Ticats.ca Staff
On Sunday afternoon, the Tiger-Cats will host the Eastern Final for the first time since 1998. In defence of their Eastern crown, the Tiger-Cats will also put their undefeated streak (6-0) at Tim Hortons Field as they look to secure a trip to Vancouver for the 102nd Grey Cup.
In their way stands a Montreal Alouettes team that is currently riding high after routing the B.C Lions 50-17 in the Eastern Semi-Finals last week. The Als arrive in Hamilton hungrier than ever. A handful of Alouettes have gone on the record in the last week to say they are looking to avenge the 29-15 loss they were handed in the regular season finale.
TIGER-CATS PLAYOFF HISTORY vs. MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Sunday’s Eastern Final will mark the 15th time that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have hosted the Montreal Alouettes in playoffs since they first met in 1953. The Tiger-Cats have won the last five times they have met the Als in the playoffs and eight of the last nine overall.
| WINS | LOSSES | TIES | PTS FOR | PTS AGAINST | |
| ALL-TIME | 16 | 9 | 0 | 614 | 505 |
| LAST 10 (TOTAL) | 8 | 2 | 0 | 282 | 225 |
| AT HOME vs. MTL | 11 | 3 | 0 | 229 | 236 |
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
On Sunday afternoon, the Eastern Final will return to Hamilton for the first time since the Tiger-Cats slipped past the Montreal Alouettes 22-20 by way of a 54-yard field goal by Paul Osbaldiston as time expired in 1998.
The 2014 Eastern Final will be the first to be hosted at Tim Hortons Field, where the Tiger-Cats remain undefeated (6-0) since moving into their new stadium on Labour Day. The Ticats week 20 win also marked the first time since 1966 that the team has won six consecutive home games in a single-season.
This season, the Tiger-Cats have played their best football at home (7-2), especially on the defensive side of the ball since September 1. Here is a breakdown of how the Tiger-Cats have played at home in 2014:
| At Home in 2014 | At Home in 2014 | 6 Games at THF | Per Game at THF | |
| First Downs Allowed | 149 | 16.5 | 78 | 13 |
| Net Yards Allowed | 2,492 | 276.8 | 1,341 | 223.6 |
| Passing Yards Allowed | 2,126 | 236.2 | 1,176 | 196 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed | 569 | 66.2 | 273 | 45.5 |
| Sacks | 27 | 3 | 21 | 3.5 |
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Turnovers Forced (DWNS/FBLS/INTS) |
16 (4-5-7) | 2.1 | 13 (4-5-4) | 2.16 |
| TDs Against (Rush/Pass) | 13 (4-9) | 1.4 | 5 (0-5) | 0.83 |
*The Tiger-Cats have yet to concede a rushing touchdown at Tim Hortons Field. The last rushing touchdown
that the team gave up at home was a 2-yard run by Calgary’s Drew Tate with 33 seconds left in week 7.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
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BRANDON STEWART |
S.J. GREEN ALOUETTES RECEIVER |
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On Sunday afternoon, Ticats defensive back Brandon Stewart will get his second shot at clinching a Grey Cup. Although, in 2011 in Winnipeg he didn’t get to suit up in the big game as he suffered an injury in the Eastern Final. In his first season in Hamilton, Stewart led all Ticats defensive backs with 67 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, two sacks, one interception returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Both of Stewarts’s defensive touchdowns have come in the Ticats last two games. Stewart and the Ticats secondary will have their handsful as they will face two of the league’s premiere receivers, Duron Carter and S.J. Green. |
Although 2014 was a down year for S.J Green, he still managed to haul in 53 In last week’s Eastern Semi-Final, Green accounted for 95 of Jonathan Cromptons 155 passing yards. He also caught a touchdown. Over the alst two games, Green has accumulated and impressive 198 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. The seven-year veteran added to the Alouettes trash talk this week, implying that he was going to get the best of Ticats Brandon Stewart, thus making this matchup that much more intriguing.
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Over his seven-year career S.J Green has shown he has the ability to make a spectacular grab or explosive play at any given moment. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
WR Andy Fantuz: One of the biggest questions surrounding Sunday’s Eastern Final has been the health Ticats receiver Andy Fantuz. Fantuz, who has been sidelined since the first half of the Ticats week 17 win over the Ottawa REDBLACK, finally practiced this week. Coach Austin said earlier this week he was unsure of the status of the sure-handed target, Fantuz has the ability to add another dimension to the Ticats offence. Fantuz caught 62 passes for 639 yards and three touchdowns in 13 regular season games.
DB Delvin Breaux: Tasked with a huge assignment in covering Montreal’s Duron Carter this weekend, Delvin Breaux looks to rise to the occasion. The second-year Ticat is known for his lockdown coverage and physical presence on the Ticats boundary. Breaux, a 2014 East Division All-Star, isn’t going to fill your stat sheet on a weekly basis but will make a play when called upon. In 17 games, Breaux recorded 33 tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
K/P Jusitn Medlock: Ticats kicker Justin Medlock closed the 2014 season making 27-of-30 FG attempts including 19-of-20 from inside 40 and 8-of-10 from 40+ yards. In a year where two CFL kickers made more than 90% of the attempts (first time in history), his 88% mark was the highest FG% by any kicker in CFL history to finish only 3rd overall. His 88% mark was the 13th best in CFL history
GAME NOTES:
- In 65 seasons since emerging to become the Ticats in 1950, the Ticats will be making their 51st post-season appearance this Sunday in the Eastern Final.
- A Tiger-Cats win on Sunday, will place the team in their first Grey Cup hosted in Vancouver since the team hoisted the cup in 1999, following a 32-21 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
- The Tiger-Cats have posted a home playoff record of 26-16 since 1950. When hosting the Eastern Final the Tiger-Cats are 14-2 with their last win being a 22-20 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on November 15, 1998.
- Hamilton and Montreal have previously met in the playoffs 25 times, with the Tiger-Cats holding a 16-9 record.
- Ticats running back Nic Grigsby has his most productive game in week 20 vs. the Alouettes, registering 19 carries for 93 yards and his first touchdown as Tiger-Cat.
- Ticats head coach Kent Austin posts a 4-0 playoff record heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Alouettes. In his two-year tenure with the Ticats, the team has gone 13-5 at home, and won their only home playoff game last season.
- Ended the season with a 12-game reception streak (55 catches for 729 yards, the equivalent of an 83-catch, 1,094 yard season. He made the 2014 All-Star Team in the East and ranked #2 in the CFL with 30 2nd down conversion catches.
- Hamilton comes in with a 7-2 record in their last 9 games; Montreal is 8-2 in their last 10 including the win last week. The tie at 9-9 was the 10th in the East since 1946 and was broken via the Tie-Breaker on Points for the first time.
- The Ticats have allowed only 5 opponent offensive TDs in 6 games and an average of just 12.7 points per game. Hamilton has won the TOP battle in all 6 games averaging 34:04 to opponents’ 25:56 average. In 4 of the wins, Hamilton opponents never led.
