Posted: September 20,2014 10:15PM
Updated: September 20,2014 10:54PM
CFL.ca Staff#EDMvsHAM
HAMILTON -- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats played shutdown defence, while Brandon Banks scored a 45-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to earn a 25-23 comeback win over the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday night at Tim Horton's Field.
Trailing 15-3 at the half on a blustery evening in the Hammer, the Ticats elected to take the ball and the wind in the third with hopes of mounting a third-quarter comeback. Instead it happened in the fourth, as an interception led to a go-ahead quarterback sneak by Zach Collaros, before Banks sprinted to paydirt on a swing pass to put the game to bed.
The Ticats overcame a shoulder injury to C.J. Gable on the first play of the game that left them with no true running back on the roster, to eventually come all the way back and improve to 3-0 on the year at their brand new digs. Their fourth win of the season meanwhile vaulted them back into first place ahead of the Argos, by virtue of owning a higher winning percentage.
Banks finished the evening with six catches for 112 yards in his first game back from injury while Collaros was efficient despite facing constant pressure from Edmonton's defensive line -- but most impressive for the Ticats may have been the defence, which surrendered only a single point in the second half and allowed the comeback to happen.
A scoreless opening quarter was dominated by the defences, as Ticats defensive lineman Eric Norwood had three sacks to disrupt Reilly and the Eskimo offence, while JC Sherritt ended a promising Ticats’ drive with a diving interception on Collaros.
The Ticat offence finally managed to take advantage of the strong wind at its back near the end of the first quarter though, starting with excellent field position and then moving into the red zone on a catch-and-run by Fantuz.
Another first down on a screen pass ended the first quarter, but as they moved into the second the Ticats couldn’t finish what they started, settling with a three-pointer to mark the game’s first points.
Edmonton chose to take the wind in the second
quarter after Hamilton deferred on the opening coin toss, and after
pitching a shutout in the first quarter appeared to have the edge. But
the defensive football continued, as Bowman had the ball stripped out of
his hands after a catch and the Ticats recovered to end the drive.
Hamilton then looked to get into scoring position, but the Eskimos’ third sack of the first half put Collaros on the ground on second down and ended the drive, giving Edmonton the ball right back.
Down 3-0 with five minutes left in the first half, the Eskimos finally got things moving. Reilly put up a deep ball and Coehoorn ran under it for a 50-yard gain into Hamilton territory, before a pass interference penalty put the ball down to the seven.
Two incompletions by Reilly seemingly ended the threat, but a roughing the passer penalty by Hamilton gave the Eskimos a fresh set of downs. After Reilly threw incomplete on first, he’d finally get it into the end zone on a quick pitch to rookie running back Tyler Thomas, who finished off the scoring drive with his second touchdown of the season to give Edmonton an 8-3 lead.
Feeling left out, the Eskimo defence had to get in on the action soon after. On a second-down play, Collaros was flushed out of the pocket while searching downfield for an open receiver. Odell Willis caught Collaros from behind and out came the football for Alonzo Lawrence to scoop up and take into the endzone for the Eskimos’ sixth defensive score of the season.
The two touchdowns just 14 seconds apart gave the Eskimos a 15-3 lead at halftime, in a defensive-dominated first two quarters at Tim Horton’s Field.
A 15-yard penalty off the kickoff aided a quick drive out of the gate for the Ticats in the second half, but after moving into the red zone the stingy Eskimo defence tightened up and forced Justin Medlock to kick his second field goal of the night.
Edmonton’s defensive line continued to dominate, as Almondo Sewell smothered Collaros on first down to lead to a punt. Edmonton hoped to add to the lead, but Reilly under pressure forced a pass he didn’t want to throw and was picked off by Ticats’ linebacker Rico Murray.
The Eskimos stepped up and got a stop though,
eventually surrendering three points before the end of the quarter to
take a 15-10 lead into the final frame.
That’s when the game took a sudden turn. Against the wind and needing a big play, the Ticats forced an interception when a Reilly pass was deflected into the air and then into the hands of defensive back Courtney Stephen.
The Ticats responded with a quick score, getting a 16-yard completion to Fantuz and finishing the short five-play scoring drive with a one-yard plunge by Collaros to give the Ticats their first lead since very early in the second quarter.
Just like in the second quarter, Edmonton looked to respond with a big game-changing defensive play. With the Ticats hemmed in their own end facing second-and-25, Collaros had the ball knocked out of his grasp for the second time in the ball game -- but this time the Ticats recovered and managed to punt the ball away.
A quick stop by Hamilton's defence preserved a one-point lead, and on offence against the wind the Ticats looked to grind down the clock. A first down catch by Luke Tasker moved the chains, then on a second-down play Collaros extended the drive with his legs.
Then on first down just past the three-minute warning, the Ticats struck with a massive offensive play. Collaros threw the swing pass for Banks out in the flat, and the man they call speedy juked a defender and exploded down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown to extend Hamilton's lead to eight points with just 2:40 remaining.
The Ticats got a quick stop and got the ball back, eventually punting into a brisk wind and getting what would be a decisive single point. The Eskimos added seven on a 29-yard touchdown by Stamps with six seconds left, but it was too little too late.
Hamilton's win marked its third in four games, and the third straight for an East Division team against the West. The Ticats travel to Winnipeg next Saturday.
The Eskimos lost just their second game of the season with Reilly under centre, and the third of their last four overall. They'll return home for a pivotal Week 14 duel with the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Friday night.
HAMILTON -- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats played shutdown defence, while Brandon Banks scored a 45-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to earn a 25-23 comeback win over the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday night at Tim Horton's Field.
Trailing 15-3 at the half on a blustery evening in the Hammer, the Ticats elected to take the ball and the wind in the third with hopes of mounting a third-quarter comeback. Instead it happened in the fourth, as an interception led to a go-ahead quarterback sneak by Zach Collaros, before Banks sprinted to paydirt on a swing pass to put the game to bed.
The Ticats overcame a shoulder injury to C.J. Gable on the first play of the game that left them with no true running back on the roster, to eventually come all the way back and improve to 3-0 on the year at their brand new digs. Their fourth win of the season meanwhile vaulted them back into first place ahead of the Argos, by virtue of owning a higher winning percentage.
Banks finished the evening with six catches for 112 yards in his first game back from injury while Collaros was efficient despite facing constant pressure from Edmonton's defensive line -- but most impressive for the Ticats may have been the defence, which surrendered only a single point in the second half and allowed the comeback to happen.
A scoreless opening quarter was dominated by the defences, as Ticats defensive lineman Eric Norwood had three sacks to disrupt Reilly and the Eskimo offence, while JC Sherritt ended a promising Ticats’ drive with a diving interception on Collaros.
The Ticat offence finally managed to take advantage of the strong wind at its back near the end of the first quarter though, starting with excellent field position and then moving into the red zone on a catch-and-run by Fantuz.
Another first down on a screen pass ended the first quarter, but as they moved into the second the Ticats couldn’t finish what they started, settling with a three-pointer to mark the game’s first points.
| Related: Esks vs. Ticats |
|---|
 » View Game Stats » Images: EDM at HAM» Video: Willis Swat, Lawrence Scores » Video: Banks puts it out of Reach » Preview: Ticats, Esks clash |
Hamilton then looked to get into scoring position, but the Eskimos’ third sack of the first half put Collaros on the ground on second down and ended the drive, giving Edmonton the ball right back.
Down 3-0 with five minutes left in the first half, the Eskimos finally got things moving. Reilly put up a deep ball and Coehoorn ran under it for a 50-yard gain into Hamilton territory, before a pass interference penalty put the ball down to the seven.
Two incompletions by Reilly seemingly ended the threat, but a roughing the passer penalty by Hamilton gave the Eskimos a fresh set of downs. After Reilly threw incomplete on first, he’d finally get it into the end zone on a quick pitch to rookie running back Tyler Thomas, who finished off the scoring drive with his second touchdown of the season to give Edmonton an 8-3 lead.
Feeling left out, the Eskimo defence had to get in on the action soon after. On a second-down play, Collaros was flushed out of the pocket while searching downfield for an open receiver. Odell Willis caught Collaros from behind and out came the football for Alonzo Lawrence to scoop up and take into the endzone for the Eskimos’ sixth defensive score of the season.
The two touchdowns just 14 seconds apart gave the Eskimos a 15-3 lead at halftime, in a defensive-dominated first two quarters at Tim Horton’s Field.
A 15-yard penalty off the kickoff aided a quick drive out of the gate for the Ticats in the second half, but after moving into the red zone the stingy Eskimo defence tightened up and forced Justin Medlock to kick his second field goal of the night.
Edmonton’s defensive line continued to dominate, as Almondo Sewell smothered Collaros on first down to lead to a punt. Edmonton hoped to add to the lead, but Reilly under pressure forced a pass he didn’t want to throw and was picked off by Ticats’ linebacker Rico Murray.
| Defensive-Minded |
|---|
 The defences reigned supreme on this windy night in the Hammer, as fumbles and interceptions were responsible for changes in momentum each way. Eric Norwood led the way for the Tabbies with three sacks. » View Game Stats |
That’s when the game took a sudden turn. Against the wind and needing a big play, the Ticats forced an interception when a Reilly pass was deflected into the air and then into the hands of defensive back Courtney Stephen.
The Ticats responded with a quick score, getting a 16-yard completion to Fantuz and finishing the short five-play scoring drive with a one-yard plunge by Collaros to give the Ticats their first lead since very early in the second quarter.
Just like in the second quarter, Edmonton looked to respond with a big game-changing defensive play. With the Ticats hemmed in their own end facing second-and-25, Collaros had the ball knocked out of his grasp for the second time in the ball game -- but this time the Ticats recovered and managed to punt the ball away.
A quick stop by Hamilton's defence preserved a one-point lead, and on offence against the wind the Ticats looked to grind down the clock. A first down catch by Luke Tasker moved the chains, then on a second-down play Collaros extended the drive with his legs.
Then on first down just past the three-minute warning, the Ticats struck with a massive offensive play. Collaros threw the swing pass for Banks out in the flat, and the man they call speedy juked a defender and exploded down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown to extend Hamilton's lead to eight points with just 2:40 remaining.
The Ticats got a quick stop and got the ball back, eventually punting into a brisk wind and getting what would be a decisive single point. The Eskimos added seven on a 29-yard touchdown by Stamps with six seconds left, but it was too little too late.
Hamilton's win marked its third in four games, and the third straight for an East Division team against the West. The Ticats travel to Winnipeg next Saturday.
The Eskimos lost just their second game of the season with Reilly under centre, and the third of their last four overall. They'll return home for a pivotal Week 14 duel with the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Friday night.
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