Ticats remain winless
HAMILTON Ottawa kicker Brett Maher kicked six field goals as the Redblacks defeated the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37-18 on Friday night.
Ottawa improves to 2-6-1 with its first road win of the season. Hamilton falls to 0-8 heading into a bye week.
Maher hit five-straight field goals in the first half, from 10, 15, 42, 52, and 48 yards out. He added a 30yarder to start the second. However, he had one convert blocked and missed another, both against the wind.
Hamilton kicker Sergio Castillo hit his lone field-goal attempt from 43 yards.
Greg Ellingson, Avery Ellis, and Jake Harty scored touchdowns for Ottawa. Luke Tasker and Brandon Banks scored for Hamilton.
Redblacks QB Trevor Harris completed 36 of 48 pass attempts for 394 yards and two touchdown passes.
Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 102 yards, one TD and a costly fumble returned by Ellis for a score to start the fourth. He was then replaced by Jeremiah Masoli. This was Collaros’s 12th-straight loss as a starter, dating back to last season. The CFL record is 13, held by Lynn Amedee (Edmonton, 1963-4). Masoli completed seven of 12 for 68 yards.
Ottawa took a 15-10 halftime lead on the strength of Maher’s foot. His 30-yarder midway through the third extended the lead to 18-10.
The Ticats got the crowd on their feet next possession when backup QB Masoli came in at second-and-one looked to have hit a streaking Banks with a 57-yard TD pass, but the receiver bobbled the ball and it came back.
The Redblacks finally found the end zone to end the third, putting together an 82-yard drive as Harris hit Ellingson with a 35yard TD pass and the 25-10 lead.
Collaros fumbled the ball on Hamilton’s next possession, and it was recovered by Avery Ellis and run back 29 yards for the TD as the 23,524 at Tim Hortons Field went silent. Ticat defensive back Courtney Stephen blocked Maher’s convert attempt and ran it back for two points to cut the lead to 31-12.