Toronto Argonauts quarterback Kerry Joseph threw for 227 yards on Wednesday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
There wasn't much of a Canada Day celebration at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Wednesday.
The visiting Toronto Argonauts took a 20-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back, handing their arch rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats a 30-17 defeat and silencing the hometown crowd at the CFL season opener.
The Boatmen led from start to finish, scoring early and often to spoil the opening night party in Hamilton.
Argos quarterback Kerry Joseph threw touchdowns on Toronto's first two possessions of the game and added one more in the third quarter, passing for 227 yards and going 14 for 29.
Jamal Richardson ran for 124 yards and a touchdown in the Argos' victory.
Hamilton quarterback Quinton Porter, who got his feet wet as a starter last year and earned the No. 1 spot for this season, was picked off twice.
Porter threw for 234 yards, two touchdowns and went 26 for 39.
Toronto got on the board just before the 10-minute mark when Joseph rolled right and found slotback Arland Bruce III streaking to the corner of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown pass.
On the Argos' next possession, Joseph hit wide receiver Reggie McNeal in the end zone with a 7-yard touchdown pass.
Andrus wins his 1st as Argos coach
Robertson scored Toronto's third when he broke through the middle on the last play of the first quarter to make it 20-0 with the conversion.
Kicker Eddie Johnson was seeking medical treatment on his arm and wasn't able to kick the Argos' first conversion of the game, which running back Jarrett Payton attempted and missed.
Johnson returned and was perfect the rest of the game. He was also good for a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Wednesday marked the first regular-season CFL appearance for Argos coach Bart Andrus, who coached in the NFL Europa league and last season served as an offensive assistant with the NFL's Tennessee Titans.
Andrus got a water from a water cooler dumped on his head at the end of the game to celebrate his first CFL victory.
Porter got the Tiger-Cats on the board in the second quarter when he hit running back Terry Caulley with a three-yard outlet pass, and Caulley ran it into the end zone.
Kicker Nicholas Setta hit the conversion to make it 20-7 and later in the quarter made an 18-yard field goal attempt to bring the Ti-Cats to within 10 points of the Argos.
With 30 seconds to go in the half, the Ti-Cats were in the Argos' red zone, but Porter's end zone pass to wide receiver Chris Davis was picked off by Argos defensive back Lin-J Shell.
Ti-Cats score with 58 seconds left
Porter threw another interception earlier in the half, a floater that was picked off b
