Exciting Late TD Helps Tiger-Cats Stun Stampeders – TSN.ca

CALGARY — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won their first away game of the season and their first game in Calgary in 18 years with a 35-32 win over the Stampeders on Friday.

Tiger Cats quarterback Dane Evans tossed in Tim White in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining to claim the victory point.

Hamilton linebacker Richard Leonard returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown. Seth Small kicked field goals for 57, 46, 36, and 24 yards.

Evans completed 17 of 25 passes for 244 yards and also scored a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Calgary third-string quarterback and short-yardage specialist Tommy Stevens had given the Stampeders a five-point lead with 63 seconds remaining in a one-yard slump.

Stampeder quarterback Jake Maier, who was intercepted three times in the first half, completed 26 of 35 passes for 251 yards and made touchdown throws on William Langlais and Tre Odoms-Dukes.

Calgary’s Rene Paredes kicked field goals for 34, 39, 26, and 41 yards.

Hamilton (6-10), third in the East division, is trying to hold off the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-10) in the West, who are trying to secure a playoff berth via a crossover.

The Montreal Alouettes (8-8), who are second in the East, secured both a postseason berth and a home playoff game with a 34-30 win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.

The Stampeders (10-6) had already secured a spot in the West Division playoffs but are in a race with the BC Lions (10-5) for second place in the West and the right to advance to the Division Semifinals Align November 6th.

The Lions meet defending Gray Cup champions Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14-2) at home on Saturday, who will finish first in the West and host the Nov. 13 division finals.

Hamilton have back-to-back wins for the first time this season after beating the Roughriders last week, while Calgary suffered their first loss to East Division opponents.

The Tiger-Cats had not won at McMahon since July 4, 2004 before Friday’s win there.

Calgary amassed 183 rushing yards on Hamilton’s 56 ahead of a announced 20,589 at McMahon Stadium, where a hard north wind blew in the faces of kickers and punters at the home end.

Hamilton led 27-26 with three minutes left in the game after Small’s 36-yard field goal downwind. However, the Tiger-Cats flipped the ball on downs inside their own 20-yard line, leaving 1:46.

Stevens scored the winning touchdown with a one-yard leap, but Calgary’s two-point conversion attempt fell short. Evans tossed a 42-yard pass to White to put Hamilton on the Calgary doorstep for the winning touchdown.

Stampeder defensive end Shawn Lemon bounced back from Wes Hill’s fumble midway through the fourth quarter, which Calgary converted from Paredes into a 46-yard field goal and a 26-24 lead.

Maier was down 24-13 late in the third quarter, finishing an eight-game 70-yard drive with an 8-yard scoring throw against Odoms-Dukes.

Calgary’s Tyson Middlemost recovered the subsequent Paredes kickoff for the Stampeders to put the ball on Hamilton’s 19-yard line.

Paredes then reduced the deficit to one point with a 26-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter.

Small kicked a wind-assisted 57-yard field goal after a 39-yarder by Paredes in the third.

Hamilton scored on his opening second-half drive, capped by Evans’ one-yard tumble on a third goal for a 21–10 lead.

Though Calgary dominated possession time and held Hamilton’s offense to 60 total yards in the first half, Calgary was down 14-10 at halftime because Hamilton Maiers turned three interceptions into 10 points.

Small launched a 46-yard field goal with eight seconds left in the half. Paredes kicked a 34-yarder with 50 seconds remaining.

Leonard returned Maier’s third pick for a 64-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. The Stampeders then conceded a single on the subsequent kickoff.

Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson’s successful challenge for pass interference extended a drive at Hamilton’s 19-yard line late in the first quarter. Maier connected with Langlais in the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown throw.

Calgary’s quarterback was intercepted on his two opening drives. Leonard stopped a downfield march with a pick to get Hamilton the ball down their own 14-yard line. The guests poked after a two-and-out.

Maier’s second throw of the game was intercepted by Hamilton’s Julian Howsare. Hamilton failed to turn the turnover into a major, opting for Small’s 24-yard field goal.

The Stampeders finish their regular season against the Roughriders on October 22 at Regina and at home on October 29. Hamilton concludes his campaign against the Redblacks at home in Ottawa on October 21-29.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 14, 2022.