Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (19) is tackled by Toronto Argonauts defensive back Royce Metchie (9) during second half CFL football action in Toronto on Friday, September 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
TORONTO – Marc Liegghio’s 48-yard field goal on the final play rallied the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a thrilling 33-31 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night.
Liegghio’s boot capped a solid seven-play, 35-yard drive with no timeouts for Hamilton. It came after Lirim Hajrullahu’s 28-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining put Toronto ahead 31-30.
Hajrullahu’s kick came after Liegghio connected from 15 yards out at 12:50 to give Hamilton a 30-28 advantage. But Toronto starter Chad Kelly missed a wide-open DaVaris Daniels in the end zone.
And it appeared Toronto would get the ball at the Hamilton one-yard line on a pass interference call in the end zone. But it was overturned by the command centre.
Hamilton (5-9) swept the three-game season series with Toronto (7-7), its first since 2019. Overall, the Ticats have won three straight but more importantly they pulled within four points of the third-place Argos with both teams having four regular-season games remaining.
Hamilton starter Bo Levi Mitchell was 31-of-40 passing for 362 yards and a touchdown and improved to 15-2 all-time against Toronto, to the dismay of 18,210 spectators at BMO Field.
Kelly was 17-of-26 passing for 255 yards with a touchdown and interception. He also ran for two TDs.
His one-yard TD run at 9:08 put Toronto ahead 28-27 to cap a three-play, 70-yard scoring drive.
Hajrullahu’s 43-yard field goal at 1:29 pulled Toronto to within 24-21. But Liegghio countered with a 25-yard field goal at 7:35 to put Hamilton up 27-21.
Makai Polk had Toronto’s other touchdown. Deontra McMahon had a two-point convert while Hajrullahu kicked three field goals and a convert.
Jevoni Robinson and Antre Litre scored Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio finished with six field goals and two converts while Nik Constantinou added a single.
Liegghio’s 25-yard boot at 7:35 of the third gave Hamilton a 27-18 advantage.
Litre’s two-yard TD run at 4:53 put Hamilton ahead 21-18. Liegghio made it 24-18 with a 10-yard field goal at 14:22 but it came after Toronto stopped Litre on five straight rushing attempts from its one-yard line.
The last two came when Hamilton got a fresh set of downs following a Toronto offside penalty after stopping Litre on third down.
Liegghio’s 45-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Toronto’s lead to 18-14. But it came after a facemask penalty against tackle Brendan Bordner erased Mitchell’s 24-yard TD pass to Kiondre Smith earlier on the drive.
Kelly put Toronto ahead 18-11 with a 14-yard TD strike to Polk at 13:27. He then found McMahon for the two-point convert.
Constantinou’s 58-yard single put Hamilton ahead 11-10 at 11:26 after Kelly’s three-yard run at 8:56 made it 10-10.
Mitchell found Robinson on an eight-yard TD strike at 3:50. It was set up by Stavros Katsantonis’s interception and return to Toronto’s 19-yard line.
Hajrullahu’s 49-yard field goal at 3:17 of the first opened the scoring before Liegghio tied it with a 23-yard boot at 9:29.
UP NEXT:
Toronto: Hosts Montreal Alouettes (10-2-1) on Saturday night.
Hamilton: At B.C. Lions (7-7-0) on Friday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.
