In a battle of two winless teams on Friday Night Football, the Edmonton Elks stunned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field with a fourth-quarter comeback.
In the first quarter, the Ticats punted the ball to the Elks’ seven-yard line. Then, the Ticats took a 2-0 lead when Matt Mengel took a knee in their own endzone for a safety. When the Ticats got the ball back, they marched down to the Elks’ 21-yard line before Ticats quarterback Dane Evans threw a 21-yard touchdown pass down the middle to Steven Dunbar, extending the Ticats’ lead 9-0 with 7:46 left.
Ticats quarterback Evans was 20/31 for 197 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and eight carries for 39 yards. Meanwhile, Steven Dunbar was second in receiving with three catches for 51 yards and one touchdown.
The Elks needed a response on the next drive. Rookie quarterback Tre Ford was making his first career start. He took the Elks down to the one-yard line before backup quarterback Kai Lockley rushed for a touchdown. However, Sergio Castillo missed the extra point, trailing 9-6 with 57-seconds left in the first quarter.
On the kickoff, Ticats returner Lawrence Woods turned on the jets and sprinted for a 72-yard touchdown just before the first quarter ended, and Hamilton’s lead grew 16-6 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Sergio Castillo attempted a 59-yard field goal but missed wide right. Ticats returner Lawrence Woods was tackled in the endzone, and the Elks got a single point, 16-7, with 5:23 left. Then, Ticats kicker Michael Domagala made a 25-yard field goal with 1:47 left for a 19-7 lead.
Just before halftime, Elks’ punter Matt Mengel pinned Hamilton inside the ten-yard line. The Ticats went three-and-out and gave up a safety for a 19-9 lead heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, both teams traded field goals. First, Michael Domagala made a 33-yard field goal, extending Hamilton’s lead 22-9. Then, Sergio Castillo made two field goals, cutting the Ticats lead 22-15 heading into the fourth quarter.
Edmonton’s defense stepped up at the start of the fourth quarter when Matthew Thomas intercepted Dane Evans at Hamilton’s 38-yard line. The Elks’ defense allowed 302 yards, 51 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
Then, Tre Ford led the Elks down to the Ticats ten-yard line before throwing to Kenny Lawler with three Ticats around him for a touchdown, tying the game 22-22 with 11:05 left in the game. Tre Ford went 15/26 for 159 yards, one touchdown, and one interception and led the rushers with six carries for 61 yards. Meanwhile, Kenny Lawler led the Elks’ receivers with four catches for 43 yards and one touchdown. The Ticats fans were stunned at what they were seeing.
On Hamilton’s next possession, they went three-and-out, followed by Edmonton going three-and-out, giving the Ticats back the ball with 7:40 left in the game. Dane Evans threw short passes, trying to take time off the clock and get them more points. It worked as the Ticats reached the Elks’ 24-yard line before Michael Domagala made his third field goal for 33-yards, giving them a three-point lead, 25-22, with 3:24 left.
The Elks made little progress on their next possession before punting the ball back to Hamilton with 1:59 left. The Ticats’ defense allowed 289 yards, 41 tackles, one sack, three pass breakups, and one interception.
At this point, all the Ticats had to do was get yards and force Edmonton to use their remaining timeouts. The Elks’ defense was ready for whatever Hamilton threw at them. Dane Evans scrambled out of the pocket until Scott Hunter tackled the ball out of Evans’ arm, and Jalen Collins recovered it and went into the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown, giving the Elks a 29-25 lead with 1:38 left.
Hamilton had one more chance to win the game. They made it to the Elks’ 29-yard line but went three-and-out. The Elks went into victory formation and won their first game of the season, 29-25. Meanwhile, the Ticats remain winless. The last time the Ticats started the season 0-4 was back in 2017, when they finished 6-12 that season, missing the playoffs.
This was a hard-fought win for Edmonton. Elks’ quarterback Tre Ford who looked good out there on his first start. His ability to escape the pocket and run adds another problem for opposing defenses. Next week, the Elks host the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday at 9 pm on ESPN+.
For Hamilton, this was the second time this year they’ve blown a huge lead. Despite being 0-4, the East Division is still up for grabs, so Hamilton can’t afford to blow any more games if they want to repeat as East champions. The Ticats will be off next week.
