It was billed the game of the week, and possibly one of the most important this year. But no one thought it would have lived up to the hype quite like this.
The Ticats came into Rogers Center 2 points up on the Argos for first place in the East division, the certainly played like a division leader from the start. In front of the officially announced attendance of 17 811, Hamilton took control of the game early thanks in large part to excellent kickoff and punt returns, giving them a short field to work with.
The Ticats went into halftime up 20-10, and looked like they were in complete control of the game. Zach Collaros played like he had something to prove to his old team and his old mentor Ricky Ray. He looked like a seasoned vet, making big plays with his arm as well as his legs when the openings appeared. Case in point: his 28-yard touchdown run, that may as well have been a stroll through the open field.
Hamilton was up 30-13 going into the fourth quarter, looking to close out their rivals. That’s when the game changed. Toronto seemed to suddenly solve Hamilton’s high-powered offence. Picking up a fumble in the Ticats back field was the turning point of the game.
The Argos got a second wind from that fumble and their effort was rewarded with a touchdown. But the game’s biggest touchdown came with under a minute and a half left, as Ricky Ray hit his biggest weapon Chad Owens for a 69-yard major which proved to be the game winner.
After the contest, head coach Scott Milanovich was visibly proud of the character his team showed in the fourth quarter. But he tempered his comments, stating “This wasn’t our best effort… We have some things to clean up and work on.”
The special teams coverage on kick offs and punt returns clearly needs some attention. When pressed on this, Milanovich continued, “Obviously, a lot will need be addressed. Also our tackling also needs to get better. We can’t allow that kind of yardage. The guys will take the positives out of it but know we have to better”.
Although the head coach felt it was “not our best effort”, the Boatmen still survived. And with that victory, they’ve put themselves in the driver’s seat in the race for first in the East. That’s not to take any credit away from Montreal, as they’re only a single win back from the three-way tie for first, and have a game in hand. But the Argos can look forward to hosting Montreal next week and Hamilton again the week after.
Everyone expected a close contest last night, but no one predicted that ending. A frustrating first three quarters for the Argos and a 21-point fourth quarter to top it off – as the cliche in CFL football goes, no lead is safe.
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