other touchdown.
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III → have → touchdown
Hajrullahu added four field goals, a single and convert.
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Hajrullahu → add → goals
Lauther’s 46-yard field goal at 12:32 of the third made it 17-17.
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it → make → third
Kelly staked Toronto to a 17-14 lead with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Ungerer at 10:21 of the third.
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Kelly → stake → third
Bethel-Thompson found a wide-open White on a 28-yard TD strike at 7:17 of the third after Hajrullahu hit from 35 yards out at 4:34.
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Hajrullahu → find → 4:34
Hajrullahu’s 23-yard field goal to end the second quarter made it 7-7 at halftime.
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it → end → halftime
He capped a 47-yard, eight, play march.
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He → cap → march
Barnes put Ottawa up 7-4 with a one-yard TD run 13:07.
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Barnes → put → run
Bethel-Thompson came off the bench to engineer the 70-yard, 13-play drive in place of Maier, who’d completed seven-of-10 passes for 42 yards.
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who → come → yards
The scoring plays followed two lost opportunities for Toronto, thanks to interceptions by Ottawa’s King Ambers.
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plays → follow → Ambers
Ambers halted a 68-yard, 11-play Argos drive in the first quarter with a pick at the Ottawa 12-yard line.
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Ambers → halt → line
He added his second was in the Redblacks’ end zone in the second quarter.
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second → add → quarter
The interceptions drastically tarnished a solid opening half for Kelly, who completed 17-of-22 passes for 235 yards.
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who → tarnish → yards
Hajrullahu put Toronto ahead 4-0 with a 25-yard field goal at 8:10.
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Hajrullahu → put → 8:10
His 98-yard kickoff for a single opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the first quarter.
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kickoff → open → quarter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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