The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-5) hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-7) on Friday night from Hamilton Stadium. These two teams played with heavy hearts as earlier in the day, former Winnipeg Assistant General Manager and Hamilton Tiger-Cats General Manager Ted Goveia passed away on Friday from cancer. The two teams honored him with a moment of silence before the game.
First Quarter:
Winnipeg got the ball to start the game on the 34-yard line. On the third play of the game, quarterback Chris Streveler’s pass intended for Keric Wheatfall was intercepted by Jamal Peters. He returned it for 39 yards before getting tackled on the seven-yard line.
Hamilton quickly got on the board when quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw the ball to Greg Bell, who ran into the endzone. The Tiger-Cats took a 7-0 lead with 12:39 left.
On Winnipeg’s next drive, running back Brady Oliveira had two carries for 20 yards and caught a 14-yard pass from Streveler to the 45-yard line. Next, Chris Streveler rushed for three yards to the 42-yard line. On the next play, Streveler found Keric Wheatfall for a 42-yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7 with 9:51 left to cap off a five-play drive for 79 yards.
Later, Hamilton’s offense moved the ball to the 35-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Marc Liegghio made a 43-yard field goal. The Tiger-Cats took a 10-7 lead with 6:23 left.
Late in the first quarter, Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira rushed for three yards and caught a 10-yard pass from Chris Streveler to the 47-yard line. They faced third down to begin the second quarter, trailing the Tiger-Cats 10-7.
Hamilton’s offense had 59 yards (34 yards passing, 25 yards rushing), and Winnipeg’s offense had 132 yards (77 yards passing, 55 yards rushing).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira rushed for 30 yards to the 27-yard line. Chris Streveler rushed for one yard before getting sacked by Philip Ossai for an 11-yard loss back to the 37-yard line. Kicker Sergio Castillo made a 45-yard field goal, and the game was tied 10-10 with 10:05 left.
Later, Hamilton’s offense moved the ball to the 27-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Marc Liegghio made a 35-yard field goal for a 13-10 lead with 7:22 left.
Late in the second quarter, Winnipeg quarterback Chris Streveler’s pass intended for Nic Demski was intercepted by DaShaun Amos. He returned it for 22 yards to the 26-yard line.
Hamilton running back Greg Bell rushed for 13 yards, and Bo Levi Mitchell completed a six-yard pass to Kenny Lawler to the seven-yard line. On the next play, Mitchell threw a touchdown pass to Tim White. The Tiger-Cats extended their lead to 20-10 at halftime to cap off a three-play drive for 26 yards.
First Half Stats:
Hamilton’s offense had 178 yards (126 yards passing, 52 yards rushing), 10 first downs, 2 for 2 in the redzone, and the team was penalized three times for 30 yards. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 13 of 17 passes (76.4%) for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Greg Bell had seven carries for 30 yards, two catches for 22 yards, and one touchdown. Wide receiver Kenny Lawler made four catches for 49 yards, while Tim White made three catches for 29 yards and one touchdown. The defense made one sack and two interceptions.
Winnipeg’s offense had 201 yards (81 yards passing, 131 yards rushing, 11 yards lost), 9 first downs, no redzone opportunities, and the team was penalized two times for 25 yards. Quarterback Chris Streveler completed 5 of 10 passes (50%) for 81 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and three carries for 21 yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had 13 carries for 110 yards and two catches for 34 yards. Wide receiver Keric Wheatfall made one catch for 42 yards and one touchdown, while Ontaria Wilson made one catch for 11 yards.
Third Quarter:
In the third quarter, Hamilton running back Greg Bell had five carries for 33 yards, leading the offense to the five-yard line until the drive stalled. Kicker Marc Liegghio made a 13-yard field goal for a 23-10 lead with 3:40 left.
Late in the third quarter, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 18-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Sergio Castillo made a 26-yard field goal. The Blue Bombers trailed the Tiger-Cats 23-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Hamilton had the ball on the 54-yard line. Running back Greg Bell led the way with five carries for 41 yards to the 15-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Marc Liegghio made a 23-yard field goal. The Tiger-Cats led 26-13 with 7:01 left.
Later, Hamilton defensive lineman Devin Veresuk sacked Chris Streveler for an eight-yard loss, but suffered an upper-body injury. He was taken off the field by a cart.
Late in the game, Hamilton’s offense moved the ball to the seven-yard line. On the next play, Bo Levi Mitchell handed the ball off to Greg Bell. Bell broke a tackle on his way into the endzone. They went for a two-point conversion, but did not get it. It was now 32-13 with 2:47 left to cap off a seven-play drive for 73 yards.
Winnipeg’s offense quickly moved the ball to the five-yard line. Quarterback Chris Streveler rushed for the seven-yard touchdown. They went for a two-point conversion and got it when Streveler completed a pass to Nic Demski. The Blue Bombers trailed the Tiger-Cats 32-21 with 1:36 left to cap off a nine-play drive for 68 yards.
Winnipeg attempted an onside kick, but Hamilton got the ball. After Hamilton went two-and-out, Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 47-yard line. The offense moved the ball to the one-yard line when the clock showed triple zeros. The Tiger-Cats defeated the Blue Bombers 32-21 for their second straight win.
Final Stats:
Hamilton’s offense had 393 yards (230 yards passing, 163 yards rushing), 21 first downs, 3 for 5 in the redzone, and the team was penalized five times for 45 yards. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 21 of 28 passes (75%) for 230 yards, two touchdowns, and two carries for eight yards.
Running back Greg Bell had 22 carries for 137 yards, one touchdown, three catches for 31 yards, and one touchdown. Wide receiver Kenny Lawler made seven catches for 97 yards, while Tim White made five catches for 64 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 43 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions.
Winnipeg’s offense had 420 yards (241 yards passing, 198 yards rushing, 19 yards lost), 22 first downs, 1 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized six times for 65 yards. Quarterback Chris Streveler completed 18 of 29 passes (62%) for 241 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 11 carries for 82 yards, and one touchdown.
Running back Brady Oliveira had 15 carries for 116 yards and two catches for 34 yards. Wide receiver Keric Wheatfall made two catches for 50 yards and one touchdown, while Ontaria Wilson made five catches for 74 yards. The defense made 46 tackles and one turnover on downs.
Next Saturday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit the Ottawa Redblacks at 3 pm on CTV, TSN, and CFL+, followed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Edmonton Elks at 7 pm on TSN and CFL+.
