Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a 40-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats wrapped up their best regular season in franchise history with a 21-18 win against the Toronto Argonauts Saturday night.
The victory boosted the Ticats’ record to a franchise best 15-3, which ties the CFL record for most wins by an East Division team. Hamilton also recorded its first 9-0 record at home and scored the second-most points (551) in the franchise’s 150 year history.
Toronto struck first when Shaquille Richardson stepped in front of Hayden Moore’s second pass attempt of the game and returned the interception for an 89-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead just 3:53 into the contest.
Moore’s first start in the Canadian Football League didn’t go according to plan. He completed 18 of his 28 pass attempts and was intercepted four times. But Toronto could only score one point on five turnovers.
Hamilton answered back with 1:49 to play in the first quarter when Cameron Marshall scored his first TD of the season on a 5-yard run.
Early in the second quarter, Tiger-Cats kicker Lirim Hajrullahu lined up a 49-yard field goal attempt but ended up booting an onside kick that was recovered by lineback Justin Tuggle. Three plays later, Hajrullahu converted a 29-yard field goal to give the Cats a 10-6 lead.
Toronto QB Dakota Prukop heaved a 75-yard touchdown to receiver Rodney Smith to go up 13-10 4:01 into the second quarter.
But the lead was short-lived as Marshall scored his second rushing major of the game just 3:59 later to give Hamilton a 17-13 advantage. Marshall ended the game with 109 yards on 18 carries.
The Argonauts tied the game at 17-all just before halftime when Zack Medeiros hit a 42-yard field goal and had to settle for a rouge when he missed a 29-yard field goal attempt.
Neither team scored in an uneventful the third quarter.
Hajrullahu gave the Ticats a one point lead with 6:03 left in the game when he drilled a 57-yard punt single.
With 2:22 remaining in the fourth quarter Ronnie Pfeffer had a chance to give the Argos the lead but missed a 22-yard field goal attempt and settled for a single to even the game at 18.
2:20 later, Hajrullahu belted the game winning kick.
Hamilton will host the CFL’s Eastern Final on Nov. 17 against either the Montreal Alouettes or Edmonton Eskimos.
The Tiger-Cats beat the Alouettes in two of their three meetings during the regular season and swept the Eskimos in 2019.
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