On Saturday evening at Tim Hortons Field, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks squared off in the battle of two winless teams. Ottawa got the ball to start the game.
With Jeremiah Masoli out for ten to twelve weeks, Caleb Evans is now the new starting quarterback for Ottawa. Evans threw a 22-yard pass to Jaelon Acklin, and he took off for a 26-yard run. Running back, William Powell had three carries before Caleb Evans found Jaelon Acklin on the slant, and Acklin raced in for the touchdown, putting the Redblacks up 7-0 with 11:54 left.
On Hamilton’s first possession, Dane Evans threw the ball to Anthony Johnson, but Johnson lost the ball after being hit by Hakeem Bailey. The Redblacks recovered the ball and reached the Ticats’ 42-yard line, but Lewis Ward missed the field goal.
After Hamilton went two-and-out, they got the ball back after Caleb Evans’s pass intended for William Powell was intercepted by Kameron Kelly. Despite their best efforts, they could not move the ball but got a single point when Michael Domagala punted the ball for 60 yards to Richie Leone, and he took a knee in the endzone. The score was 7-1, with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Just before the first quarter ended, Redblacks’ kicker Lewis Ward made a 20-yard field goal for a 10-1 lead. Hamilton had the ball to start the second quarter.
Dane Evans led the Ticats down to the 21-yard line before Michael Domagala made a 28-yard field goal, cutting the Redblacks’ lead 10-4 with 14:05 left in the second quarter. Halfway through, Redblacks quarterback Caleb Evans threw his second interception to Alden Darby. Then Ticats quarterback Dane Evans threw a couple of long passes, including a 39-yarder to Felix Garand-Gauthier. Hamilton reached Ottawa’s two-yard line before backup Matthew Shiltz found an opening and went in for the touchdown, giving Hamilton an 11-10 lead with 4:57 left.
After the Redblacks went two-and-out, the Ticats got the ball back. Dane Evans threw a 36-yard pass to Steven Dunbar and rushed for ten yards. On 1st and 10, Evans had a little bit of time before the pocket collapsed, but Evans found Anthony Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown, extending their lead 18-11 with 51-seconds left. The Redblacks had one more chance to get a score but punted the ball as the first half ended. The Tiger-Cats were up 18-11.
In the third quarter, Redblacks quarterback Caleb Evans led the offense down to the Ticats five-yard. Then, running back, William Powell gained four yards before Caleb Evans scored a touchdown with a quarterback sneak to get themselves back in the game, 18-17, with 12:18 left. Both teams made some progress. However, no more points were added in the third quarter. The Ticats held on to an 18-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
With 7:59 left in the game on 2nd and 9, Hamilton quarterback Dane Evans lost the ball after being sacked by Douglas Coleman III, and Ottawa recovered the ball on the Ticats one-yard line. Redblacks’ quarterback Caleb Evans scored another touchdown with a quarterback sneak. They tried a two-point conversion but failed, and it was 23-18 with 7:24 left in the game.
Just when it looked like Ottawa was headed for its first win of the season, Dane Evans had other plans. He threw two huge passes to Bralon Addison (23 yards) and Tim White (18 yards), plus a couple of runs by Don Jackson to get them to the three-yard line. Then, from the shotgun, Evans threw right up the middle to Tim White for the touchdown, giving them a 25-23 lead with 19-seconds left.
On the kickoff, Terry Williams got the Redblacks to the 50-yard line. Caleb Evans threw a couple of passes that brought them to the Ticats 46-yard line, and Lewis Ward had a chance to win the game. However, his 54-yard field goal was short, and Hamilton won the game 25-23. Hamilton is now 1-4, while Ottawa is 0-5.
Hamilton quarterback Dane Evans went 21/28 for 342 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and one carry for ten yards. Don Jackson led the Ticats rushers with 11 carries for 34 yards, while Tim White led the receivers with six catches for 70 yards and one touchdown. Hamilton’s defense allowed 293 yards, 52 tackles, three sacks, two pass breakups, and two interceptions.
Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans went 18/30 for 203 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He led the rushers with eight carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Jaelon Acklin led the receivers with six catches for 118 yards and one touchdown. Ottawa’s defense allowed 455 yards, 57 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, four pass breakups, one interception, and three fumble recoveries.
For the defending East champions, it was a good win for them. They can still win the division as Toronto is the division leader after beating Saskatchewan on Saturday. If Hamilton can get back to playing like the last couple of years, they stand a chance to win the division. They have a challenging game next Thursday against the BC Lions at 10 pm on ESPN+.
For Ottawa, Caleb Evans has the opportunity to lead this team while Masoli is out recovering from a leg injury. It will be tough, but the Redblacks have the weapons to do the job. They will look for their first win of the season when they host Ottawa next Thursday at 7 pm on ESPN+.
