The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Toronto Argonauts 33-31 on Friday at BMO Field thanks to a walk-off 48-yard field goal from Marc Liegghio. That helped the Ticats sweep the season series and kept Hamilton within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the East Division.
Below are my thoughts on the game.
A Canadian six-pack
Marc Liegghio had his best performance as a Ticat against the Argonauts, going six-for-six on field goal attempts, including the game-winner, and two-for-two on extra points. While Liegghio’s longest was the eventual winner at 48 yards, it was the consistency with which he made the field goals that made his performance impressive.
Hamilton stalled out in the red zone on several occasions and Liegghio was there to be able to grab some points and keep Hamilton in the game. Consistency has been Liegghio’s middle name this season as the 27-year-old has made 34 of the 39 field goal attempts he’s made this season — good for 87 percent.
I said a couple of weeks ago that Hamilton was going to need the Western product to win them some close games down the stretch and he’s now done it twice, both coming against the Argonauts.
Boveralls for luck
If you removed Hamilton’s record from the equation, Bo Levi Mitchell would be one of the front-runners to win the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award. Mitchell completed 78 percent of his pass attempts on Friday for 362 yards and a touchdown, bringing his season totals to 4,444 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
There were two throws on Friday that showed Mitchell might really be back to the player fans had gotten accustomed to. He threw a perfectly placed rainbow over the head of an Argonauts’ defender and into the waiting hands of Tim White for 19 yards, resulting in a Liegghio field goal right before halftime. Then he found Shemar Bridges on a rope for a 45-yard completion that led to an Ante Milanovic-Litre touchdown to put the Ticats ahead. It was vintage Bo Levi and fans are starting to see the 34-year-old making those types of throws on a more regular basis.
It’s amazing to see the turnaround Mitchell has been able to provide the Ticats since his benching in mid-August, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Oh, and Mitchell is 3-0 in his ‘Boveralls’.
CONFIRMED: BOVERALLS ARE A WAGON🥶#CFLGameday | @Ticats pic.twitter.com/HWzmpO2n5S
— CFL (@CFL) September 21, 2024
Kat got your tongue
Stavros Katsantonis was solid on Friday, making three tackles and forcing an interception off a bad decision from Chad Kelly, which resulted in a Jevoni Robinson touchdown.
Stavros Katsantonis with a HUGE interception to give the Tiger-Cats possession in Argonauts territory.#CFL pic.twitter.com/J1ckO9MpwM
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 20, 2024
Katsantonis hasn’t been his usual ball-hawking self this year, as that was his first pick on the year compared to the five he produced last season. Maybe that’s the type of play he needs in order to start forcing game-changing turnovers again.
JB ain’t no quitter
James Butler has been put in a tough situation. Hamilton went away from the 1,000-yard rusher in favour of first-year running back Greg Bell due to Bell’s ability to produce chunk plays, providing the Tabbies with a bit more speed and quickness.
Butler has been out of the Ticats lineup since Week 10, but came in and did exactly what the Ticats needed him to do against Toronto. He rushed hard, going for 58 yards on 11 carries, while also catching all six passes for 44 yards, which included romping for a key first down on third-and-four on the Ticats’ final drive. Hamilton’s success in the past three wins has come because they’ve been able to pound the rock, which has opened up the passing game downfield. With poor field conditions holding everyone back, Butler’s hard-nosed mentality was just what the doctor ordered.
Most Outstanding Rookie?
While Tim White is Hamilton’s best receiver and Steven Dunbar Jr. has come in and produced when called upon as well, rookie Shemar Bridges has been Hamilton’s most consistent target in 2024. To put it in perspective, the 26-year-old has failed to register less than four catches just three times, while producing 906 yards and an average of 11.6 yards per catch. Those are pretty outstanding numbers for a first-year pass catcher.
On Friday, Bridges set the Ticats rookie record for most receptions in a season with 77. He finished with six catches for 82 yards against Toronto, including several clutch catches to extend offensive possessions. Bridges should be the East Division leader for Most Outstanding Rookie and could very well be the league’s frontrunner for the award as well.
Hard in the paint
I’ll admit, I was very skeptical of how the Ticats were going to utilize the tight end/fullback position at the beginning of the season when there were rumours that it would play a bigger role in the team’s offence. The CFL is not typically known to be kind to the bigger, slower pass catchers because of the wider field and more athletic linebackers.
Global athlete Jevoni Robinson is slowly making me put my foot in my mouth as he has taken over that role and become a mismatch for opposing defences due to his six-foot-eight, 225-pound frame and college basketball background, where he played at both NC State and Barry University. Robinson put those hoop skills to good use on Friday as he had four catches for 49 yards against Toronto, both career highs, along with the game’s opening touchdown when Mitchell found him for an eight-yard score.
Robinson is up to 15 receptions on the season for 177 yards and two majors. While those numbers don’t pop off the screen, he’s become a valuable pass catcher and blocker in the Hamilton offensive scheme.
Turf monster
Simply put, the field conditions at BMO Field on Friday were atrocious. Players were slipping, constantly changing footwear and trying to remove grass from their cleats. I’m surprised both teams came away without any serious injuries due to the hybrid grass turf giving away.
Toronto FC played a game at BMO on Wednesday, which I’m sure had something to do with the lack of footing, but I’m sure the league is thanking its lucky stars that they got away without too much damage to the players who make their product so great.
Up next
The Ticats will now prepare to travel across the country to take on the B.C. Lions (7-7) at BC Place. The Lions hammered the Ticats in early July, going up early before coasting to a 44-28 win, but have taken a step back since that game, going 3-6 after a 4-1 start. The Ticats (5-9) have gone 5-4 since that loss, including winning three straight.
