MODE B-EAST: Argos crashes first and gets ahead of the division final by beating the Ticats.

Article content

The Argonauts are one win away from going to the Gray Cup game.

Article content

They walked in on Friday night lucky to win many of their games this season, but there’s no question the Argos played this time around, as they easily and surprisingly beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 31-12 to clinch first place. in the East Division.

It also means they will be at home, where they have been undefeated this season, for the East final on December 5.

With the stakes at an all-time high, the Argos responded in ways that defied all logic.
Game balls are for veteran defensive coaches Rich Stubler and Chris Jones.

It also helped that Ticats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was not in his prime.

Either way, the Argos deserved their victory, although the fifth meeting between the two rivals, in the final of the division, is still possible.

Article content

McLeod Bethel-Thompson still needs to get better at quarterback, but he got the job done on his biggest game as a professional, at least up to this point.

The Argos won because the Ticats were terrible, Toronto’s defense was off, Boris Bede continues to kick at a high level and Chandler Worthy was present in the second game.

Hamilton didn’t score his only touchdown until 1:49 left in the game.
Toronto’s hit offensive line held up, while multiple players took turns intensifying the important moments.

This was a historic victory for the Argos, who finally played in front of a BMO Field crowd this season that surpassed 10,000.

Tuesday night’s regular season finale against away Edmonton now doesn’t make sense.

Article content

The Ticats won the toss and chose to take the ball to start the game.
It was the only thing the visitors won all night. They tried to push the ball down the field, but twice Masoli toppled the wide receivers who got behind Toronto’s coverage. On another pitch, the Ticats dropped him, which basically summed up Hamilton’s evening of futility.

On the final possession of the first quarter, starting left tackle Dejon Allen left the game for the Argos with an apparent leg injury.

Once Allen was gone, the Ticats blitzed and forced MBT to throw a bad shot down the middle that ended up being intercepted.

It was MBT’s 11th interception of the season and the ninth in the last four games.
Allen came back in the second quarter when the Argos began to throw the ball by getting the ball out of MBT’s hands quickly.

Article content

Toronto was helped by a rough punishment from the quarterback, leading to a field goal from Argos.

The closest Hamilton came to scoring at the half was on a field goal attempt, but he missed. Worthy returned the errant kick out of the end zone and was tackled out of bounds as Hamilton took his second biggest rough of the period.

Toronto took possession at its own 49-yard line.

A catch-and-run by DJ Foster and another run out of the backfield put the ball at Hamilton’s 49-yard line. After an incomplete, MBT was sacked on the second down for a 12-yard loss when Argos threw a shot to at least attempt a field goal.

For the second time in the first half, MBT should have just thrown it away for another down.

The sack and the interception left point in the field to the Argos, whose defense was playing very well by mixing their glances at the line of scrimmage.

Article content

Another Ticats penalty, this one illegally, put Hamilton in second and eighth.
Masoli took it on the air and it should have been eliminated by Treston Decoud, but dropped it. To add insult to injury, the defensive back landed awkwardly on the back of his head. Never comeback.
In the punt that followed, Worthy brought it back to Hamilton’s 35 when Argos once again threatened to score.
A second-down conversion on the Ticats’ bombardment put the ball within Hamilton’s five-yard line. A pass put the ball on the front yard line.

Antonio Pipkin then entered the game and ran to his left to score the first touchdown of the game.

It was Worthy’s return that shaped the entire sequence, one in which MBT made decisive pitches.

In Pipkin’s major, the Ticats lost their starting middle linebacker when Jovan Santos-Knox was called up for unnecessary rudeness and later sent off.

Article content

The Argos started from Hamilton’s 50, forcing the Ticats to kneel in the end zone when a single point was awarded.

After two quicks and outs and a decent return, the Argos ended up kicking a field goal with no time left for the clock.

Hamilton’s lack of discipline and Masoli’s inability to hit deep balls stood out negatively for the visitors.

The Ticats had 40 passing yards while they had 70 penalty yards in the first half.

Toronto ran 13 plays to start the second half and drove the ball to Hamilton’s three-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal as the lead extended.

The Ticats engineered their best drive of the game, but they also had to settle for a field goal.

The third quarter ended with Argos ahead 17-3.