Lewis breaks 1,000-yard mark on game-winning TD to beat Ticats – TSN.ca

MONTREAL — During an Aug. 11 win against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Eugene Lewis caught a pass from Trevor Harris for a touchdown but was sidelined due to Percival Molson Stadium’s clipped endzones.

On Friday night, Lewis stayed within reach to catch the game-winning touchdown on the same route that gave the Montreal Alouettes a 23-16 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“Just put me in a different position so it doesn’t happen again,” Lewis said of the play. “So we learned, yes.”

For the same reason, Lewis broke the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career.

“That’s always the standard for receivers,” Lewis said. I personally really feel like I probably could have gotten it a few games ago, it’s just that things happen in different ways. You have to be able to adapt, keep playing and be undisturbed.”

Harris passed 26 of 35 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns – both to Lewis, who had seven receptions for 52 yards.

The Alouettes (6-7) trailed into the fourth quarter but ended their first-ever four-game home game with a win and a 3-1 record. Montreal also cemented its position as second in the East Division, winning the all-important season series that acts as a tiebreaker.

“If we use a baseball analogy, we’re two and a half games up (against Hamilton) with a game in hand,” said general manager and interim coach Danny Maciocia. “In the next few weeks we are aiming for a two-team race if possible, but we still have a lot to do.”

At the bottom of Hamilton (4-10), mistakes proved costly in defeat.

“Overall we weren’t good enough,” said Tiger Cats head coach Orlondo Steinauer. “We did a lot of great things, but it felt like we weren’t helping ourselves. We took too many penalties in key situations and turned the ball around late. We knew it was going to be a back-and-forth game and we’re just disappointed.”

Wes Hills ran in Hamilton’s lone touchdown on the night. Dane Evans passed 22 of 29 for 288 yards.

Although Lewis was the headliner, the ball went to Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who missed the competition as he mourned the loss of his mother, who died last week.

“We thought of Marc-Antoine because his mother left us, a woman I know very well,” Maciocia said. She was a football mom who loved watching her son play. We don’t usually hand out cues after wins, but this time, like I said to Marc-Antoine, we’re going to win and give the cue ball to your mum.”

The Tiger-Cats broke the ice after a scoreless first quarter. Evans pulled a big play out of his sleeve with a 38-yard pass to Papi White. Hills later finished the drive with a four-yard run to give Hamilton a 7-0 lead.

Harris connected with Jake Weineke on a 31-yard pass for a big play on the next drive, but Montreal didn’t respond with a touchdown of their own. Kicker David Cote hit a 41-yard field goal to put the Alouettes on the board.

In the final moments of the second quarter, Evans tossed Tyler Ternowski a 20-yard pass to put the Ticats within field goal range. Seth Small converted a 32-yarder to give Hamilton a 10-3 lead before halftime.

Just over three minutes into the second half, Cote cut Hamilton’s lead to four with a career-best 51-yard field goal. Small responded less than two minutes later with a 38-yard field goal to make the Ticats 13-6.

The Alouettes hit the red zone for the first time of the game midway through the third quarter and Harris found Eugene Lewis with a five-yard touchdown pass. However, Cote missed the extra point, leaving Montreal by a margin.

A game before the score, Hamilton cornerback Rodney Randle Jr. collided with a teammate and was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher after a long injury layoff.

Steinauer said Randle had “a feeling in his hand and he spoke up,” but was awaiting more details.

“It puts everything into perspective very quickly and immediately. I just wanted someone to go to his wife in the stands and let her know what’s going on,” he added. “It’s one of those things you’re not prepared for. Knees and elbows, things like that happen, but when you’re taken away it’s another level.”

Less than a minute into the fourth, Montreal got their first lead of the game thanks to a 12-yard field goal from Cote, his third of the night.

Nearly 10 minutes later, the Ticats missed an opportunity to score a touchdown from inside the Alouettes’ 10-yard line. Hamilton opted to regain a one-point lead with a 9-yard field goal from Small.

Montreal followed with a drive downfield that resulted in Harris finding Lewis for a 9-yard touchdown and helping the receiver hit the 1,000-yard mark. Harris then found Reggie White Jr. to complete the two-point conversion and move up to 23-16.

The Ticats made a push to force overtime, but a late fumble from wide receiver Kiondre Smith was recovered by defenseman Mustafa Johnson, sealing the Alouettes’ victory.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 23, 2022.