The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are limping into their first bye week of the Canadian Football League season after getting dominated 44-28 by the B.C. Lions on Sunday night.
The loss dropped the Ticats to a league-worst 0-5 record in front of 20,210 fans at Tim Hortons Field.
QB Vernon Adams Jr. and receiver Justin McInnis were a two-man wrecking crew for the Lions, who improved to 4-1. Adams threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns while McInnis made a game-high 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores.
The Lions opened the scoring just over two minutes into the contest with a four-play, 77-yard drive that ended with QB Vernon Adams Jr. lofting a 45-yard bomb to a wide open William Stanback.
After the Ticats went two-and-out on their first offensive series of the game, Adams went back to work by engineering a six-play, 70-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard TD to receiver Justin McInnis.
Adams and McInnis combined on a 7-yard TD early in the second quarter and Sean Whyte booted a 39-yard field to stretch BC’s lead to 24-1.
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Hamilton finally got into the endzone with just over nine minutes to play in the first half when QB Bo Levi Mitchell and running back James Butler hooked up on a 32-yard touchdown. Mitchell completed 32 of his 48 pass attempts for 374 yards and three TDs.
But any momentum the Cats enjoyed quickly evaporated when Adams heaved a 69-yard touchdown to Alexander Hollins on B.C. very next offensive play. It was one of Hollins’ six receptions for 116 yards.
Hamilton kicker Marc Liegghio and B.C.’s Whyte traded field goals early in the third quarter before Mitchell threw a four-yard touchdown to receiver Luther Hakunavanhu, his first as a Ticat.
B.C. answered back with a three-yard score by Stanback with less than two minutes to play in the game. Stanback finished the game with 14 carries for 82 rushing yards.
The Cats rounded out the scoring with no time left when Mitchell threw a four-yard touchdown to receiver Kiondre Smith. Butler was limited to 27 rushing yards on nine carries but hauled in nine catches for a team-best 108 yards.
Penalties continue to be a problem for the Cats, who committed nine infractions for 74 yards compared to the Lions’ five penalties for 55 yards.
The Tiger-Cats next play July 20 when they host the Toronto Argonauts.