GUELPH, Ont. — The Toronto Argonauts may have found their next top receiver.
Kevin Mital, the fifth overall pick in this year’s CFL draft, caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown as the Argonauts beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25-14 in the teams’ final pre-season game on Friday at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont.
Mital’s biggest play of the game came in the third quarter when he broke free down the sideline, caught a deep pass from quarterback Bryan Scott and broke a tackle en route to an 82-yard touchdown that gave Toronto a 19-3 lead.
“It was great. First one in the books, getting that one out of the way. I knew coming out of that break on the corner route, the ball was gonna be up there so I just gotta make a play and make a guy miss,” Mital said.
Mital was drafted out of Laval University following a decorated U Sports career which included the Hec Crighton Trophy as most outstanding player in 2022. He was also named the Vanier Cup MVP that season as the Rouge et Or won the national championship.
The 25-year-old missed the first week of camp, but Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said he’s come a long quickly.
“Arrow’s up for him. (He’s) playing good football and we’ll find ways to package him, get him on the field,” Dinwiddie said.
Toronto took control of the game through the opening 20 minutes.
Presumptive Week 1 starting QB Cameron Dukes led the Argos on the first drive of the game, converting a critical second-and-10 with a 22-yard scramble before stalling out at the Ticats’ 10. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 17-yard field goal to give Toronto a 3-0 lead.
The offence was again forced to settle for a Hajrullahu field goal, a 29-yarder, on its second drive.
But Dukes finally got into the end zone on the following drive after defensive lineman Jared Brinkman recorded a sack-fumble against Ticats QB Taylor Powell and recovered on Hamilton’s 12-yard-line. Two plays later, the QB ran in untouched from the five for the first touchdown of the game.
“It’s a part of my game that I think makes me unique and valuable to our team is that I can extend plays and use my legs when needed,” Dukes said.
Dukes exited the game after completing 10-of-12 passes for 129 yards while adding 27 more yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The 25-year-old American is set to step in as lead pivot for an Argos team that’s missing 2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly, who was suspended for both pre-season games and at least the first nine games of the regular season for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy.
While Dukes gets the first shot at the starting job, the question of who will throw to the likes of Mital and fellow receiver Rasheed Bailey could linger for much of the season.
Scott, who did not complete any of his four pass attempts in his rookie season last year, received most of the playing time after Dukes exited, finishing with six completions on 11 attempts for 116 yards and a score. Veteran Nick Arbuckle, who signed with Toronto just two weeks ago, played two drives to end the first half and returned for the fourth quarter. He completed five of his seven passes.
“I’m happy with all three guys and I feel like we can win with all three of them and that was what we wanted to get was that feeling coming out of camp, not only for me as a coach but for that locker room to know we can win games with all three guys,” Dinwiddie said.
Rookie John Matocha also received reps at QB for Toronto. Dukes said he embraces the competition.
“You always got guys coming in to take your job, and coaches are always looking for guys to come in and take the job, so we have that mindset of workers’ mentality. We come in, we’re focused on getting better every single day,” Dukes said.
Harrison Frost took over at QB after Powell’s fumble, and a pass to receiver Kaylon Geiger Sr., about halfway through the second quarter marked the first time the team moved the chains for a first down. Marc Liegghio punctuated the drive with a 36-yard field goal.
Hamilton scored its first touchdown of the game immediately following Mital’s score as Ante Milanovic-Litre punched in a one-yard rushing touchdown following a spectacular 38-yard grab from receiver Dezmon Patmon, which had set the Ticats up on the goal line. A converted two-point pass play to running back Chris Coleman cut the lead to eight and Hamilton trailed 19-11 after three quarters.
Toronto went on to add two field goals in the fourth quarter, while Hamilton responded with one.
Frost played the rest of the game after replacing Powell and completed 24-of-32 passes for 222 yards as top QB Bo Levi Mitchell, along with many other starters, sat out.
He gave up an interception to Toronto cornerback Tyshon Blackburn with under a minute remaining in the first half, but Hajrullahu’s field-goal attempt was blown up after a muffed hold.
Both Toronto and Hamilton lost to the eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes in last year’s playoffs, with the top-seeded Argos suffering an upset in the division final after the Tiger-Cats were blown out in the East semifinal.
UP NEXT
The Tiger-Cats open their season with a Week 1 game in Calgary next Friday, while the Argonauts host the B.C. Lions on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2024.
