HAMILTON — Zach Collaros and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats continue to roll at Tim Hortons Field.
Collaros threw three TD passes as Hamilton defeated the Toronto Argonauts 34-18 on Monday night to remain unbeaten at the new facility. The Ticats (3-2) improved to 8-0 overall at the stadium — which includes their 40-24 East Division final win over the Montreal Alouettes — and moved into a tie with Toronto (3-2) atop the East Division standings.
"It felt like the East final with all the anticipation and hoopla around the game but I thought we did a good job of locking in," Collaros said. "Winning the home opener and staying undefeated here I don’t think anybody looks at it that way but it’s always nice to play at home and you should win at home, especially in this league."
Collaros delivered the decisive blow against his former team with a three-yard TD pass to Bakari Grant at 3:35 of the third to put Hamilton ahead 28-9. It came after Toronto’s failed third-down gamble at its 43-yard line.
Collaros finished 21-of-27 passing for 229 yards as Hamilton’s offence rolled up 34 first downs, 16 more than Toronto, although the Argos outgained the Ticats 431 net yards to 279.
"I thought the third quarter was huge, the defence getting us the stop on third down and giving us a short field," Collaros said. "That kind of took the wind out of their sails."
Hamilton’s defence did force five turnovers in the game, including four on downs. Toronto quarterback Trevor Harris was 29-of-40 passing for 326 yards and a TD while Vidal Hazelton finished with 10 catches and 134 yards and a touchdown.
"We got some key third-down stops for sure," Hamilton coach/GM Kent Austin said. "Anytime you do it switches momentum back into your favour, it certainly stems the tide from a momentum standpoint.
"We gave them the wind in the third quarter and the defence got us the ball and we converted offensively, that was a big key for the momentum of the second half."
Hamilton was victorious in its home opener before a sellout of 24,135 but Austin downplayed the significance of the Ticats’ unbeaten home record.
"We should always have the expectation of winning every game," Austin said. "There’s no reason to really bring focus to something that is already our expectation."
Toronto played its fifth straight game away from Rogers Centre although its season-opening 26-11 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in Fort McMurray, Alta., was deemed a home contest.
"We have a bad habit of starting slow," Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich said. "It’s killing us in terms of our running game, balance, and asking Trevor to do too much."
Toronto plays its first game at Rogers Centre on Saturday night versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hamilton hosts the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday in the second of three consecutive home contests following four straight on the road.
Grant had two TDs for Hamilton while Brandon Stewart and Terrence Toliver scored the others. Justin Medlock added the converts and two field goals.
Tori Gurley had Toronto’s other touchdown. Ronnie Pfeffer had a convert and field goal with the other points coming on a safety.
Collaros’s two second-quarter TD passes staked Hamilton to a 21-9 half-time lead in a frame delayed 26 minutes due to lightning. Collaros capped a 10-play, 73-yard scoring march with a 16-yard TD pass to Grant at 1:28 before finding a streaking Toliver on a 40-yard scoring strike.
In between, Harris ended a five-play, 75-yard drive with a 19-yard TD pass to Gurley at 4:18. Action was suspended following the score, then resumed as the final 5:38 was completed with Toronto registering a safety at 13:14.
Stewart opened the scoring with a 23-yard TD run after recovering Hugh O’Neill’s 32-yard punt as an onside player. Toronto returner A.J. Jefferson didn’t touch Stewart, who upon gathering in the ball got up and ran it in at 2:54.
"It was a perfect kick by Neil," Austin said. "They didn’t jump on the ball and Brandon did a great job hustling, he’s fast.
"He got on it and got up and got into the end zone. It was a pretty well-executed play."
NOTES — Offensive linemen Scott Mitchell and Bruce Campbell were Toronto’s scratches while receiver Terrell Sinkfield and defensive linemen Drake Nevis were inactive for Hamilton … The Ticats lost running back C.J. Gable and slotback Andy Fantuz to upper-body injuries.
