  Tiger-Cats defensive back Geoff Tisdale falls over Argonauts wide receiver Spencer Watt after intercepting a pass thrown by quarterback Cleo Lemons (back) in Hamilton on September 6, 2010. (MIKE CASSESE/Reuters)
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HAMILTON -- A capacity crowd of 30,319 at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Monday afternoon ensured the annual Labour Day Classic was loud and raucous.
Under the din, though, if one listened closely, was the sound of air hissing out of the Argonauts' balloon.
Thanks to a plethora of penalties, turnovers and an inability to capitalize from the red zone, the Argos dumped themselves into a big hole in the first half and never got out, losing 28-13 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
"Go down to the red zone and get six points maybe? Three? Even worse. Out of 21?" offensive lineman Taylor Robertson said. "Nothing to take away from Hamilton, they made a lot of big plays, but we made a lot of plays to kill ourselves. It's extremely disappointing, and it's something that we have to get rectified very quick or we are going to be on the outside looking in."
The Argos and Tiger-Cats are 5-4, with Hamilton moving into second place in the East Division thanks to its two wins against Toronto.
From a statistical standpoint, Argos quarterback Cleo Lemon had his best game of nine in the Canadian Football League, passing for 334 yards. But he twice tossed interceptions in the first half when the Argos were within 20 yards of the end zone, and on another occasion, the Boatmen had to settle for a 16-yard field goal by Grant Shaw.
"We had struggles in the end zone," Lemon said in a large understatement. "We had great opportunities ... we were moving the ball. We've got to finish those drives with touchdowns."
Cory Boyd ran in from seven yards in the third quarter for the Argos' lone major, but a lack of big scores wasn't the only big reason for the Argos' third loss in five games after a 3-1 start.
Special teams were a letdown. Jamie Boreham had a punt blocked by Ticats linebacker Markeith Knowlton, who then recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. And Jason Pottinger's holding penalty negated a return by Chad Owens, one of 10 penalties that cost the Argos a total of 97 yards.
As a whole, the Argos resembled a team that was trying to find itself in its season opener, not one that should have finished the first half of the regular season with a better command of its talent.
Injuries and new faces put the Argos behind the 8-ball. Offensive linemen Cedric Gagne-Marcoux and Chris Van Zeyl both got hurt, and receiver James Robinson, in his first game since last season, made the wrong turn on a route, resulting in a Hamilton interception at the Toronto three-yard line.
"It was just a little miscommunication between me and Cleo, but I take full responsibility for the blame," Robinson said. "I should have known my assignment a little bit better."
Head coach Jim Barker was in control of his emotions afterward but clearly was not pleased. He singled out Pottinger, and said Lemon's three interceptions weren't part of the learning process.
"We had the ball down twice early (in the red zone) and we did not get points at all," Barker said. "Good teams don't do that and we're not a good team yet. This is all about finding out how we're going to respond after we came in and got our butts kicked.
"We're going to find players who won't take penalties or turn the ball over. We got beat by a better team."
In their next three games, the Argos face the CFL's bottom feeders in the B.C. Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos. But the problems on offence must be resolved.
"We really have to zero in on why we did not score touchdowns," Robertson said. "Why we were moving the ball as effectively as we were, and what were they doing to stop us? Maybe it's players, maybe it's schemes, who knows? We have to buckle down and find out what the heck went wrong."
terry.koshan@sunmedia.ca
