HAMILTON — Tre Ford came off the bench to spark a second-half comeback as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 26-19 on Saturday night at Hamilton Stadium.
Taking over for Hamilton starter Harrison Frost in the third quarter, Ford led three of his four drives to points and finished with 151 yards and a touchdown on 13-for-17 passing. He also added 38 rushing yards on four attempts to help Hamilton snap a three-game skid and improve to 4-6. Keric Wheatfall led all Ticats receivers, tallying 108 yards as well as his first receiving major in the Black and Gold.
It wasn’t the crispest start for either offence, with each managing just two first downs in the opening frame, but the Ticats made the most of an early opportunity to take the lead. Trevor Harris‘ first attempt of the game was tipped then picked off by Stavros Katsantonis on the Riders’ side of the field, and Frost connected with Myron Mitchell in the end zone two snaps later.
Alex Hale answered for Saskatchewan, building off a miss-less Week 10 with field goals from 48 and 41 yards in windy Hamilton Stadium conditions. Harris settled in before the break, leading a nine-play, 84-yard drive and capping it with a dart to Johnny Johnson III. In an elevated role with receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus out, the rookie’s first career touchdown catch put Saskatchewan ahead 13-10 at halftime.
Hale added another three points to the Riders’ lead in the third quarter before Ticats head coach Scott Milanovich turned to Tre Ford at quarterback. Ford moved Hamilton into field goal range, but Milanovich elected to go for it on third-and-eight, and Ford couldn’t scramble for the first down. Hale made the Ticats pay on the ensuing possession, drilling a career-long 52-yarder.
Ford found his rhythm later in the third, using his legs to set up a Marc Liegghio field goal before leading a 93-yard touchdown drive in the fourth. The dual-threat needed just six plays to go the distance, saving his best for last as he lofted a 41-yard strike to Wheatfall to give Hamilton the lead. Liegghio added two more field goals, and the Ticats’ defence slammed the door from there as Harris and company failed to mount a late response.
Harris finished with 207 yards, a touchdown, and a pair of interceptions on 23/35 passing, moving ahead of Tracy Ham for 11th on the CFL’s all-time passing yardage leaderboard. The loss dropped Saskatchewan to 6-3 and cost the Riders sole possession of first place in the West Division after Edmonton’s Week 11 win over Toronto.
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SCORING PLAYS
- Harrison Frost 27-yard passing touchdown to Myron Mitchell (10:32, Q1) | HAM 7 SSK 0
- Alex Hale 48-yard field goal (2:23, Q1) | HAM 7 SSK 3
- Marc Liegghio 15-yard field goal (9:03, Q2) | HAM 10 SSK 3
- Alex Hale 41-yard field goal (3:33, Q2) | HAM 10 SSK 6
- Trevor Harris 21-yard passing touchdown to Johnny Johnson III (0:23, Q2) | SSK 13 HAM 10
- Alex Hale 14-yard field goal (8:03, Q3) | SSK 16 HAM 10
- Alex Hale 52-yard field goal (2:53, Q3) | SSK 19 HAM 10
- Marc Liegghio 34-yard field goal (14:18, Q4) | SSK 19 HAM 13
- Tre Ford 41-yard passing touchdown to Keric Wheatfall (8:47, Q4) | HAM 20 SSK 19
- Marc Liegghio 25-yard field goal (3:52, Q4) | HAM 23 SSK 19
- Marc Liegghio 38-yard field goal (0:51, Q4) | HAM 26 SSK 19
NEXT UP
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are off to Vancouver in Week 12, where they will take on the rejuvenated BC Lions on Sunday, August 23. The Lions have now won three straight after opening Week 11 with a victory over the Calgary Stampeders, but fell 31-27 to the Riders when the teams met in Week 2. It will be the second of three matchups this season, with the series concluding in Week 17.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats kick off a two-game road trip in Week 12 as they visit the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, August 22. The last time they met, the Ticats escaped with a one-point victory in a contest that went down to the final play. Hamilton will have a chance to clinch the season series for the third consecutive year ahead of the final head-to-head in Week 14.