CFL.ca
Bert Faibish
Ticats.ca
The Tiger-Cats put 35 points on the board, but it wasn’t enough to hold off quarterback Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos, as the Black and Gold dropped a 37-35 shootout at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Ticats jumped out to an early 21-7 lead but a pick-6 and a quick touchdown drive got Edmonton back in the game and powered them to their second straight victory.
Providing a bright spot in the game was the play of Marquay McDaniel, who set career-highs with 9 receptions for 122 yards and added two touchdowns. McDaniel stepped up and performed well after veteran receiver Dave Stala left the game with an injury in the first half.
DeAndra’ Cobb played well, rushing for 101 yards on 15 carries. That total marked Cobb’s third-straight 100-yard game and the first time in his CFL that he has rushed for 100 yards in three straight contests. Not everything was positive regarding Cobb’s performance on Sunday however, as he fumbled the ball deep in his own territory late in the game, giving Edmonton a short field and setting up the go-ahead touchdown.
Kevin Glenn was sharp once again, completing 70% of his throws and finishing the day with 294 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Unfortunately his one mistake turned out to be extremely costly, as his one interception was returned by Eskimos linebacker Rod Davis for a touchdown.
Hamilton’s defence struggled to put pressure on Ricky Ray for most of the game and allowed Fred Stamps to continually come up with big plays as he racked up 181 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches.
The unit’s best performance came from defensive end Justin Hickman who provided the team’s only sack and forced two fumbles.
The game was a back and forth affair all day, which isn’t surprising considering that it is the ninth straight game between the two clubs that has been decided by seven points or less.
The two teams will have another chance to see if that trend holds true in just five days when the Eskimos play Hamilton at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Friday night.
