Masoli helps Tiger-Cats down Lions in 3rd straight victory to clinch playoff berth | CBC Sports
Jeremiah Masoli and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats punched their playoff ticket Friday night.
Masoli threw for 258 yards and a touchdown as Hamilton held on to defeat the B.C. Lions 26-18 and cement an East Division playoff spot. The Ticats (7-5-0) registered their third straight win and eliminated the threat of a crossover before a Tim Hortons Field crowd of 21,618.
B.C. (4-8-0) suffered its sixth straight loss and dropped a decision to an East Division opponent for the second straight week. The Lions lost a 31-29 overtime contest to the Toronto Argonauts last week after kicker Jimmy Camacho missed three fourth-quarter field goal tries.
And Vogel pulled B.C. to within 19-12 with a 33-yard field goal at 3:39 of the fourth. Hamilton effectively countered with Sean Thomas Erlington’s four-yard TD run, putting the Ticats ahead 26-12 at 7:00.
But Lions starter Mike Reilly pulled B.C. to within 26-18 with a one-yard TD run with 1:18 remaining. Vogel missed the convert and appeared to suffer a leg injury. That forced punter Stefan Flintoft to attempt the onside kick with Hamilton maintaining possession with 1:16 to play.
B.C. did get the ball back at its own 49-yard line with 39 seconds remaining. However Reilly’s Hail Mary pass into the Hamilton end zone on the final play fell incomplete.
James Butler also scored a TD for B.C. Vogel added two field goals.
Masoli finished 19-of-28 passing while Banks registered six catches for 75 yards.
Reilly was 33-of-43 passing for 330 yards and an interception.
Hamilton went ahead 19-9 after Whitford’s 61-yard punt went for a single at 13:31 of the third.
Masoli’s 32-yard TD strike to Banks at 14:01 of the second staked Hamilton into a 15-3 halftime advantage. The score was the first of the season for Banks, who had 13 receiving touchdowns in 2019 when he was the CFL’s outstanding player.
It was a solid opening half for Masoli, who was 10-of-14 passing for 157 yards and Banks was a favourite target with five catches for 73 yards. The TD hookup was the first between Masoli and Banks since July 2019.
Bertolet’s 39-yard field goal at 4:16 stretched Hamilton’s lead to 8-3. It came after B.C. punter Stefan Flintoft surrendered a safety at 2:28.
Vogel opened the scoring with a 19-yard field goal at 7:30 of the first before Bertolet countered with a 15-yard kick at 13:37.
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