Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
There are three moments that stood out from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ win on Mark’s Labour Day Weekend.
If we were listing them in power rankings format — and we really should be power ranking more things in our lives more often — they’d go as follows:
1. Alex Green fumbles the ball at Toronto’s three-yard line. Alden Darby recovers for Toronto, wiping a would-be touchdown off the board for the home team and taking it for his visiting team in one impressive 100-yard run that helped tie the game at 21-all in the third quarter.
2. Jeremiah Masoli throws an interception to Alden Darby (he had a big night), which sets up a game-tying touchdown in the second-quarter, erasing what was a 14-0 Hamilton lead.
3. On one drive, the Ticats’ defence took penalties on four out of five consecutive plays, all but rolling out a double-blue carpet for the Argos to make their way down the field. With each flag, the 24,221 people at Tim Horton’s Field grew more incredulous. When cornerback Delvin Breaux was flagged for his second infraction on that drive, he dropped to his knees and his teammates wailed.
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All three moments were potential breaking points for the Ticats, moments that chip away at teams, looking for a crack to form. June Jones said his team overcame some adversity. Mostly, his team didn’t crack when threatened, then got out of its own way enough to let its talent prevail.
“(Overcoming adversity) was something we hadn’t been able to do and we made plays in the fourth quarter, players made good plays. Speedy was huge. Alex was great,” Jones said.
“The defence…I don’t know how many yards they had, but I hardly saw a ball completed in the second half.”
Jeremiah Masoli shook off the interception — and another of his passes hitting the uprights, making it three times in two games — and finished with 385 yards passing and three touchdowns. Luke Tasker had 143 yards receiving and a touchdown while Brandon ‘Speedy’ Banks had a season-best 135 yards and two touchdowns for the Ticats. Green romped for a season-best of his own, with 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Things threatened to go off of the rails for the Ticats, but they pulled it together for their second win in a row. After what could be a season-defining win against Edmonton, they’ve battled through the first half of the Labour Day series and at 5-5, can start eyeing the top of the East Division.
Tasker said he felt like the team is turning a corner.
“Certainly last week was big for us and to have at least half of this week won already before we go (to Toronto on Saturday) is huge,” he said.
“When you win a game like this, it’s real easy to say, ‘Look at how good we can be if we just fix this and this.’ A couple of turnovers and penalties. Still we won and I think that we can win a lot more games if we continue to fix the little things.”
While Masoli was stone-faced over the ball hitting the upright, Banks laughed it off and only lamented that he was wide open behind the bar. They were celebrating on the next play, when Masoli connected with Banks, despite his small frame absorbing a ton of contact on a tough catch for the touchdown.
“We stay strong mentally and show resilience,” Banks said. “Last week was a big step to fighting back in the game and this week we just continue to show what kind of team we are.
“I think we’re a team that fights hard no matter what play or snap of the ball it is.”
For his part, Jones seems to be continuing to learn about his starting quarterback. Together now for a full calendar year — Jones’ first game as head coach was Labour Day last year, when the Ticats broke out of their 0-8 start — he’s seeing that more often than not, Masoli provides more good than bad on the field.
“I think that’s just part of his game. We’re going to have to live with some of those mistakes,” Jones said of Masoli. “You try to coach him up that certain times don’t throw the ball, know the situation, don’t throw back into away from where you’re running.
“Scrambling to the left he seems to make pretty good decisions. That throw at the end (on the run, off the back of his foot, 27-yards to Banks) was pretty amazing.”
Back at .500 for the first time since July 5, the Ticats have momentum and a favourable schedule in front of them. After playing in Toronto this week, they host Calgary, have a home-and-home with BC and close out the regular-season with four in-division contests (at Toronto, a home-and-home with Ottawa and hosting Montreal). They’re in position to make a run, just at the right time of the season.
