OTTAWA — Backup quarterback Dominique Davis had three touchdowns on QB sneaks and the Ottawa Redblacks took a huge step toward winning the East Division with a 35-31 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
The Redblacks (9-7) need just one win in their final two games to win the division, while the Tiger-Cats (8-8) will need to win both their remaining games, including a rematch with the Redblacks next week, just to have a shot.
Redblacks kicker Lewis Ward also kicked two first-half field goals, giving him 45 consecutive and breaking the previous mark of 44 held by Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts for the longest streak in pro football history.
The Ticats also lost all-star receiver Brandon Banks to injury on an incomplete pass at 12:36 in the fourth quarter. Banks, who is among the league-leaders in receiving yards and touchdown catches, was seen clutching his left shoulder as he headed to the locker-room with Hamilton’s training staff.
The third of Davis’ touchdowns came just shy of eight minutes into the fourth quarter to give the Redblacks a 35-31 lead after Ward was unsuccessful on the conversion.
Lirim Hajrullahu had given the Tiger-Cats a 31-29 lead three minutes into the fourth quarter with a 53-yard field goal.
The Redblacks had the opening possession of the game, but after they went two-and-out, Masoli drove the Tiger-Cats down field and concluded their opening possession with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Luke Tasker.
Before the end of the first quarter, Ward connected from 27-yards out to tie the record and then broke it with an impressive 52-yard strike with less than five minutes to play in the frame.
Masoli connected with Banks on a 33-yard, catch-and-run touchdown with 14 seconds to play in the quarter for a 14-6 Hamilton lead.
After a 59-yard single two minutes into the second quarter from Hajrullahu, Tasker caught his second touchdown pass of the half from two yards out.
After Dominique Davis came in for a one-yard QB-sneak touchdown and a two point conversion by William Powell, the Tiger-Cats closed out the opening half with a field goal and a 25-14 lead.
Hajrullahu kicked a 22-yard field goal on first down with just six seconds remaining in the half. He also had a single in the first half and converted all three of the Tiger-Cats touchdowns.
The Redblacks opened the second quarter with an eight-point opening drive, capped by another one-yard sneak from Davis and a two-point conversion toss from Trevor Harris to RJ Harris cutting the Hamilton lead to 25-22 five minutes in.
The Tiger-Cats responded with a 32-yard Hajrullahu field goal less than three minutes later for a 28-22 lead.
The Redblacks then took a 29-28 lead with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Diontae Spencer and a conversion from Ward at 10:07 of the third quarter.
It was their first lead of the game and they took it into the fourth quarter.
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