CFL.ca
THE CANADIAN PRESS
HAMILTON, Ont. — Paul McCallum hit a 25-yard field goal with 1:42 left as the B.C. Lions kept their playoff hopes alive with a 23-21 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday afternoon.
The win moved B.C. (8-10) into sole possession of the third and final West Division playoff spot. However, the Lions need a little help in order to advance to the CFL postseason.
Edmonton (7-10) is in Regina on Saturday night to face the Roughriders. The Eskimos can clinch third spot with a victory by virtue of having secured the season series with the Lions.
Hamilton (9-9) came into the contest having already clinched second spot in the East Division and will host the Toronto Argonauts next weekend in the conference semifinal at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Emmanuel Arceneaux led the way offensively for B.C, catching two Travis Lulay TD strikes.
The loss tarnished a three-TD passing effort by Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn, who found Maurice Mann in the end zone twice and Dave Stala for the other. Glenn’s 12-yard TD pass to Mann late in the second quarter put him over the 5,000-yard passing mark for the season but the Ticats were held scoreless in the second half.
The fact B.C. remains in playoff contention is remarkable given the Lions opened the season 1-7 but were a stellar 7-3 down the stretch.
Hamilton led 21-14 at halftime and after a scoreless third McCallum hit a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth to pull the Lions to within 21-17. That was set up by an Anthony Reddick interception at the B.C. two-yard line late in the third.
B.C. then marched to the Hamilton six-yard line, aided by two unnecessary roughness calls against former Lions linebacker Otis Floyd. However, the drive stalled, setting up McCallum’s 13-yard field goal to cut the Ticats’ lead to 21-20.
Hamilton couldn’t get anything going on its next possession, allowing B.C. to take the lead for the first time on McCallum’s 25-yard boot.
Despite having already clinched a post-season berth, Hamilton played Glenn for the entire game. However, leading receiver Arland Bruce III sat for the second straight game with a hamstring injury. Ticats coach Marcel Bellefeuille said prior to the game Bruce was healthy but would be a game-time decision.
Hamilton opened the scoring on its first possession when Glenn led a 75-yard scoring drive, ending with a 10-yard TD pass to Stala, his career-high sixth of the season.
The Lions converted a third-and-one at the Hamilton 31-yard-line to keep a drive alive early in the second. Lulay then hit Arceneaux for a 31-yard TD to tie the game.
Hamilton responded with an 86-yard drive that saw Mann make a spectacular 26-yard TD catch to regain the lead.
But B.C. tied it up again late in the quarter when Hamilton turned the ball over on downs near midfield. Lulay capped the drive by finding Arceneaux on a 23-yard TD pass.
With a minute remaining, Marcus Thigpen returned the kickoff to centre field. Chris Bauman’s 43-yard catch put Hamilton at the B.C. 12-yard line, where Glenn threw his second TD pass to Mann.
