Ticats hold on for big win over Argos

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats took another step toward returning to the CFL playoffs, and retained provincial bragging rights in the process, with Friday’s 26-17 road win over Toronto.

Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn threw for 322 yards, including a blitz-beating 12-yard touchdown strike to DeAndra’ Cobb, as the Ticats built a 20-0 lead at the half and held on for their first victory in five games.

“We haven’t had a win in a while,” said Glenn, who completed 28 of 38 passes. “To get one this late, knowing we’re playing pretty good football going into the last stretch of the season, feels good.”

Hamilton (7-9) moved ahead of Winnipeg (6-9) for sole possession of second place in the CFL’s East Division. The Tiger-Cats, who can make the post-season for the first time in five years if they win out, will host Saskatchewan next week before a potential do-or-die showdown in Winnipeg on the season’s final day.

Winnipeg hosts East-leading Montreal on Saturday.

“We treated this like a playoff game,” said Hamilton coach Marcel Bellefeuille. “I just told them that when you win a playoff game you get to play the next week. So this week we’ll have a meeting for a football game because we won this one.”

Friday’s victory, which snapped a four-game losing streak, also allowed the Ticats to retain the Ballard Cup, given to the winner of the season series between the CFL’s two Ontario clubs. They split their four meetings, but the Ticats claimed the trophy on point differential.

Hamilton was in control for most of the game until Toronto made it interesting when Jason Carter caught Kerry Joseph’s pass over the middle and raced 95 yards to make it 23-17 with 3:29 to go.

But ex-Argonaut Arland Bruce answered with a 42-yard catch-and-run to help set up Nick Setta’s 17-yard field goal with a minute left that salted away the win.

Bruce, traded by Toronto to the Tiger-Cats earlier this season after a falling-out with coach Bart Andrus, finished with 96 yards receiving.

“That’s the start of getting ready for the playoffs,” said Bruce, whom the Argos dealt to Hamilton in July. “That’s the start of something changing for us and that’s what we need right now.

“We kind of relaxed but kept our composure at the end and came out with the victory.”

Hamilton’s Adam Tafralis had a one-yard TD run and Setta converted on all four of his field-goal tries.

Joseph threw for 242 yards and a pair of second-half TDs for Toronto, which saw its CFL-worst record fall to 3-13. The embattled Argos quarterback hit Jeff Johnson for a one-yard strike on the opening drive of the second half.

“It’s tough, spot teams points and start out slow and then we have to fight from behind,” said Joseph, who connected on 14 of 23 passes. “But we can’t start looking to next year.

“We’ve still got two games left and we’ll start thinking about next year Nov. 8.”