Marc Liegghio put the Ottawa Redblacks on the ropes before Chris Edwards delivered the knockout punch.
Liegghio kicked five field goals as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Ottawa 21-13 on Saturday night. But it was Edwards’ crucial tackle of Redblacks quarterback Dustin Crum that preserved the victory.
Crum, who replaced injured starter Jeremiah Masoli, drove Ottawa (1-3) to the Hamilton 20-yard line with seven seconds remaining. On the game’s final play, he took off for the end zone but was stopped a yard-and-a-half short by Edwards, with an assist from teammate Richard Leonard, delighting the Tim Hortons Field gathering of 21,331.
“That was a professional play, that’s an All-Pro play,” Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer said of Edwards’ stop. “He’s just that type of a football player.
“Thank goodness he was out there.”
Liegghio’s 25-yard field goal gave Hamilton (1-3) its eight-point lead at 11:49 of the fourth quarter. Liegghio has made all nine field goals he’s tried in the two games he’s been with the Ticats but did miss a convert.
“You can’t say enough about Liegghio,” Steinauer said. “The ball goes through the pipes every time so far.
“It’s definitely a team effort but to not make mention of what he contributed would definitely be an oversight.”
Hamilton’s defence played a spirited game, registering five sacks and four turnovers, including three interceptions.
“We took the ball away,” Steinauer said. “That’s something that had been eluding us a little bit and tonight it didn’t.
“The game had a lot of different turns and twists and at the end of the day we found a way to win.”
Masoli, in his season debut, left in the second quarter with a leg injury. The 34-year-old was trying to roll out to his right when, untouched, he fell to the turf and immediately clutched his left leg.
Masoli was carried off the field by his teammates. Injury details weren’t divulged but Masoli left Ottawa’s dressing room after the game on crutches and wearing a boot on his left foot.
“I have so much love for Jeremiah,” Steinauer said. “Injuries are a part of the game ΓǪ but I think you saw a little bit of air go out of both sides.
“But that’s a credit to him and just the amount of respect he has throughout the league, specifically with these two teams. Not a great thing, I think the league is better with Jeremiah in it.”
Masoli was playing a year to the day after suffering a season-ending right leg injury against the Saskatchewan Roughriders — a span of 17 games that saw Ottawa go 5-12. He was making his first career start versus Hamilton, the team he played eight seasons for (2013-21) before signing with Ottawa as a free agent.
“Jeremiah is one of my favourite people in the world,” said Hamilton linebacker Simoni Lawrence. “He’s a standup guy, I love his family.
“I just hope he’s OK because he loves this. He’s the ultimate competitor, he’s a great human being, he loves his teammates.”
Masoli finished six-of-10 passing for 37 yards and an interception. Crum was 14-of-21 for 149 yards and two picks and ran six times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Ottawa defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV, the CFL’s top defensive player last season, said losing Masoli was a huge blow to the Redblacks.
“It was definitely hard to see him go down,” he said. “We had complete faith he’d come in and finish the game and continue to do what he does when he’s healthy and playing.
“We made sure we were playing for him ΓǪ but it’s true when they say this game is a game of inches. It’s heartbreaking.”
Hamilton starter Matt Shiltz was 19-of-26 passing for 233 yards with a TD and interception. He ran five times for 30 yards.
Tyreik McAllister scored Hamilton’s touchdown as the Ticats earned a fifth straight home win over the Redblacks.
Lewis Ward had two field goals and a convert for Ottawa.
McAllister put Hamilton ahead 15-13, taking a screen pass 64 yards for the TD at 8:15 of the third. The convert was unsuccessful.
Hamilton appeared poised to add to that lead after Ted Laurent’s fumble recovery at the Ottawa 46. But Brandin Dandridge returned the favour, being the last to touch Ticats’ receiver Kiondre Smith’s fumble at the Redblacks’ 26-yard line.
But Liegghio’s 34-yard field goal at 4:14 extended Hamilton’s lead to 18-13.
Ward’s 20-yard field goal at 4:23 gave Ottawa a 13-9 advantage.
Crum’s 15-yard TD at 14:03 of the second earned Ottawa an unlikely 10-9 halftime lead.
Hamilton compiled 153 first-half net offensive yards compared to 87 for Ottawa. But the Ticats were also penalized nine times for 51 yards, including three time-count violations.
Ward kicked a 36-yard field goal at 9:10 to pull Ottawa to within 9-3 following Masoli’s departure.
Liegghio’s 20-yard field goal at 4:41 of the second staked Hamilton to a 9-0 advantage. It followed an unsuccessful challenge of an incompletion call of Shiltz’s 13-yard TD pass to Richie Sindani.
It was set up by Edwards’ interception — Hamilton’s first of the season — that he returned to the Ottawa 29.
Liegghio connected from 50 yards out — following a second time-count penalty — at 1:50. He also opened the scoring with a 13-yard boot at 6:06 of the first.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2023.
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
