MONTREAL - Anthony Calvillo made history as the CFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes as the 18-year veteran hit Eric Deslauriers with the record toss and led the Montreal Alouettes to a 40-17 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night.

Calvillo lofted the ball to Deslauriers at the back of the end zone 10:11 into the first quarter for his 395th TD pass, one more than Damon Allen threw in 23 seasons.

The three-time CFL Outstanding Player followed that with TD pass No. 396 to Brian Bratton, while one was run in by Brandon Whitaker, who topped 100 yards in rushing and had 94 receiving. Sean Whyte added four field goals for 3-0 Montreal.

Late in the game, linebacker Chip Cox tied a record when he scooped up a B.J. Hall fumble and ran it back 108 yards for a touchdown. That matched a fumble return TD by Saskatchewan's Omar Morgan against Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 2009.

Quarterback Cleo Lemon ran in a TD and hit running back Chad Kackert with a TD toss, while Noel Prefontaine added a field goal for the Argonauts (1-2).

The near-sellout crowd of 24,698 under a full moon at Percival Molson Stadium rose to their feet as Deslauriers hauled down the record pass and just managed to keep his feet in bounds. The native of Gatineau, Que., was playing in place of the injured Jamel Richardson.

Play wasn't stopped for any ceremony, but it was delayed as 38-year-old Calvillo was mobbed by his teammates. The Los Angeles native, who had a cancerous thyroid removed in the off-season, got a hug and a pat on the back from team owner Robert Wetenhall when he trotted back to the bench.

The Alouettes dominated both sides of the ball, with 246 yards of offence to Toronto's 59 in the first half alone, but messy special teams play kept the score close.

After Deslauriers' TD, Chad Owens ran back the kickoff 89 yards. A flag took it to the Montreal 8, where Lemon ran it in at 10:50.

After trading field goals, Calvillo capped a 90-yard drive by drilling a six-yard TD pass into Bratton's arms at 12:15 of the second quarter.

It was 23-10 when Chad Kackert, filling in for injured tailback Cory Boyd, got wide open down the right side for a 53-yard TD pass from Lemon 8:55 into the third quarter.

But a Lemon fumble gave Montreal the ball on the 14 and, after an unlikely pass to guard Ryan Bomben, Whitaker ran it in from the two.

On Toronto's next possession, a Lemon pass went off Jeremaine Copeland's fingertips into the hands of Montreal's Cox to set up a field goal.

Things got worse for the Argos as they got the ball to the Montreal 1 with under three minutes to play, but back-up quarterback Hall was stopped on his first attempt to run it in, and then got stripped of the ball by Diamond Ferri. Cox took the loose ball all the way back for a Montreal TD with two minutes to play.

Deslauriers' catch was the first passing TD allowed by the Toronto defence this season, while Kackert's reception was the first by their offence.