Toronto Argonauts: Wilder Jr. explodes in win over the Eskimos

James Wilder Jr had a game to remember as the Toronto Argonauts get their first win over a team in the West Division.

As Toronto Argonauts running back James Wilder Jr, stood in front of his locker, thinking when was the last time he finished a game with 200 total yards or more, he pondered for a bit before giving out an answer.

“High school?” he said with a laugh to media after the game.

“I haven’t had a game like this since high school. Probably over 250 yards or something like that? It feels great.”

Wilder Jr finished the game with eleven carries for 190 yards and seven catches for 67 yards as the Toronto Argonauts beat the Edmonton Eskimos 34-36 at BMO Field in front of 13,182 Saturday afternoon.

The Tampa native scored his first touchdown of the season with an exclamation point, finding an open hole midway through the second quarter for a 76-yard run.

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When asked about his thoughts on the great block he got from Tyler Holmes and the res of the offensive line, he had some fun with the answer.

“[Holmes] opened up the hole and even coach Trestman could have run through those holes. No offence to coach Trestman.” said Wilder Jr.

Indeed, Argonauts head coach Marc Trestman was satisfied with the results of his rookie running back, praising Wilder during his post game conference.

“[Wilder] showed his speed today on that touchdown on the back end. His play really spoke for himself tonight in both running the football and catching,” said Trestman.

Wilder also praised his coach who said before and during the game, was motivating him to execute his plays and be the best he could be on the field.

“Coach [Trestman] gave me the opportunity. We said it from the beginning of the week, we’re going to give me an opportunity to see what I could do. The lines were opening up holes for me to run through. They counted on me and I just did what I was supposed to do.

“[Trestman] pulled me to the side and told me ‘this is a big opportunity’ and called me out in front of the team and said ‘this one’s going to be on James. Let’s see what James can do. I just wanted to show the team that I can handle the pressure.” said Wilder.

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The Argonauts look to build on the confidence they gained during Saturday night’s game next week as they host their Eastern Conference rivals the Montreal Alouettes in another crucial matchup.