Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Lawrence Woods, left, grabs for Calgary Stampeders receiver Tyson Middlemost during the second half in Calgary. The Ticats won 35-32 on Oct. 14, 2022.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won their first road game this season and their first game in Calgary in 18 years in a 35-32 victory over the Stampeders on Friday.
Tiger-Cats quarterback Dane Evans threw to Tim White in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining in the game for the winning score. Hamilton hadn’t won at McMahon Stadium since July 4, 2004.
“I didn’t know it was 18 years. I knew it had been a while,” Evans said. “We know that this is a tough place to play, man. This was a sweet win. We know we earned it.”
Hamilton linebacker Richard Leonard returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown. Seth Small kicked field goals from 57, 46, 36 and 24 yards.
Evans completed 17 of 25 passes for 244 yards, and also scored a one-yard rushing touchdown. He threw a two-point convert pass to Anthony Johnson with 11 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory.
White posted 106 receiving yards in the game for 1,152 this season.
Calgary third-string quarterback and short-yardage specialist Tommy Stevens had given the Stampeders a five-point lead with 63 seconds remaining in the game on a one-yard plunge.
Starter Jake Maier, who was intercepted three times in the first half, completed 26 of 35 passes for 251 yards and threw touchdown passes to William Langlais and Tre Odoms-Dukes.
Calgary’s Rene Paredes kicked field goals from 34, 39, 26 and 41 yards. Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 64 yards to get to a CFL-leading 1,013 on the season.
Third in the East Division, Hamilton (6-10) is trying to fend off the West’s Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-10) seeking to take a playoff spot via a crossover.
The Montreal Alouettes (8-8), who rank second in the East, locked in both a post-season berth and a home playoff game with a 34-30 win over the Ottawa Redblacks earlier Friday.
Hamilton ends the regular season with two games against Ottawa (4-12).
“Feels good to control our own destiny,” Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer said.
The Stampeders (10-6) had already secured a West Division playoff berth, but are in a race with the B.C. Lions (10-5) for second in the West and the hosting of the division semifinal Nov. 6.
The Lions are at home Saturday to the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14-2), who will finish first in the West and host the division final Nov. 13.
The Stampeders cap their regular season with two games against the Roughriders.
Hamilton strung together two straight wins for the first time this season following a win over Saskatchewan last week, while Calgary suffered its first loss to an East Division opponent.
“We made more plays probably, but we made the big mistakes,” Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson said. “We honestly forgot it takes 60 minutes to win a football game.
“We didn’t take advantage of their turnovers late. I just feel like you’ve got to execute and you’ve got to put that final nail in. You’ve got to finish the job before you come in and listen to your music and we just didn’t finish the job.”
Calgary amassed 183 net rushing yards to Hamilton’s 56 in front of an announced 20,589 at McMahon, where a hard north wind blew into the faces of kickers and punters in the home end.
Hamilton led 27-26 with three minutes remaining in the game following Small’s 36-yard field goal into the wind. The Tiger-Cats turned the ball over on downs inside their own 20-yard line, however, with 1:46 remaining.
Stevens scored a go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard plunge, but a two-point convert attempt failed.
Evans then threw a 42-yard pass to White under double coverage to get Hamilton to Calgary’s doorstep for the winning seven-yard touchdown throw.
“Clutch catch,” Steinhauer said. “Proud of Tim because I think he’s had opportunities earlier in the year and hasn’t come down with some those, and he would expect himself to.”
Stampeder defensive end Shawn Lemon recovered Wes Hills’ fumble midway through the fourth quarter, which Calgary converted into a 46-yard field goal by Paredes and a 26-24 lead.
Trailing 24-13 late in the third quarter, Maier’s eight-yard touchdown throw to Odoms-Dukes cut the deficit.
Calgary’s Tyson Middlemost recovered the subsequent Paredes kickoff for the Stampeders to get the ball on Hamilton’s 19-yard line. The Stampeders then trailed by one point on Paredes’ 26-yard field goal.
Hamilton scored on its opening drive of the second half capped by Evans’ one-yard plunge on a third-and-goal for a 21-10 lead.
Despite dominating time of possession and holding Hamilton’s offence to 60 total yards in the first half, Calgary trailed 14-10 at halftime because the Ticats turned Maier’s three interceptions into 10 points.
Leonard returned Maier’s third pick for a 64-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
Dickenson’s successful challenge for pass interference extended a drive at Hamilton’s 19-yard line late in the first quarter. Maier connected with Langlais in the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown throw.
Calgary’s quarterback was intercepted on his two opening drives. His second throw of the game was picked off by Hamilton’s Julian Howsare. Unable to covert the turnover into a major, Hamilton settled for Small’s 24-yard field goal.
“The bottom line is, I turned the ball over way too much tonight,” Maier said.