Portland Boltz Win Double Overtime 39-36

Argos first loss of the season comes in double overtime on the road.

The Utah Argonauts (3-1, 0-1 PDFL) fell to the Portland Boltz (3-0) in a game that featured missed extra points, a malfunctioning time clock, a halftime brawl that saw three players ejected and a multitude of crucial turnovers. The culmination allowed the Boltz to hand the Argos the first loss of the season 39-36 .

“That could have been a great movie,” Utah Argonauts quarterback Mike Affleck said. “Everything happened the way it had to for them to win and everything happened for us to give away a game.”

Affleck finished 22-for-34 and 209 yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions and late fumble prevented the Argos from putting away a competitive Portland team.

In the middle of the second period, Argos corner Justin Phinisee was shoved violently to the ground by a Portland player while he waited to return a kick. The Portland player was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but the play resulted in what Utah Argonauts head coach JJ Fayed called a “melee” on the field that cleared both sidelines. Multiple players from both teams were involved in the incident, resulting in the ejection of two Utah players — Tevita Hautau and Sidney Brown — and one Portland player.

“We are happy and thank our stars that Phinisee is alright,” Fayed said. “I think the refs did a good job of controlling things.” READ MORE