Rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes led the Ottawa Redblacks to a 40-39 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, snapping a 22-game losing streak. Barnes completed 27 of 37 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns to Ayden Eberhardt. The win was Ottawa’s first of the season and first at home since September 5, 2025. Toronto’s Nick Arbuckle threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns after Chad Kelly left the game with an injury. The Argonauts took a 39-33 lead with 30 seconds left, but Barnes engineered a three-play drive, connecting with Eberhardt for a 24-yard touchdown to tie, and Paul Geelen’s extra point gave Ottawa the lead with six seconds remaining. The game saw a back-and-forth final quarter, with Ottawa building a 33-24 lead before Toronto narrowed it to 33-31. In the third quarter, Arbuckle tied the game at 24-24 with a touchdown pass to Kevin Mital, and Ottawa reclaimed the lead with a 51-yard field goal. The Redblacks overcame a shaky start, falling behind 6-0 after a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but responded with a 66-yard drive and a one-yard touchdown run by Daniel Adeboboye. Ottawa added a 20-yard field goal to lead 10-6. Toronto regained the lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Cam Porter, but Ottawa tied it with a 40-yard field goal. The Argonauts took the lead again with a 43-yard field goal, yet Ottawa answered with Adeboboye’s second touchdown and a 53-yard field goal to lead 23-16 at halftime. Toronto hosts Montreal on October 23, while Ottawa visits Hamilton on October 24.
