THE CANADIAN PRESS

WINNIPEG -- As a couple reporters waited for rookie Toronto quarterback Cleo Lemon to towel off and speak to them, the Argonauts new head coach Jim Barker looked over with a grin on his face.

When Barker gave Lemon the starting job, some questioned his wisdom at handing the reins to a 30-year-old without any CFL experience.

No one should doubt Lemon now. The former NFLer helped the Argos snap a nine-game losing streak and ran in a touchdown in a 36-34 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night.

Lemon completed 15-of-23 pass attempts for 162 yards and no interceptions. He also ran three times for 22 yards, including nine yards for the TD.

"I thought he made huge steps, and we expected it," Barker said.

"He got rid of the ball quickly, he kept us in rhythm (in a loud stadium) . . . It's not an easy place to run an offence, but I thought Cleo did an exceptional job.

"And he's going to get better every snap he takes."

Lemon was happy to show he could do the job and notch his first victory.

"That's a great feeling," said Lemon, who played in two NFL games with Jacksonville and 13 games with Miami, including eight starts, from 2006-08.

"It was a true team win. It just shows the character of our team."

Toronto's previous victory was a 25-22 overtime win on Sept. 11, 2009, against Hamilton.

"It's fantastic," 10-year Argos linebacker Kevin Eiben said of halting the losing skid.

"We had some adversity out there, but we all stuck together and fought through it. Hopefully, we just keep this winning going."

Toronto (1-1) had mounted a 16-0 lead in the second quarter, but Winnipeg rallied back to take a 27-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Argos responded with 12 straight points, starting with receiver Chad Owens returning a missed Alexis Serna 45-yard field-goal attempt 117 yards for a TD just 1:20 into the final frame.

Owens had a 90-yard punt return for a TD in Toronto's 30-16 season-opening loss to Calgary. Winnipeg (1-1) was also burned for a TD on a missed field-goal return in their victory last week over Hamilton.

Bombers receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris scored his second TD of the night with 16 seconds left, but Serna's onside kick was recovered by the Argos after a review, sealing their victory in front of 28,009 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.

"It was a team effort, but when you have a special guy like Chad Owens, that helps you," Barker said.

Argos running back Cory Boyd notched a one-yard touchdown run and topped all rushers with 19 carries for 109 yards.

Toronto rookie kicker Grant Shaw made all four of his field-goal attempts from 29, 52, 35 and 13 yards. The Argos also had a single and Bombers punter Mike Renaud conceded a safety.

Winnipeg's TDs came off a 21-yard catch by slotback Terrence Edwards, a 43-yard run by quarterback Buck Pierce and catches of 60 and 38 yards by Jeffers-Harris.

Serna hit field goals from 26 and 43 yards and had the costly miss returned by Owens.

Pierce was 25-of-35 for 366 yards, three TDs and one interception. He also rushed seven times for 103 yards with the TD.

The first quarter featured a pair of Winnipeg turnovers, both at the hands of Pierce.

On the Bombers' first series of the game, the ball slipped out of Pierce's hand as he went to throw. Argos defensive end Ronald Clemons recovered the fumble at Winnipeg's 36-yard line and the possession ended with Shaw's 29-yarder.

Pierce later made a throw on the run and was intercepted by cornerback Willie Middlebrooks. That turnover led to Shaw's third field goal from 35 yards and a first-quarter lead of 9-0.

Pierce said the slip out of his hands was one of those fluke things and the interception was a bad decision on his part.

"When you give so much effort and fight as hard as you did, to come up short is tough," he said.

"But it comes down to overall execution for four quarters and they executed for four quarters and we didn't."

Toronto tied the game 17-17 as time expired on an unusual play for a defensive lineman.

Serna's kickoff was picked up by defensive end Ejiro Kuale and punted into the end zone where Serna fell on it.

NOTES: Bomber safety Ian Logan left the game with a hamstring injury and defensive lineman Dorian Smith went out with a knee problem ... Chad Owens returned an unsuccessful field goal 117 yards for a touchdown, the third such return this year in the CFL in five games. There were just two in 2009 and none in 2008. The all-time record for a season is five in the CFL in 2004.