Tiger-Cats can smell the playoffs as Stampeders invade Hamilton

A place in the Canadian Football League playoffs is in sight for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this weekend.

The Ticats (6-8) have an opportunity to clinch a post-season berth Saturday night when they host the Calgary Stampeders (4-10). A win by Hamilton, coupled by a Montreal win over Ottawa on Saturday afternoon, would send the Cats to the CFL’s playoff party.

The game will be broadcast on CHML radio, starting with the Pregame Show at 6 p.m. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Fans can catch The 5th Quarter postgame show 30 minutes after the final whistle.

Saturday’s showdown at Tim Hortons Field will be the first and only time the Tiger-Cats and Stampeders will meet this season. They last met on Oct. 14, 2022, when Hamilton beat Calgary 35-52 for their first win at McMahon Stadium in 18 years.

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To commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Ticats will wear orange jerseys during warmups. Select jerseys will be sold at a later date with the net proceeds going to the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, a non-profit organization that assists the urban Aboriginal population of the Greater Hamilton Area.

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A win by the Tiger-Cats on Saturday would also eliminate any possibility of a team from the West Division earning a crossover playoff spot.

Rookie quarterback Taylor Powell has won three games and lost five in his eight starts for Hamilton this season and while the Cats lost against Toronto last week, Powell threw for a career high 334 yards.

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With 2,163 passing yards so far this season, Powell has thrown for the fourth-most yards by a rookie QB in Ticats history behind all-time leader Mike Kerrigan (3,193 yards in 1986), Chuck Ealey (2,573 in ’72) and Ken Hobart (2,522 in ’85).

Hamilton has made a handful of lineup changes due to injury. Defensive tackle Ted Laurent (hamstring) has landed on the team’s one-game injured list while defensive back Javien Elliott has been placed on the six-game list with an undisclosed injury.

The Stamps have some walking wounded as well. Star running back Ka’Deem Carey (illness) has not practiced all week and his status is questionable.

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Hamilton and Calgary have played each other 100 times since 1961, with the Stamps holding the edge in the all-time series with 67 wins and 33 losses.