Evans wins first playoff start as Ticats advance to title game
HAMILTON — Dane Evans threw for 386 yards and a TD in his first CFL playoff start, leading the Hamilton Tiger-Cats past the Edmonton Eskimos, 36-16, in the East Division final Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton, which finished the regular season with a Canadian Football League-best 15-3 record, advanced to its first Grey Cup game since losing the 2014 final to Calgary. The Ticats last won the title in 1999, the league’s second-longest drought.
Hamilton will play either the Saskatchewan Roughriders or Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the
Grey Cup game in Calgary next Sunday.
Evans finished 21-of-36 passing with an interception. More importantly, he improved to 10-2 as Hamilton’s starter before a sun-drenched Tim Hortons Field-record sellout of 25,177 that was predominantly clad in Ticats’ black and waved gold rally towels throughout. Edmonton had a glorious chance to make it interesting when Godfrey Onyeka recovered Luke Tasker’s fumble at the Hamilton 36-yard line 2:30 into the fourth.
But the Eskimos had to settle for Sean Whyte’s 30-yard field goal at 5:11 to cut the Ticats’ lead to 28-13.
David Watford cemented the Hamilton win with a two-yard TD run — his second of the game — at 8:09.
Hamilton’s Bralon Addison had seven catches for 130 yards, while Brandon Banks registered four receptions for 100 yards and a TD. Banks didn’t play in Hamilton’s 46-27 East Division final loss to Ottawa last year due to injury.
Hamilton improved to 10-0 at Tim Hortons Field this season and became the eighth team in CFL history to finish the regular season unbeaten at home. The Ticats become the fourth such squad to reach the Grey Cup, but first since ’09 Montreal Alouettes.