Strong Finish: Ticats Shut Out Als 33-0 In Season Finale

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats gave the hometown crowd something to cheer for in their final game of the regular season, taking down the Montreal Alouettes 33-0 at Tim Hortons Field on Friday night.
The game brought an end to a disappointing season by both teams. However, the Ticats did have some milestones to celebrate in the victory.
Luke Tasker set a Ticats franchise record for the most receptions in a single season by making his 104th catch of the year. The previous record was held by Andy Fantuz, who had 101 receptions last season for Hamilton.
Brandon Banks also surpassed the 1,000 yard receiving mark, joining Jalen Saunders and Tasker to become the third Ticat to reach that feat this season. It is the first time in franchise history that three Ticats receivers have reached the 1,000 yard mark.
It was a slow offensive start to the game for both squads.
The Ticats defence showed early that they had no intentions of taking it easy on Montreal rookie quarterback Matthew Shiltz in his first CFL start. Shiltz was sacked on the first two snaps of the game, first by Simoni Lawrence, followed by a dual effort from Adrian Tracy and Abdul Kanneh.
On Montreal’s second drive of the game, Ticats rookie Richard Leonard stepped up to pick off a pass by Shiltz for his team leading sixth interception of the season. Hamilton used the turnover to register their first points of the game, a 24-yard field goal by Kenny Allen, to take a 3-0 lead.
The Als utilized their run game on the next drive to move the sticks by handing the ball off to Brandon Rutley. Montreal appeared to be within striking distance of scoring, until Leonard picked up his second interception of the quarter. In an odd series of events, Leonard ran the ball back deep into Als territory, but then tripped and lost the ball. Ernest Jackson made the recovery for Montreal to keep the score at 3-0.
The Ticats were able to extend their lead early in the second quarter. Jeremiah Masoli connected with Tasker for a 28-yard gain, but then lost control of the ball and fumbled. Luckily, Suanders was there to scoop up the ball. The Als challenged that the initial pass to Tasker was incomplete, but lost.
Masoli found Tasker alone in the end zone on the next play for the short touchdown pass. The extra point was no good to keep the score at 9-0.
Montreal tried to cut into Hamilton’s lead later in the quarter by attempting a 43-yard field goal, but Taylor Russolino’s kick was wide. Banks ran the ball out of the end zone to keep the Als off the scoreboard.
Allen added another field goal during the final seconds of the quarter to give the Ticats a 12-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Black and Gold did not waste any time extending their lead in the third. In a trick play deep in Als territory, Masoli faked a hand off and carried the ball himself. The pivot then lateraled the ball to Banks near the sideline, who charged into the end zone for the Ticats second major of the game. The extra point this time around was successful.
Turnover troubles continued for the Als in the second half.
This time it was Courtney Stephen coming up big for the Ticats with an interception to give Hamilton control. Saunders added a spark to the ensuing drive with a 42 yard gain, picking up 37 yards after the catch by dashing down the sideline. Running back Alex Green capped off the strong Hamilton effort with an 11-yard rushing touchdown to give the Ticats a 26-0 lead.
But the Ticats were not done there.
Masoli showed off his blistering speed in the fourth quarter. The pivot surged past an entire field of Alouette defenders for a 53 yard rushing major. It was the longest run by a Ticat this season and Masoli’s fourth rushing touchdown of the year.
Fans also saw a glimpse of Ticats backup pivot Everett Golson and Als backup Antonio Pipkin, who both played in the fourth quarter.
The Ticats finished the season 6-12 while the Als dropped to 3-15.
The last time Montreal was shut out in a game was back on July 17, 1997.