‘He knows how we’re built’: Ticats ready for Masoli and Redblacks

Five weeks into the Canadian Football League season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are still trying to hammer down their first victory.

Hamilton’s next opportunity to break the goose egg in the win column will come Saturday night when the Ottawa Redblacks (1-2) visit Tim Hortons Field.

You can listen to the game on CHML radio, starting with the pregame show at 6 p.m. Eastern. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Fans can catch The 5th Quarter postgame show 30 minutes after the final whistle.

The Tiger-Cats (0-3) have not enjoyed a very good start to the 2023 campaign, being outscored 112-57 in lopsided losses against Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.

Coming off their first bye week of the year, the refreshed Tabbies will try to avoid a repeat of last season’s 0-4.

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Ottawa only earned their first win of 2023 last week when they breezed past the winless Edmonton Elks, but they are getting a big boost heading into their matchup with the Ticats.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will make his first start in a year after he sustained a season-ending leg injury in Week 4 in 2022. Saturday’s game is actually one year to the day of his injury.

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The 34-year-old Masoli spent nine seasons with the Tiger-Cats and appeared in three Grey Cup games in 2014, 2019 and 2021 before he joined the Redblacks as a free agent last year.

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“We’re going against a really great quarterback in Jeremiah Masoli,” said Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence, who was a teammate of his for nine seasons.

“He is a rhythm guy. We just got to get him off rhythm,” added Lawrence. “Even though he’s on the other side you kinda root for him because he is such a great person.”

But it’s not like Lawrence and the Ticats’ defence are planning to take it easy against their former locker room pal.

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“He knows how we’re built,” said Lawrence. “I’ll take a fair shot at him,” he said with a chuckle.

Ticats head coach Orlondo Steinauer offered a glowing review of his former starting pivot, calling Masoli “a pro” and “a winner.”

However, Steinauer and the Cats are hoping Masoli and the Redblacks are not winners this week.