Toronto Argonauts beat Hamilton Tiger-Cats at home, 34-20

TORONTO — Benoit Marion makes a blocked punt 24 yards. He returned for a go-ahead touchdown and pushed the Toronto Argonauts to a wild 34-20. Hamilton at home on Saturday night as he beat the Tiger-Cats.

After Trevor Hoyte blocked his Michael Domagala punt, Marion picked up his ball loose and at 2:37 he was 17-17 going into the fourth quarter. defeated the tie of Toronto looked poised to take the lead with him at 1:14, but a terrible snap allowed Boris to beat his goal wide on his 44-yard field at Bead and a single tied the game.

Seth Small's 17-yard field goal he had 8:53 to pull Hamilton within 24–20. This was aided by Tickats receiver Tim White successfully completing Hamilton's challenge to Toronto's Royce Metchy for his 38-yard pass interference call.

However, Toronto fought back with a 59-yard, eight-play march, and Bede capped him with an 18-yard field goal at 12:35. It delighted his BMO Field crowd of 11,623 on the night when both Lady Gaga and Drake performed at the Rogers Center and Budweiser Stage respectively.

Chris Edwards sealed the win, returning a Dane Evans interception 40 yards for a 13:12 touchdown.

Evans completed 28 of 42 passes for 302 yards in touchdowns and interceptions. Toronto starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 17 of 27 attempts for 230 yards and a touchdown.

Toronto (4-3) wins to remain top of the East. Hamilton (2-6) is tied for second place with the Montreal Alouettes (2-6). Argos eliminated a 14-6 halftime deficit by outscoring Tikats with his 28-6 record in the second half.

It was the seventh time in eight games this season that Hamilton has been deprived of a goal in the second half. The Ticats struggled especially in the fourth quarter, where he's going 95-29 in the final frame so far.

Saturday's match was the first of four of his matches between longtime rivals over the next five weeks. The two teams will face off again in Hamilton on Friday night before the Ticats return to Argos on his August 26th.

The four-game series culminates in the annual Raver His Day Showdown on September 5 at Tim Hortons' his field.

Cam Phillips scored his one more touchdown for Toronto, and Andrew Harris made his two-point conversion. Bede scored three goals on the field and he kicked one convert, with the rest of the points coming down to safety.

Don Jackson scored a touchdown for Hamilton. Small started four field goals and a conversion while Domagala added a single.

Toronto pulled within 17-16 of him after Domagala gave up a safety with 13:16 in his third. It happened after Lawrence Woods III chose to return John Haggerty's well-formed 65-yard punt on his line of Hamilton's goal, and only he was tackled after the 3-yard return.

Bethel-Thompson made his 13-yard TD strike to his Phillips at 7:45 to cap a 3-play, 70-yard march. He then found Harris narrowed Hamilton's lead to his 17–14 with his two-point conversion. His 22-yard field goal on Small in 6:07 gave the Tikats he had a 17–6 advantage.

Bede scored his second half-time lead for Hamilton with a 30-yard field goal at 14:03 that he cut to 14–6. At 12:57, Domagala's 50-yard punt single followed.

However, the score pleased Toronto as Hamilton had 219 netting his offensive yards in the first half, compared to just 88 yards for the Argos. The Ticats also held the ball for 17 minutes and 9 seconds.

After a 44-yard field goal by Bede at 5:14 of his second and Small's shot from 28 yards out at 1:43, he gave Hamilton's lead to 13-1. reduced to 3.

Evans scored his 9-yard TD strike on Jackson with his 11:43 of the first, finishing with a smart 87-yard, 10-play drive, leaving Hamilton to his 10-0. Leading with 0. It happened after Small scored on a 28-yard field goal at 3:56.

This Canadian Press report was first published on August 6, 2022.