Do you recall any games that turned a season around (for better or worse)?

[Will]

The most famous one is, perhaps, the home win over Edmonton in 1982 that confirmed that the run & shoot was for real and that the Argos had escaped the doldrums of the 70's. Anyone else recall any impactful regular season games that turned the season around (one way or the other)?

I'll start with the October 2012 game against Saskatchewan. IIRC, people were down on the Argos at the time because (i) it was perceived that Ray hadn't been playing well and (ii) the Argos had just lost to a bad Winnipeg team by a score of 44-32 o something like that. The Argos held off Saskatchewan and clinched a playoff spot and they wouldn't love the rest of the year culminating in the 100th Grey Cup win.

[AngeloV]

Well, to be honest, in 2017 when the Argos gave James Wilder his first start, that turned the Argos season around.

[ArgoRavi]

I would point to two games in 2004. The first one was a 34-6 win over previously unbeaten Hamilton at old Ivor Wynne Stadium on July 10th. The Argos had started the season 1-2 and were coming off two ugly losses in Ottawa and at home to Montreal. And then, after getting just a win and a tie over five games after Michael Bishop took over for an injured Damon Allen, the Argos went into Edmonton and defeated the then-Eskimos by a 26-17 score on September 25th (unfortunately, this game was not televised and may have been one of the last untelevised games in league history). They only lost one meaningful game after that.

In 1987, the Argos started 0-2-1 and went into Hamilton to face the defending Grey Cup champions. Things looked bleak as the Argos faced a huge deficit but they fought from behind in the fourth quarter, won the game 30-27 on a last minute TD pass from Gilbert Renfroe to, I believe, Tony Johns, and went on to record a surprising 11-6-1 record and a berth in the Grey Cup.

[ArgofanIan]

The most famous one is, perhaps, the home win over Edmonton in 1982 that confirmed that the run & shoot was for real and that the Argos had escaped the doldrums of the 70's.

- my memory blurs... and I likely got the timing incorrect... but I remember after all those years of losing.... the Arrival of Zac Henderson signaled at least to me that things were about to change... We had lots of great players over the years.... but Zac had something really special and to me signaled things were about to change in argo land.. Always thought he was the start to that turn around,,,,,

[Will]

Zac Henderson was the outstanding defensive players in the east in 1982. However, the Argos did lose 3 shootouts that year to Hamilton twice and Winnipeg, got blown out by BC and won shootouts against Saskatchewan and Calgary. The defense would be greatly improved by 1983. Most people would associate the 1982 season with Condredge Holloway and Terry Greer operating the run & shoot.

It should be noted that I am watching the 1982 game between Toronto and Saskatchewan at Taylor Field. It is currently 34-2 Argos in the third quarter, but the run & shoot hasn't clicked yet besides a 68-yard TD pass from Holloway to Martin Cox. BTW, it seems that Holloway looked Cox's way quite a bit in this game and to some extent the next week against Edmonton. Yet Cox was cut later that season I think.

[Will]

Well, to be honest, in 2017 when the Argos gave James Wilder his first start, that turned the Argos season around.

That is true -- the Argos had lost Labor Day and seemed on the ropes, but they beat Edmonton and finished the sesaon well and won the Grey Cup.

[Will]

An example of game(s) that turned around a season (for the worst) was the home-and-home series against Hamilton in 2013. The Argos lost both and while they won the division, they lost to Hamilton in the east final and the Milanovich era was never quite the same even though Milanovich remained coach through the 2016 season. The Argos had just returned from a 4-game road trip where they won all 4 and three of them were in Saskatchewan, Calgary and Edmonton. The Argos were somewhere around 9-4 I believe and seemed to be in good shape.

[bannedforlife]

- my memory blurs... and I likely got the timing incorrect... but I remember after all those years of losing.... the Arrival of Zac Henderson signaled at least to me that things were about to change... We had lots of great players over the years.... but Zac had something really special and to me signaled things were about to change in argo land.. Always thought he was the start to that turn around,,,,,

[Joe Barnes]

One for the worst list: 2018 Home Opener. I know it's hard 'to turn a season around' in the first game, but Ricky Ray getting hurt was a real blow. Recall that Argos had won the 2017 Cup, and in the off season had acquired James 'the next one' Franklin. Trestman and Popp still seemed to have the touch and, well, just imagine how great it would be to have them in place going forward, and how MLSE could market that amazing energy from the East Final at BMO and the unlikely, but thrilling upset Cup win over Calgary. Franklin would apprentice under Ray for the year and Argos would be good to go. I remember there was a palpable buzz at BMO that night, as they raised the banner, displayed the Grey Cup and encouraged us all to spread the word of the 'Love Boat'. There was a good crowd of around 16,000, packed closer together in the new configuration of BMO with the upper deck of the east side closed. Great atmosphere! I thought 'this could work' as the game began. Then Ricky Ray got crushed and all of the energy was instantly sucked out of the stadium. Your could hear a pin drop. The Stamps went on to dismantle the Argos in that game, Franklin was a bust and a 4-14 season put an end to the Trestman era, and the Popp era the next year. I don't think the franchise has fully recovered from that game.

[Will]

One for the worst list: 2018 Home Opener. I know it's hard 'to turn a season around' in the first game, but Ricky Ray getting hurt was a real blow. Recall that Argos had won the 2017 Cup, and in the off season had acquired James 'the next one' Franklin. Trestman and Popp still seemed to have the touch and, well, just imagine how great it would be to have them in place going forward, and how MLSE could market that amazing energy from the East Final at BMO and the unlikely, but thrilling upset Cup win over Calgary. Franklin would apprentice under Ray for the year and Argos would be good to go. I remember there was a palpable buzz at BMO that night, as they raised the banner, displayed the Grey Cup and encouraged us all to spread the word of the 'Love Boat'. There was a good crowd of around 16,000, packed closer together in the new configuration of BMO with the upper deck of the east side closed. Great atmosphere! I thought 'this could work' as the game began. Then Ricky Ray got crushed and all of the energy was instantly sucked out of the stadium. Your could hear a pin drop. The Stamps went on to dismantle the Argos in that game, Franklin was a bust and a 4-14 season put an end to the Trestman era, and the Popp era the next year. I don't think the franchise has fully recovered from that game.

That is a good example.

I am not going to argue that the 2009 season would have gone any better, however the Argos never recovered from that 13-12 loss to Winnipeg at SkyDome. I don't exactly remember the circumstances, but there was weirdness.

[Will]

I wonder where to submit corrections/info for that site. I was watching Toronto @ Saskatchewan yesterday and Mike Williams (#11) was the backup. He is, of course, the brother of the more famous Doug.

[ArgoRavi]

That is a good example.

I am not going to argue that the 2009 season would have gone any better, however the Argos never recovered from that 13-12 loss to Winnipeg at SkyDome. I don't exactly remember the circumstances, but there was weirdness.

That loss was the one where Justin Medlock kicked the game-winning FG for the Argos in the final minute but they were called for a time count violation and he had to re-kick from the 57 yard line. He nailed that one off the post and the Argos lost a game they should have won.

[ArgoRavi]

An example of game(s) that turned around a season (for the worst) was the home-and-home series against Hamilton in 2013. The Argos lost both and while they won the division, they lost to Hamilton in the east final and the Milanovich era was never quite the same even though Milanovich remained coach through the 2016 season. The Argos had just returned from a 4-game road trip where they won all 4 and three of them were in Saskatchewan, Calgary and Edmonton. The Argos were somewhere around 9-4 I believe and seemed to be in good shape.

In the same vein, the 1998 Argos were 9-6 and coming off of a huge Thanksgiving Day rout of the Alouettes in Montreal. Their final three games were home games against the same Alouettes followed by one with the Ticats and a road game against a lousy Winnipeg team. They lost the second game of the back-to-back to Montreal and then got blown out by Hamilton the following week which effectively put them into a tailspin that they couldn't come out of. They ended up 9-9 and lost the East semifinal in Montreal but that season could have ended so much better.