Week 12 @ Toronto Argonauts – Rogers Centre, September 11
Result: 35-27 (Win)
Top Performers:
- Collaros (HAM): 22/31, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Whitaker (TOR): 6 att, 34 yards, 2 TDs
- Gurley (TOR): 7 rec, 107 yards, 1 TD
- Jones (TOR): 4 tackles, 1 sack
In the second half of their home-and-home in the continued battle for first place in the East Division, the Ticats and Argos traded first-quarter interceptions on both of their first offensive possessions. After moving the ball to the Argos 38-yard line on the Tiger-Cats first drive of the game, Zach Collaros was picked off on a jump ball between Tiquan Underwood and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. Ticats defender Erik Harris answered back on the very next drive, intercepting a Trevor Harris pass bound for Chad Owens in traffic across the middle of the field.
Harris’ return set the Ticats up with the ball on the 12-yard line, which they translated into a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage. Canadian receiver Matt Coates found the end zone for his first career CFL touchdown on a slant pass, earning a big celebration from his teammates.
Continuing the game’s back-and-forth trend, the Argonauts replied with their own touchdown on the next drive, capping off a 67-yard drive with a 3-yard pitch to running back Brandon Whitaker. After six straight drives ending in punts— one of which was a conceded safety by the Argos— the Ticats found the end zone again, jumping out to a 16-7 lead with a Luke Tasker touchdown. Justin Medlock closed out the half with a short field goal, extending Hamilton’s lead to 19-7 after 30 minutes.
The Argos stormed back with their best drive of the game to begin the second half. Tori Gurley made two receptions for 56 yards on the drive, including the 42-yard scoring play to bring the Argos back within six points after the missed two-point convert attempt.
A Medlock field goal at one end was countered with another Argos touchdown drive, narrowing Hamilton’s lead to 22-20. Collaros and the Ticats offence replied with their own score, as Jeff Mathews capped off a 68-yard drive with a one-yard TD run. The Ticats offence was thrust back into scoring position after a blocked punt by linebacker David Caldwell, but an Argos sack on 2nd-and-10 held them to just a field goal on the ensuing drive. With 11:03 remaining the Ticats led the rollercoaster tilt by a score of 32-20.
Toronto narrowed the gap to 32-27 with 5:56 remaining, but a field goal on a 3:45 drive by the Ticats gave the Argos just 1:12 to manufacture a game-tying drive. Harris and the Double Blue offence worked the ball down to the Hamilton 24-yard line for a final shot at the end zone, but Emanuel Davis sealed the deal with his CFL-leading fourth interception of the season.
Turning Point: After the Argos closed the gap between the teams to just two points midway through the second half, the Ticats were able to string together a 68-yard drive to retake a two-score lead. Twice on the drive the offence gained 15+ yards on second down, converting on all three second-down attempts on their way to the end zone.
Week 13 vs. Edmonton Eskimos – Tim Hortons Field, September 18
Result: 18-25 (Loss)
Top Performers:
- Collaros (HAM): 7/10, 90 yards, 1 TD
- Reilly (EDM): 11 att, 72 yards
- Sinkfield Jr. (HAM): 7 att, 92 yards
- Lacey (EDM): 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Week 13’s home game against the Eskimos looked like it was headed the same way that the two teams’ previous meeting had. The Ticats scored the only points of the first quarter on a touchdown pass from Zach Collaros to Terrence Toliver in the back of the Edmonton end zone.
Less than a minute into the second quarter the Black and Gold offence was threatening again, having marched the ball down to the Edmonton 35-yard line. Collaros—who had started the game 7-for-10 for 90 yards and a touchdown through the air—scampered for five yards on a broken play before going down awkwardly with an apparent injury. The Ticats quarterback and Most Outstanding Player candidate left the game and did not return, later being diagnosed with a season-ending ACL injury.
The Ticats would record a field goal on the drive, and after conceding a safety and an Esks field goal, they’d add another to finish the first half with a 13-5 lead.
A strong defensive effort and a couple of field goals from Justin Medlock allowed the Ticats to hold an 18-11 lead until the nine-minute mark of the fourth quarter; however, five second-half turnovers would ultimately be their undoing. Otha Foster and Aaron Grymes each recorded pick-sixes in the half— the second of which tied the game at 18-18— and the game-winning Edmonton score was set up by a fumble forced by Willie Jefferson.
The Eskimos went up 25-18 with 0:55 remaining on a Kendial Lawrence rushing touchdown, giving the Ticats offence just 38 seconds to drive 93 yards for a potential tying score. Hamilton’s final drive ended with a fumble in Eskimos territory, after the offence attempted multiple laterals in desperation to score on the final play.
The Ticats defence allowed just 112 yards of offence in the second half, holding Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly to just seven completions and 49 passing yards the entire game. The two teams combined for 21 punts in the game, a single-game high for Hamilton and their opponents. Along with Collaros, starting left tackle Jake Olson was removed from the game with a season-ending knee injury as well.
Turning Point: With 9:21 remaining in the game, the Ticats were leading 18-11 with possession of the ball at the Eskimos 52-yard line. The defence had forced an interception and a punt on the last two drives, putting Hamilton in a great position. On the first play of the drive, Jeff Mathews was pressured heavily in the pocket, and his attempted throw out of bounds was caught in-bounds by Aaron Grymes. The Eskimos linebacker returned the ball 68 yards for a touchdown, squaring up the game at 18-18. A sustained scoring drive from the Ticats in this situation would have given them a two-score lead with less than 10 minutes remaining and a defence that had thwarted their opponents all day; instead, the pick six allowed the Eskimos to hit the reset button and make the game an 8:28 contest.
Week 15 vs. Calgary Stampeders – Tim Hortons Field, October 2
Result: 22-25 (Loss)
Top Performers:
- Mitchell (CGY): 25/40, 230 yards, 1 TD
- Ford (HAM): 10 att, 50 yards, 4 rec, 67 yards
- McDaniel (CGY): 6 rec, 49 yards, 1 TD
- Davis (HAM): 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass knockdowns
14 weeks after their first meeting, the two combatants from the 102nd Grey Cup were back in action against each other. Each team sported a respectable record coming into the contest; Hamilton at 8-4 and Calgary at 10-2 through 12 games each.
The Ticats special teams units came through early and built up a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Before the Ticats offence had even taken the field, Brandon Banks took his fourth punt return to the house for six. Justin Medlock added a kickoff single and a career-long field goal from 57 yards out, and Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes conceded a safety in the quarter.
The Stamps got on the board in the second quarter, outscoring the Ticats 14-0 in the frame— including 11 points in the final 2:40—to take a 14-13 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Rene Paredes scored two kick singles on a kickoff and a missed field goal from 52 yards, while adding a successful 51-yard field goal. Bo Levi Mitchell and Marquay McDaniel connected on an eight-yard score to round out the team’s first-half scoring.
After a third quarter that featured no scoring from either team, the Ticats opened the fourth-quarter by blocking a 43-yard field goal attempt by Paredes. The Stampeders kicker was given another chance on the next Calgary drive, hitting easily from 29 yards out to extend the lead to 17-13. On the ensuing Ticats drive, rookie quarterback Jeff Mathews scrambled and found running back Michael Ford with a pass out of the backfield. Ford took the ball 58 yards to the Calgary 1-yard line, setting up a Mathews TD run to cap off a 75-yard drive that required just four plays and 1:49 of game time.
The teams exchanged three straight two-and-outs after the Mathews touchdown, with Calgary finally cracking the dry spell with a field goal on a six-play 28-yard drive. The 46-yard field goal tied the game up at 20-20 with 53 seconds remaining and the Ticats taking over possession at their own 35-yard line.
The Stampeders forced a two-and-out on the Ticats drive, leading to a punt from the Hamilton 37-yard line. Winds of over 55 kilometres per hour— which played a role in the entirety of the game—and a penalty on the punt gave the ball to the Stampeders just two yards ahead of the original line of scrimmage. After a nine-yard run by Cornish to the Hamilton 30-yard line, Paredes attempted and successfully hit a 37-yard field goal with the time expiring to give the Stamps the win.
Turning Point: Turnovers were an issue for the second straight game, the Ticats gave the ball away four times in the contest. A particularly key giveaway occurred towards the end of the second quarter, allowing the Stampeders to strike for their only touchdown of the game. The Ticats had just overcome a Michael Ford midfield fumble with a strong defensive effort, forcing a Calgary punt. On the subsequent punt return, Brandon Banks was hit hard and fumbled the ball on a second effort, allowing the Stamps to re-take possession in the Hamilton red zone. Two plays later, Mitchell and McDaniel hooked up for Calgary’s first and only TD of the game, narrowing the Ticats lead to 13-11 near the end of the first half.
Week 16 vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders – Tim Hortons Field, October 9
Result: 30-15 (Win)
Top Performers:
- Mathews (HAM): 22/33, 385 yards, 1 TD
- Smith (SSK): 5 att, 57 yards
- Sinkfield (HAM): 4 rec, 163 yards, 1 TD
- Lawrence (HAM): 6 tackles, 1 sack
On their first offensive drive, Roughriders kicker Paul McCallum missed wide right on a 37-yard field goal in an attempt to put the first points of the game on the board. The Ticats offence responded with a 10-play, 88-yard drive to set up a Justin Medlock 25-yard chip shot for three.
Early in the second quarter, Ed Gainey broke into the Roughriders backfield on a punt, blocking the attempted kick and giving the Ticats possession at the Saskatchewan six-yard line. Two plays later, the Ticats were celebrating a touchdown, as Jeff Mathews and Luke Tasker connected in the front of the end zone for six to put the team up 10-0.
The Tiger-Cats added another second-quarter touchdown on a 9-play, 91-yard drive that was capped by a Tiquan Underwood score. Along with the two majors, the Cats would add another field goal in the quarter, stretching their lead to 20-0 at the half.
After completing 11-of-17 passes for just 67 yards and an interception in the first half, Kevin Glenn was pulled from the Riders offensive backfield in favour of backup QB Brett Smith. Upon his entry into the game, Smith had a pass picked off by Courtney Stephen early in third quarter. Stopped on their first two plays, the Ticats attempted a fake field goal deep within Riders territory, and despite the completion between placeholder Luke Tasker and Erik Harris, the play fell short of the first down marker.
The next Riders drive resulted in a 79-yard touchdown pass for Smith, who found Weston Dressler wide open on what was surely assignment miscommunication in the Ticats secondary. A few drives later, with the score still 20-7, the Ticats answered with a long score of their own. Explosive receiver Terrell Sinkfield brought in a screen pass from Mathews, broke a tackle and was off to the races for an 87-yard touchdown.
A 68-yard strike from one Smith (Brett) to another (Ryan)—and the same connection on the ensuing two-point convert— brought the Riders to within two scores with 1:57 remaining. Smith and the Riders would lead another drive to the Hamilton seven-yard line but could not turn it into points before the final whistle, finishing the game with a 30-15 loss.
Turning Point: After the Riders received a resurgence from their quarterback change, an 87-yard touchdown from Terrell Sinkfield was just what the doctor ordered for the Ticats. While the Riders continued to fight until the end, the Sinkfield score restored a three-score lead for the Cats and effectively ended most chances of a comeback from the opposition.
Week 17 at Montreal Alouettes – Percival Molson Stadium, October 18
Result: 23-11 (Win)
Top Performers:
- Mathews (HAM): 21/25, 241 yards, 1 TD
- Ford (HAM): 6 att, 45 yards, 2 rec, 8 yards
- Tasker (HAM): 8 rec, 107 yards
- Stephen (HAM): 1 INT, 1 forced fumble
The Tiger-Cats entered their third and final meeting of the season with the Alouettes attempting to return home from Montreal with a regular season win for the first time since the 2002 campaign.
Facing off against a Kevin Glenn-led offence for the second straight week, the Ticats defence had the veteran quarterback’s number for the second straight week. After forcing a punt on the first drive of the game (which led to a Justin Medlock field goal), the defence game up big in the red zone on the next Montreal possession. Looking for Samuel Giguere on the sideline, Glenn floated a pass as he was hit by a blitzing Taylor Reed. Ticats defensive back Courtney Stephen stepped in front of the pass, preventing a touchdown and an Alouettes lead.
With the score still 3-0 in the second quarter, Erik Harris and Simoni Lawrence combined for a second Ticats interception. The Lawrence pick set the offence up with great field position which they would turn into another field goal and a 6-0 lead. On the ensuing Als drive, the Hamilton special teams unit came through with an impact play as Mike Daly got in front of a Boris Bede punt. Frederic Plesius recovered the ball deep in Montreal territory, setting the Ticats up for a touchdown just two plays later. At the half, the Ticats led 13-2 after allowing just 106 total yards and four first downs in the first 30 minutes.
Hamilton extended their halftime lead to 19-2 with two more field goals in the third quarter before Bede registered the Als first second-half points with a field goal of his own. A third interception by the Ticats defence— this one by linebacker Taylor Reed—set Medlock up for yet another field goal, extending the lead to 23-5.
The Als finally registered a touchdown with seven seconds remaining in the game, but the score came far too late to be meaningful as the Ticats wrapped up a 23-11 road win.
Turning Point: The Ticats punt return unit undoubtedly came up with the play of the game in the second quarter. Both Mike Daly and Frederic Plesius ran free into the Alouettes backfield on the punt, combining for the block and recovery of Boris Bede’s attempted kick. At the time the Ticats led by just six points, but the block allowed them to register their first touchdown of the game. The major extended the Ticats lead to a two-score advantage, giving them some breathing room to work with. The touchdown was the only of the game for the Tiger-Cats offence, and it was all set up by excellent effort and execution from the special teams.
