The Hamilton Tiger-Cats started a pivotal six-game stretch of the season with a nail-biting 24-17 victory over the Montreal Alouettes Thursday night at Tim Hortons Field.
Ticats quarterback Dane Evans completed 13-of-18 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown while Hamilton’s defence held Montreal’s offence in check for most of the game and forced two turnovers.
Hamilton did most of its damage on offence while going into the wind in the third quarter as they outscored the Alouettes 14-0 in the period thanks to touchdowns by receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. and running back Don Jackson.
About five minutes after halftime, Dunbar Jr. hauled in a short pass from Evans and ran 40 yards for his fifth TD of the season. Jackson scored his first major of the season roughly five minutes later to put the Tiger-Cats ahead 24-6.
Rookie quarterback Jamie Newman scored his first touchdown in the CFL when he powered across the Montreal goal line on a third and goal from the one-yard line to give Hamilton a 7-3 lead 1:50 into the second frame.
The game marked the first of six consecutive games that Hamilton will play against Montreal and Toronto including the Labour Day Classic against the East Division leading Argonauts.
Montreal closed the gap in the fourth quarter with a 17-yard field goal by David Cote and a four-yard touchdown from QB Trevor Harris to Hergy Mayala but Hamilton linebacker Kameron Kelly ended any hope of an Alouettes comeback with an interception at the goal line as time expired.
The Al’s had to send backup QB Dominique David onto the field after the CFL spotter pulled starter Trevor Harris from the game after he took a late hit from Hamilton’s Stavros Katsantonis with just eight seconds to play and the ball on the Ticats’ 21 yard line.
Cote opened the scoring with a 16-yard field goal with 30 seconds to play in the first quarter, one of his three field goals on the night.
Seth Small converted his only field goal attempt from 30 yards out with 43 seconds to play in the first half that put the Cats up 10-6.
Hamilton’s next game is Aug. 6 against in Toronto in what will be the first of back-to-back games against the Argos.
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