OTTAWA, ON — The Friday night game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa REDBLACKS didn’t mean a lot with regard to the standings, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how the game panned out in the nation’s capital. Both teams fought until the very end in a game which had seven lead changes, but it was the REDBLACKS who finished on top 37-31 to end their five-game losing spell.
Despite the high scoring totals and lofty passing numbers from both starting quarterbacks, it was the Ottawa defence who came up with the biggest play of the game. That unit denied Hamilton on the goal line on three straight plays in the dying seconds to hold on to the result and finish the regular season with a winning record.
Dru Brown threw for 445 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Rookie receiver Kalil Pimpleton ended his day with 167 yards on six catches, plus a score. Dominique Rhymes also passed the century mark with 115 yards on six catches of his own.
Despite the loss, Bo Levi Mitchell was able to make Tiger-Cats history, setting a franchise record for passing yards in a season after throwing for 425 at TD Place Stadium. Mitchell threw for a touchdown and an interception on the day, while Steven Dunbar Jr. recorded 180 receiving yards on nine catches.