HAMILTON – Even when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are down, they’re certainly never out.
Despite trailing early, the Ticats pushed through and defeated the Calgary Stampeders 22-15 at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday night.
Matthew Shiltz threw for 225 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Tim White tallied three receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown and James Butler led the ground game with 92 yards.
Jake Maier threw for 239 yards in the loss while Tre Odoms-Dukes led all Calgary receivers with 83 yards.
The Stampeders started out hot in enemy territory, with Rene Paredes kicking off the scoring with a 47-yard field goal, and the Stamps defence following up by forcing punts from Hamilton’s offence on three consecutive drives.
After being stopped by the Ticats defence early, the Stamps managed to get to the Hamilton 23-yard line, but couldn’t get a completion and relied on Paredes’ leg again, this time for a 30-yard field goal.
Directly after the Ticats answered as Shiltz found White for a 70-yard reception and touchdown to tie the game in the second quarter.
Calgary’s defence grabbed a pick off Shiltz as Cameron Judge forced an interception, but Hamilton’s defence stood strong and forced a punt that allowed Hamilton’s offence back on the field where Shiltz found Kiondre Smith for 45 yards to get to the Calgary 37-yard line and take the lead with a 41-yard Marc Liegghio field goal.
Hamilton defenders wrapping up Calgary WR Luther Hakunavanhu. Photo: Chris Tanouye/CFL.ca
Hamilton’s defence continued to keep the Stamps at bay as they forced another punt after Jamal Davis II’s sack on Maier, putting their offence back on to lead the charge.
Shiltz and the offence would do just that, as he found Tyreik McAllister for 22 yards, then Omar Bayless for 19 yards, before connecting with Terry Godwin for a 28-yards touchdown to lead by 10 and cap off 16 unanswered points in the second quarter.
After a rocky second quarter the Stamps came out of the half strong, marching downfield to put Paredes in position to put another three points on the board, this time from 46 yards out, marking the only points scored in the quarter as both defences stood tall including Calgary getting a sack on Shiltz from Mike Rose.
While a roughing the passer call kept Calgary’s drive to start the fourth quarter alive, Casey Sayles made a play for a huge sack to get Hamilton the ball back and propel a 39-yard punt return for McAllister to put the Ticats in great field position.
Shiltz then found White once again for 20 yards to get down to the Calgary 26 yard line, and while Calgary’s Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund made his way to Shiltz to get the sack, Liegghio extended Hamilton’s lead back to 10 with a 31-yard field goal.
Paredes would answer with a 44-yarder to cut the lead back to single digits for the Stamps with just under six minutes to play, but after being forced to punt and another big McAllister return for 54 yards set up a 21-yard Liegghio field goal.
One last attempt from Paredes for 44 yards with less than a minute to play was good to put points on the board, but it wouldn’t be enough to take down the Ticats on their home field.
The Stamps will get a bye during Week 18 action, while the Ticats will head to Mosaic Stadium to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Oct. 7.