OTTAWA—The Ottawa Redblacks needed a big game at home. They got it.

Chris Milo kicked five field goals and the Redblacks took over first place in the East Division with a 29-12 win over the visiting Toronto Argonauts on Friday night.

Ottawa (6-5-1) won at home for just the second time in six dates to move one point up on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who play in Saskatchewan on Saturday. The Redblacks also have a game in hand.

“It’s a great win. We’ve been dying to get one at home here and all three phases of the game did everything tonight. The offence moved the ball and we weren’t able to get touchdowns, but points are points and a win is a win,” Milo said.

“I thought the defence played extraordinary today, pitching a shut out for most of the first half, and that was pretty good against a team that had been scoring touchdowns left and right.”

The Argonauts (5-8-0) have lost two straight and sit third in the division.

Toronto scored the first offensive touchdown of the game when Drew Willy threw an 11-yard pass to Kevin Elliott at 7:08 of the fourth quarter, but that only cut the Redblacks’ lead to 22-12 following a failed two-point conversion attempt.

Willy completed 16 of 24 passes for 153 yards after starting the second half in place of Dan LeFevour, who was 13 for 19 and 72 yards in the first half with one interception.

It was the first game action for Willy since being traded from Winnipeg 10 days ago.

“Any time you get to play it’s fun to be out there. Obviously I’ve only known these guys for 10 days, but it was fun to be out there. Wish we could have got the win, obviously,” Willy said.

“I thought we did some good things in the second half, but it wasn’t enough and I know some of my reads will have to get better. I’ve been studying every night since I’ve been here and just trying to keep getting better.”

A one-yard touchdown run from Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris with two minutes to play gave the Redblacks a 29-12 lead following the conversion. Harris completed 25 of his 35 pass attempts for 274 yards.

Milo put the first points on the board with a 19-yard field goal at 7:09 of the first quarter to give the Redblacks a 3-0 lead. That lead was doubled just before the end of the quarter on a 16-yarder.

The Argos were in field-goal range in the second quarter, but a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call on lineman Greg Van Roten pushed them back on third down and it cost them. Liram Hajrullahu was short on the ensuing 52-yard field-goal attempt and Jamill Smith returned the ball 109 yards for a touchdown that, once converted, gave Ottawa a 13-0 lead.

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“We were waiting for our chance and we talked about that being a 10-point play because it’s three points on the missed field goal for them and then seven going back the other way, so that’s a huge momentum swing,” Redblacks coach Rick Campbell said.

Both teams play on the road next week. The Redblacks head west to face the B.C. Lions next Saturday, while the Argos are in Montreal next Sunday.

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