TORONTO – Bo Levi Mitchell threw four touchdown passes as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Toronto Argonauts 47-29 on Saturday afternoon, eliminating the defending Grey Cup champions from playoff contention.
Mitchell’s 34-yard strike to Kenny Lawler just 52 seconds into the fourth, put Hamilton ahead 39-22. It came after Toronto outscored the Ticats 13-0 in the third to pull to within 32-22.
The TD grab was Lawler’s seventh in three games versus Toronto. Hamilton won the season series 2-1.
Liegghio’s 33-yard boot — set up by Stavros Katsantonis’s second of three picks — put Hamilton ahead 42-22 at 4:16. But Doege countered with a 15-yard TD pass to Kevin Mital at 8:05, cutting the deficit to 42-29.
Philip Ossai sacked Jarret Doege — Ossai’s third of the game — in the end zone for a safety at 10:51, putting Hamilton ahead 44-29. The Ticats had nine sacks and forced five turnovers in the contest. Lieggio’s 33-yard field goal at 14:17 rounded out the scoring.
Hamilton (10-6) moved four points ahead of idle Montreal (8-7) atop the East Division. While the Alouettes have a game in hand, the Ticats won the season series and thus have the tiebreaker should the teams finish with identical records.
Hamilton and Montreal have both clinched home playoff games. More importantly for the Ticats, this win was a nice rebound following last weekend’s lopsided 40-3 loss in Winnipeg, although it was anything but a clean offensive performance.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Still, Hamilton will finish its regular season at home against Calgary (next Saturday) and Ottawa (Oct. 24).
The Argos (5-11) suffered a third straight loss. It also dropped their final home game of the year and will end their season in Saskatchewan (Friday night) and Calgary (Oct. 18).
Toronto’s defeat, coupled with Ottawa’s 20-13 loss to Saskatchewan on Friday night, ensures a West Division crossover for the East Division’s final post-season berth.
The Argos also lost starter Nick Arbuckle (arm) on their first possession. Doege took over at 4:34 of the first on a brilliant fall afternoon before a BMO Field gathering of 19,846.
Lawler and Brendan O’Leary-Orange, with two each, and Greg Bell scored Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio added two field goals and five converts while Nik Constantinou had a single.
David Ungerer III had Toronto’s other touchdown. Lirim Hajrullahu booted two converts and six field goals.
Toronto pulled to within 32-19 on Doege’s 18-yard TD pass to Ungerer at 5:13 of the third following Tarvarus McFadden’s interception.
Hajrullahu hit from 38 yards out at 2:56. His 51-yard boot at 14:20 cut Hamilton’s lead to 32-22.
Hajrullahu’s 52-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Hamilton’s halftime lead to 32-9. But the Ticats controlled the opening half, scoring on five-of-eight possessions, forcing three turnovers (resulting in 14 points) and three sacks.
Mitchell and O’Leary-Orange hooked up on a 24-yard TD pass at 14:17 to give Hamilton a 32-6 lead. It followed Katsantonis’s interception.
Hajrullahu’s 32-yard field goal at 7:16 cut Hamilton’s lead to 24-6 at 7:16.
Hajrullahu’s 37-yard field goal at 13:47 of the first cut Hamilton’s lead to 17-3. But Bell’s 14-yard TD run earned the Ticats a 24-3 advantage at 4:03 of the second.
Mitchel found O’Leary-Orange behind Toronto’s secondary on an 87-yard TD pass at 9:17, putting Hamilton ahead 17-0.
Mitchell staked Hamilton to a 10-0 lead with a five-yard TD strike to Lawler at 3:53. It was set up by Julian Howsare’s recovery of Arbuckle’s fumble. Arbuckle lost the ball after being sacked by Ossai and immediately went into the medical tent.
When Arbuckle re-emerged, his right arm was in a sling.
Liegghio’s 29-yard field goal at 1:52 opened the scoring.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
