Small Hits FG As Time Runs Out To Bring Ticat’s Big Victory Over Redblacks – TSN.ca

HAMILTON — Seth Small and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are still in control of their playoff destiny.

Small’s 30-yard field goal in strong winds in the final game earned Hamilton an exciting 30-27 CFL win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night.

The Ticats (7-10) prevailed against Saskatchewan (6-10) in the battle for the third and final East Division playoff spot, with the Riders playing the Calgary Stampeders (10-6) on Saturday night.

Regardless of what Saskatchewan does, Hamilton can cement third place with a win next week in Ottawa. The Red Blacks (4-13), eliminated from postseason competition with the loss, are 0-8 at TD Place.

Hamilton finishes the regular season 6-3 at Tim Hortons Field after winning six of his last seven there.

“It’s exciting, I think it’s something this team deserves,” Small said. “We didn’t have the best start at the beginning of the season but we kind of found our true selves and who we are and Coach Oh (head coach Orlondo Steinauer) led that.

“We’re excited to see where it’s headed. We’re getting hot for a Gray Cup.”

Small’s fifth boat of the game topped a 45-yard six-play drive in a brisk 20-mile wind. Veteran Matt Shiltz replaced injured starter Dane Evans (right thumb) in the fourth quarter and had an important 25-yard run in the final march.

“It was a typical Hamilton wind out there,” Small said. “You can make it a factor as much as you want.

“I’ve told (Ticats coaches) I’m comfortable at the 40-yard line before the game. You just try to hit a clean ball and it will go straight.”

Hamilton earned a sixth straight win over Ottawa and a third straight overall win. In the three triumphs, Small has hit 13 field goals.

“I think CFL stands for Crazy Fun League,” Small said in his first season at Hamilton. “I’m having a great time up here.”

Ottawa’s Caleb Evans set a CFL record for a single season by toppling TDs off a quarterback. He ran for two majors and gave him 15 before a Tim Hortons Field sell-off of 24,062.

The previous mark was 14, set by BC’s Doug Flutie in 1991 and later equalized by Toronto’s James Franklin in 2018.

Ottawa scored it all downwind – 21 points in the second, six in the fourth. Hamilton managed more points with the wind (14 in fourth) than with him (13).

Dane Evans gave Hamilton a 24-21 lead just 22 seconds after fourth place. After scoring on a two-yard streak, Evans found Tyler Ternowski in the two-point convert but left the team later in the quarter with a right thumb injury on an 11-yard streak.

“It’s the CFL and two quarterbacks have to play,” Shiltz said. “We’ll see how Dane feels and I pray he’s okay but if he’s not it’s like any other position on the field, it’s next man. That’s my mentality.”

Shitlz finished three of four passes for 43 yards. Evans completed 16 of 29 passes for 220 yards and an interception, and also lost a fumble.

Hamilton’s Sean Thomas Erlington rushed for 104 yards on play with 13 carries. Tim White had seven catches for 113 yards.

“I can’t say enough,” Steinauer said of Thomas Erlington. “This guy just shows up when called, he’s steadfast.

“He fired a couple of shots and fell forward and was able to allow us to continue the run.”

Evans’ TD was set up by Ottawa quarterback Nick Arbuckle’s Cedric Wilcots II sack streak, which gave Hamilton possession late in the third game at the Ottawa 29-yard line. Lewis Ward’s 36-yard field goal at 3:48 made it 24:24.

Arbuckle finished 19 of 27 with a 166-yard pass as Ottawa lost the contest, though he won the turnover fight 4-1.

“It’s not often that you win a few games by losing the takeaway fight, but it just shows that it’s possible,” Steinauer said. “We had the wind to start half-time but we didn’t do much with it until the end and that was the most important thing.

“We’ve done a good job all season…actually moving the ball into the wind and getting away with some points.”

Small’s 27-yard field goal at 8:52 gave Hamilton a 27-24 lead before Ward made it 27-27 with a 51-yard kick at 13:17.

Small’s 38-yard field goal at 1:13 p.m. of the third drew Hamilton to 21-16.

Brandin Dandridge had the other TD for Ottawa. Ward kicked the converts and two field goals.

Evans scored both of Hamilton’s touchdowns. Small added the converts.

Ottawa led 21-13 at halftime, scoring all of his points downwind in the second quarter. Hamilton collected 10 points in the first.

Evans’ one-yard run at 10:25 of the second — he holed the ball after scoring his record-breaking TD — at 10:25 gave Ottawa a 21-10 advantage. Small hit from 23 yards at 13:02 to round out the first-half goal.

Dandridge gave Ottawa a 14-10 lead at 3:38. He hit on a 51-yard return after taking out Hamilton receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. on a 15-yard reception.

It came just after Evans’ two-yard TD run put Ottawa 10-7 at 2:44 to end a 10-play, 81-yard march on the Redblacks’ first possession with the wind.

Hamilton opened with the breeze at his back after Ottawa won and deferred the throw. The Ticats had a lost fumble, punt and missed a 53-yard field goal attempt on their first three possessions before Small opened the scoring with a 37-yard field goal at 8:05.

Evans gave Hamilton a 10-0 lead with a one-yard run in third place at 1:15 p.m.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 21, 2022.