The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-2) hosted the Montreal Alouettes (3-1) on Friday night at Hamilton Stadium. Davis Alexander did not start for Montreal due to a hamstring injury. McLeod Bethel-Thompson got the start.
First Quarter:
Hamilton got the ball to start the game. Unfortunately, the first quarter was uneventful. Hamilton had 78 yards on offense (76 yards passing, 9 yards rushing, 7 yards lost), while Montreal’s offense had 42 yards (29 yards passing, 13 yards rushing). Defense set the tone for this game.
Hamilton’s offense on their first possession of the game made it to the 46-yard line facing third down. They went for it but Ante Milanovic-Litre was short of the first down, turning the ball over to Montreal.
Early in the first quarter, Montreal punter Joseph Zema punted the ball 52 yards sailing over the head of returner Isaiah Wooden. The ball bounced into the end zone and then out of bounds for a single point. Montreal led 1-0 with 12:20 left.
Montreal defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy sacked Bo Levi Mitchell for a seven-yard loss forcing third down. Hamilton punter Nic Constantinou punted the ball 69 yards into the endzone, where Montreal returner James Letcher Jr. conceded the single point. The game was tied 1-1 with 7:10 left.
Late in the first quarter, Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s pass was intercepted by Jamal Peters. The pass was intended for Charleston Rambo. Hamilton defensive lineman Julian Howsare pressured and nearly got to Thompson when he threw the interception.
However, Hamilton gave it back. On the third play from scrimmage, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed a 15-yard pass to Jevoni Robinson. Montreal defensive back Lorenzo Burns hit the ball out of Robinson’s arm and Geoffrey Cantin-Arku recovered the ball just before it went out of bounds.
Despite the turnovers, neither team could find the end zone. The game remained tied 1-1 heading into the second quarter.
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw five passes for 32 yards, and he rushed for four yards. Backup quarterback Caleb Evans rushed for one yard to Hamilton’s 29-yard line. Thompson was sacked by Julian Howsare for a one-yard loss on second down. Kicker Jose Carlos Maltos made a 37-yard field goal for a 4-1 lead with 5:14 left.
Hamilton’s offense got going late in the second quarter thanks to running back Johnny Augustine. He caught a pass from Bo Levi Mitchell for 39 yards, followed by two carries for 22 yards to Montreal’s nine-yard line.
On the next play, Mitchell completed a five-yard pass to Treshaun Ward, and running back Ante Milanovic-Litre rushed for three yards to Montreal’s one-yard line. After two failed attempts at the endzone, Hamilton went for it. The offense was set up in a cross formation. Kenny Lawler ran across the field with no one on him, and Mitchell threw to him for the touchdown. It was now 8-4 with 1:26 left to cap off an eight-play drive for 70 yards.
Montreal was looking to get points before halftime. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw two passes for 23 yards. On the next play, Thompson was sacked by Mario Kendricks which ended the first half with Hamilton leading Montreal 8-4.
First Half Stats:
Hamilton had 159 yards on offense (132 yards passing, 36 yards rushing, 9 yards lost), 8 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 29 yards. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 12 of 17 passes (71%) for 132 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Johnny Augustine had five carries for 29 yards and two catches for 50 yards. Wide receiver Tim White made five catches for 38 yards. The defense made two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one interception.
Montreal had 97 yards on offense (83 yards passing, 20 yards rushing, 6 yards lost), 7 first downs, and the team was penalized three times for 28 yards. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 12 of 18 passes (66%) for 83 yards, one interception, and two carries for 16 yards.
Running back Stevie Scott III had one carry for two yards, and wide receiver Charleston Rambo made four catches for 36 yards. The defense made one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Third Quarter:
Montreal got the ball to start the third quarter. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed five passes for 45 yards leading them to Hamilton’s four-yard line. Instead of going for it on third down, kicker Jose Carlos Maltos made a 12-yard field goal, and Montreal trailed Hamilton 8-7 with 10:47 left.
Hamilton went two-and-out on their next possession. In a play that woke up the team and the crowd, punter Nic Constantinou faked a punt before throwing a short pass to Tyler Ternowski for 11 yards giving them a first down. Hamilton’s offense continued to march down the field, reaching Montreal’s 29-yard line before kicker Marc Liegghio made a 37-yard field goal for an 11-7 lead with 5:59 left.
Late in the third quarter, Hamilton’s defense changed the outcome of this game. Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s pass intended for Charleston Rambo was deflected by Travis Theis, who thought he was the intended target. Instead, the ball was hung up in the air for a few seconds before Hamilton rookie linebacker Devin Veresuk intercepted it for a 36-yard pick-six touchdown. It was now 18-7 Hamilton heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Montreal kicker Jose Carlos Maltos made a 35-yard field goal. Montreal trailed Hamilton 18-10 with 13:06 left of the game.
Hamilton’s offense went on an eight-play drive for 65 yards. The drive concluded when quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Tim White for a 25-10 lead with 8:15 left.
With their backs against the wall, Montreal needed to make a play. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw four passes for 59 yards to reach Hamilton’s five-yard line. On the next play, Thompson threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Cole Spieker. It was now 25-17 with 3:54 left of the game.
When Montreal got the ball back, they sealed their fate. The Alouettes were pinned on their seven-yard line when a bad snap went off the right hand of McLeod Bethel-Thompson. He was chasing the ball in the endzone when Hamilton defensive lineman Julian Howsare ran Thompson over before falling onto the football in the endzone for the touchdown. It was now 32-17 Hamilton with 2:21 left. The miscues by Montreal’s offense cost them this game.
Hamilton kicker Marc Liegghio scored the final points of the game with a 42-yard field goal. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Montreal Alouettes by the final score of 35-17. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell earned his 100th-career win as a starter.
Final Stats:
Hamilton had 309 yards on offense (258 yards passing, 60 yards rushing, 9 yards lost), 17 first downs, 2 for 2 in the red zone, and the team was penalized 10 times for 79 yards.
Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 25 of 31 passes (81%) for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and two carries for four yards. Running back Johnny Augustine led the rushers with 15 carries for 49 yards, and three catches for 50 yards.
Wide receiver Tim White led the receivers making nine catches for 78 yards, and one touchdown, while Kenny Lawler made four catches for 27 yards, and one touchdown. The defense made 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and four turnovers.
Montreal had 226 yards on offense (203 yards passing, 38 yards rushing, 15 yards lost), 16 first downs, 1 for 2 in the red zone, and the team was penalized seven times for 68 yards. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 24 of 41 passes (59%) for 203 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and three carries for 19 yards.
Running back Travis Theis had one carry for 11 yards, and wide receiver Cole Spieker led the receivers making six catches for 57 yards, and one touchdown. The defense made 43 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Next week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats visit the Toronto Argonauts on Friday at 7:30 pm on TSN and CFL+. The Montreal Alouettes host the B.C. Lions on Saturday at 7 pm on TSN/CTV, CBS Sports Network, and CFL+.
