By Canadian Press

Jeremiah Masoli leads Ticats to convincing road win over arch-rival Argonauts

Jun 22, 2019 | 5:41 PM

TORONTO — Jeremiah Masoli threw three TD passes and ran for another as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats earned a lopsided 64-14 road win over the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon.

Masoli cemented the victory by throwing all three touchdown strikes — as well as for a two-point convert — in a 21-point third quarter to give Hamilton (2-0) a commanding 41-6 advantage. Masoli found Bralon Addison on a 21-yard TD strike just 1:15 into the quarter before hitting a wide-open Nikola Kalinic from 31 yards out at 8:10.

Masoli, who finished 23-of-31 passing for 338 yards, found Addison on the two-point convert. Then, to the dismay of the BMO Field gathering of 16,734, Masoli hit Addison on a 10-yard touchdown pass at 13:26.

Brandon Banks added to Toronto’s misery by returning a missed field goal 115 yards for the TD just 50 seconds into the fourth. Then Ticats backup Dane Evans hit Addison on a 44-yard scoring strike, Addison’s third touchdown of the game.

And fittingly, the game ended with former Argo Rico Murray returning an interception 37 yards for the touchdown.

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Addison finished with six catches for 107 yards. Hamilton running back Sean Thomas-Erlington ran for 109 yards on 12 carries while Banks added seven catches 105 yards.

Masoli improved to 6-1 against Toronto (0-1) but spoiled more than just their home/season opener. Before the game, the Argos honoured former starter Ricky Ray, who retired last month to cap a 17-year pro career, 16 in the CFL with Edmonton (2002-03, 2005-2011) and Double Blue (2012-2018).

Ray, who attended the game with his wife and two young daughters, won a record four Grey Cups as a starter. He retired after suffering a season-ending neck injury in a 41-7 home loss to Calgary last June 23 and stands fourth in all-time CFL passing yards (60,736).

Saturday’s game marked just the second time since 2011 that Ray wasn’t Toronto’s season-opening starter. James Franklin drew that assignment but was 16-of-26 passing for 211 yards and an interception before being replaced by McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the fourth.

Rookie Maleek Irons scored Hamilton’s other touchdown while Marcus Tucker added another two-point convert. Lirim Hajrullahu booted three field goals and two converts.

Armanti Edward had Toronto’s lone TD while S.J. Green added a two-point convert. Drew Brown kicked two field goals.

Brown’s 43-yard field goal on the final play of the second cut Hamilton’s half-time lead to 20-6. It came after the Ticats took control of the quarter on rushing TDs by Masoli and Irons.

Irons capped a six-play, 59-yard drive with a five-yard run at 13:40 to put Hamilton ahead 20-3 as the two-point convert was unsuccessful. Masoli scored on a one-yard run, then hit Tucker for the two-point convert, at 9:44.

Tucker had a 44-yard catch on the drive, which was made possible by Simoni Lawrence’s second interception of the season. Lawrence received a two-game suspension from the CFL on Monday but played because he’s appealing it.

Lawrence was suspended for hitting quarterback Zach Collaros in the head during last week’s 23-17 season-opening home win over Saskatchewan. Lawrence also had a sack against Toronto.

Hajrullahu’s career-best 56-yard boot put Hamilton ahead 6-3 at 2:04. Brown’s 28-yard boot at 10:13 tied the score 3-3.

Hajrullahu opened the scoring with a 34-yard field goal at 6:03. It was set up by Brandon Revenberg’s recovery of Abdul Kanneh’s fumble on an interception return.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press