Hamilton Tiger-Cats Secure 23-20 Victory Over Ottawa Redblacks with Late TD

In a closely contested matchup, Bo Levi Mitchell connected with Kenny Lawler for a crucial three-yard touchdown pass with only 1:54 left on the clock, guiding the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a 23-20 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks. This touchdown capped an impressive six-play, 50-yard drive that was kept alive by a roughing the passer penalty on Ottawa's Michael Wakefield. With this win, Hamilton improved to a record of 3-2, placing them in a tie with Montreal for the top position in the East Division, while the Redblacks fell to 1-5 after suffering three consecutive defeats.

The game’s final moments saw Ottawa, starting from their own 19-yard line, fail to convert a fourth down at their 39-yard line with just 1:13 remaining, much to the delight of the crowd of 22,913 at Hamilton Stadium. Earlier, the Ticats had a perfect opportunity to take the lead when Mack Bannatyne recovered a fumble from Kalil Pembelton after a 57-yard punt, but they ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Redblacks’ four-yard line. Ottawa appeared poised to extend their lead with a potential 105-yard punt return touchdown from Pimpleton, but this was invalidated due to an illegal block penalty, which marked their first penalty of the game after a failed challenge.

Ottawa’s Dru Brown had a tough outing, throwing an interception to Jamal Peters shortly after their drive began at the 15-yard line, providing Hamilton with excellent field position at the 43-yard line of Ottawa. This set the stage for Marc Liegghio’s 38-yard field goal that brought Hamilton within four points at 20-16. Liegghio contributed significantly to the team's efforts, kicking three field goals throughout the match. Meanwhile, Ottawa had touchdowns from Keelan White and William Stanback, with Lewis Ward adding two field goals and the extra points.

The Redblacks initially seemed to gain control of the game when Stanback scored on a 23-yard touchdown run, taking the lead to 20-13. Hamilton's ability to respond was seen when Liegghio tied the matchup with a 41-yard kick after Mitchell had earlier connected with Lawler for a 44-yard touchdown, evening the score at 10-10. The first quarter featured Brown's touchdown pass to White, which helped Ottawa secure a slight 7-4 advantage at halftime, despite them contributing to only 142 net offensive yards during the game. Both teams had their share of penalties, with Hamilton particularly struggling in the first half, incurring seven penalties for 71 yards.