The Hamilton Tiger-Cats started their preseason schedule on the right foot with a 27-22 victory Saturday afternoon over the visiting Toronto Argonauts.
It was also the first chance for fans to see quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in a Ticats uniform and he showed well, albeit in limited action.
Mitchell’s first pass attempt was a long bomb to a wide-open Justin McGriff but the rookie receiver had the ball bounce off his hands and to the turf for an incomplete pass.
After his second pass attempt fell incomplete on the next play, a check down to running back James Butler, Mitchell was clinical on his second drive of the game.
The 33-year-old went 3-for-4 for 63 yards passing and put an exclamation point on his day with a 32-yard touchdown throw to former Calgary teammate Richie Sindani.
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Rookie Ethan Ratke made good on his first field goal attempt of the game from the 19-yard line and moments later rookie Lio’undre Gallimore scored on an 84-yard punt return to make it 17-0 for Hamilton early in the second quarter.
The Argos responded with a couple of touchdowns in the third quarter when QB Cameron Dukes connected with RaJae Johnson and quarterback Bryan Scott found BJ Byrd in the endzone.
Those two scores were sandwiched on either side of Hamilton’s third TD of the game, an eight-yard toss from rookie pivot Taylor Powell to linebacker-turned-fullback Bailey Feltmate.
Hamilton’s other rookie kicker in camp, Jonathan Garibay, booted a 45-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter before Scott and Byrd connected for a 5-yard TD with no time left.
The Ticats will play their final exhibition game on June 2 in Montreal and will open the regular season on June 9 in Winnipeg.
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