Ticats drive on without Masoli

The league-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be without star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for the rest of the season.

Last year’s East nominee for outstanding player tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Friday night’s 23-15 win against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and the Ticats announced Saturday that he would miss the remainder of the year. No date for surgery had been set.

He suffered the injury with five minutes remaining in the first quarter of the victory over Winnipeg at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. Masoli is the sixth opening-day starting quarterback to miss time because of injury this season:

Saskatchewan’s Zach Collaros was hurt in the Riders’ season opener, on a high hit by the Tiger-Cats’ Simoni Lawrence, and hasn’t played since.

Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell, the regular season and Grey Cup MVP last year, remains on the six-game injured list with a shoulder/pectoral injury.

The Argos’ James Franklin has been on the injured list since early July with a hamstring injury.

Montreal’s Antonio Pipkin has been out for more than a month with a leg injury.

Ottawa’s Dominique Davis has missed two games with an unspecified injury.

Masoli ranks second in the CFL in passing touchdowns (nine), third in completions (125) and passing yards (1,576). He’s also tied for fourth in rushing TDs with four.

Hamilton sits atop the CFL standings with a 5-1 record and will head to Regina to play the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday. Dane Evans came on in place of Masoli to complete Friday night’s victory. “You don’t know what you have until you face serious adversity,” Tiger-Cats coach Orlondo Steinauer said after the game. “Dane stepped in and did a nice job.”

Evans completed13 of 25 passes for 94 yards with an interception, and ran twice for eight yards. The third-year pro, who has one career CFL start, said he wasn’t fazed because he prepares weekly as if he’s the starter.

“(Being backup quarterback) is the most unique job in the world,” he said.