Hamilton Tiger-Cats can’t stop red hot Toronto Argonauts

The Toronto Argonauts are 5-0 for the first time since 1960 after topping the Tiger-Cats 31-15 Friday night in front of a sold out crowd at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 306 yards and completed touchdown passes to receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and DaVaris Daniels in the first half as the Argos stopped the Ticats’ two game winning streak as 24,312 looked on.

Rookie QB Taylor Powell made his first start in the Canadian Football League for the Ticats and completed 27-of-41 passes for 282 yards and ran for a 13-yard TD in the fourth quarter. He was also intercepted once.

Toronto opened the game with an impressive seven-play drive in the first three-and-a-half minutes, highlighted by a 50-yard pass by Kelly to receiver Dejon Brissett. The drive culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by backup pivot Cameron Dukes.

Four minutes into the second quarter, the Argos went up 14-0 when Kelly zipped an 8-yard pass into the hands of Gittens Jr. for a touchdown.

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Minutes after cornerback Jamal Peters intercepted Powell at the Hamilton 39-yard line, Kelly and Daniels connected on a 32-yard TD to give Toronto a 20-0 edge.

Hamilton finally got on the scoreboard with 1:47 left in the first half when Marc Liegghio booted a 19-yard field goal. The points came four plays after Nic Cross was onside when he recovered a punt by teammate Bailey Flint at the Argos’ 39.

The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter before Liegghio added his third field goal of the game early in the fourth frame to trim Toronto’s lead to 23-9.

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Powell’s touchdown run with 3:28 to play in the game made it 23-15 but Liegghio missed the convert. That was as close as the Ticats would get as Kelly iced the game with a one-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes left in regulation.

Terry Godwin was Hamilton’s leading receiver with seven catches for 103 yards while running back James Butler had only eight carries for 14 yards. Hamilton’s leading tackler was safety Stavros Katsantonis with seven and linebackers Chris Edwards and Jameer Thurman each had a sack.

The loss dropped Hamilton’s record to 2-4. The Cats’ next game is July 28 when they visit the Ottawa Redblacks.