Justin Dunk
Ticats.ca
A valiant fourth quarter rally fell just short in Montreal as the Tiger-Cats suffered a 27-25 defeat to the Alouettes on Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton got off to the quick start they were looking for courtesy of their kickoff cover team. On the opening kickoff Jamall Johnson knocked the ball out of Perry Floyd’s grasp and Ray Mariuz would pounce on the loose ball, which led to a field goal and an early 3-0 lead for the visitors.
After Hamilton opened the scoring the teams traded field goals and were tied at six before the Alouettes scored a rouge and touchdown to take a 14-6 lead. However, the Ticats would get a field goal before the half time break to cut the lead to five.
Montreal would stretch the lead to 21-9 with a touchdown midway through the third frame, the only score of the quarter.
Justin Medlock would hit a field goal early in the final quarter to put Hamilton within nine, but Alouettes kicker Sean Whyte would put two more three-pointers on the board before the three minute warning, extending the Montreal lead to 27-12.
At that point it didn’t look like a win was in the cards for the Ticats, but then a furious rally ensued.
Kevin Glenn and the offence put together a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, Glenn would cross the goal line himself from 15 yards out, taking just one minute and five seconds off the clock. The major trimmed Montreal’s lead to eight, 27-19 with two minutes and change left in the ball game.
The defence would give the ball right back to the Ticat offence, stuffing Alouettes backup quarterback Adrian McPherson on a third and one sneak, turning the ball over on downs, and the Tabbies would take over on the Montreal 40-yard line.
A 28-yard Glenn-to-Kelly hookup would put the Ticats in the red zone, but Glenn was forced to a knee after taking a shot while he let the pass to Kelly go. Porter would enter the ball game and calmly find Dave Stala wide open on a flat route in the end zone. All of a sudden Hamilton was down two needing a two-point conversion to tie.
Porter would take the snap on the two-point conversion and spot Kelly wide open in the back corner of the end zone, but the pass was knocked out of Kelly’s reach and the spirited come-from-behind attempt would fall just short as the Cats suffered a 27-25 defeat.
Hamilton’s quarterback duo would combine to throw for over three hundred yards on the day. Porter had a touchdown pass, which was caught by Stala who breaks his seven game streak of being held out of the end zone. Meanwhile, Glenn added a rushing major to go with his 201 yards through the air.
Chris Williams eclipsed the 1, 000 yard mark in his rookie season with a five catch 60-yard performance, also Avon Cobourne had 60 receiving yards as the two tied to lead all Hamilton pass catchers on the day.
Leading the defensive charge were stud linebackers Renauld Williams (seven tackles) and Jamall Johnson, who forced a fumble on the opening kickoff and also sacked Montreal pivot Anthony Calvillo once to go along with his five tackles.
All told the Ticats effort could not be faulted for the loss, they scratched and clawed each second for 60 minutes and fell just short to the hometown Alouettes.
