HAMILTON – With the sport on the road, Scott Milanovich wasn’t tempting destiny.
Marc Liegghio’s 41-yard area objective right into a stiff wind on the sport’s ultimate play earned Hamilton a 29-27 win over the Edmonton Elks within the annual Hall of Fame sport Saturday evening. But Milanovich, the Tiger-Cats head coach, didn’t see it, preserving his head down as Liegghio’s kick sailed via the uprights.
It’s one thing Milanovich started doing final season, and with Liegghio having made 18 straight kicks, he’s not about to alter.
But Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who engineered the 13-play, 67-yard yard drive that arrange Liegghio’s game-winner, regarded on.
“I’ve simply acquired a lot belief in that man (Liegghio),” he stated. “I knew if I acquired him anyplace shut we have been going to have the sport.
“You’ve acquired quite a lot of time. I do know it looks as if you don’t at occasions however 45 seconds to a minute, you’ve acquired time to get down there.”
Hamilton’s ultimate possession started at its 10-yard line with 1:37 remaining. The march was aided by a roughing the passer name in opposition to Jordan Williams, delighting 22,114 spectators at Hamilton Stadium.
“Having Bo, having Marc I simply have complete religion in these guys,” Milanovich stated. “Sometimes I’ve to get on Marc about his physique language in observe if he misses one as a result of he’s too good.
“We simply must maintain that battery clear and he must maintain doing what he’s doing.”
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Earlier, Hamilton drove to Edmonton’s 50-yard line however Brendan O’Leary-Orange dropped Mitchell’s third-down cross to present the Elks the ball with 2:51 remaining. It was certainly one of two turnovers by the Ticats, who additionally took some unhealthy penalties within the contest.
“I’m nonetheless steaming (about penalties),” Milanovich stated. “Usually while you make as many errors as we did tonight it finally ends up biting you.”
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Mitchell was 28-of-40 passing for 311 yards with two TDs and an interception. He accomplished seven of his 9 makes an attempt for 52 yards on the ultimate drive.
“I feel in these conditions, the sport actually slows down for him and he sees issues even higher than he already does,” Milanovich stated of Mitchell. “I assumed he performed a extremely good sport even earlier than that.
“Some guys have a knack in these conditions and there’s little doubt he’s certainly one of them.”
It was deja vu for Edmonton, which dropped a 31-30 resolution final week in Toronto on Lirim Hajrullahu’s game-ending 11-yard area objective.
“I assumed particular groups did their job and put them again there on the ten,” stated Elks head coach Mark Kilam. “We’ve acquired to carry them down there.
“I feel we’re taking steps however I don’t have quite a lot of phrases after that one. That was a tricky loss in opposition to staff at their place. That’s two weeks in a row.”
Liegghio’s 40-yard area objective at 5:38 put Hamilton forward 26-24. But Vincent Blanchard gave Edmonton a 27-26 benefit with a 12-yard kick at 10:15. The Elks’ 65-yard, 10-play drive was aided by an unlawful contact penalty on Ticats’ defender DaShaun Amos on a second-down incompletion and an pointless roughness name in opposition to cornerback Jamal Peters.
Hamilton (9-5) received its third straight sport to maneuver 4 factors forward of Montreal (7-7) atop the East Division standings.
Edmonton (5-9) suffered a second consecutive loss to stay fifth within the West Division, 4 factors behind third-place B.C. and Winnipeg (each 7-7).
At halftime, the ’25 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class was honoured. It consisted of gamers Bryan Chiu, Jovan Olafioye, Jeremaine Copeland, Scott Flagel and Darryl Hall, in addition to builders Glen Johnson and Frank McCrystal.
O’Leary-Orange and Kenny Lawler had Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio kicked 5 area targets and two converts.
Justin Rankin and Kurleigh Gittens Jr. scored Edmonton’s touchdowns. Blanchard had two converts and 4 area targets, whereas Jake Julien added a single.
Cody Fajardo discovered Gittens Jr. on a 12-yard TD cross at 5:56 of the third to present Edmonton a 24-20 lead following J.J. Ross’s interception.
Liegghio’s 38-yard area objective at 10:38 pulled Hamilton to inside 24-23.
Blanchard’s 29-yard area objective to finish the second quarter minimize Hamilton’s halftime result in 20-17. After Mitchell discovered Lawler on a 15-yard TD cross at 13:53, Fajardo moved Edmonton 38 yards on seven performs to arrange Blanchard’s kick.
Blanchard’s 21-yard area objective at 12:08 moved Edmonton forward 14-13.
Liegghio’s 34-yard area objective at 8:09 gave Hamilton a 13-11 benefit. Blanchard made it 10-10 with a 42-yard area objective 24 seconds into the quarter.
Julie’s 56-yard single at 3:42 put Edmonton up 11-10. Mitchell put Hamilton forward 10-7 with a 12-yard TD strike to O’Leary-Orange at 11:19, ending a seven-play, 87-yard drive.
Rankin took a display cross 72 yards for the landing at 7:14 to place Edmonton forward 7-3. The Elks have been going through second-and-13.
Liegghio opened the scoring with a 45-yard area objective at 4:52.
UP NEXT
Elks: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-3) on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Tiger-Cats: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) on Saturday, Sept. 27.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Sept. 20, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
