Mitchell leads Ticats to Labour Day win over Argonauts

HAMILTON — Bo Levi Mitchell is still unbeaten on Labour Day.

Mitchell threw for 347 yards and two TDs as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats earned an exciting 31-28 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Monday. Mitchell improved his Labour Day record to 7-0, although his first six wins came with the Calgary Stampeders.

And Monday's contest was his first Labour Day start since 2019.

"We all know Labour Day is a crazy game … it always brings out the best," Mitchell said. "The records never matter.

"It just makes it so much fun to play football in front of a packed house … all these kids go back to school (Tuesday) so hopefully we gave them something fun to talk about."

Mitchell finished 20-of-30 passing for Hamilton (3-9), which snapped a four-game losing streak. Marc Liegghio's 55-yard field goal at 12:23 of the fourth quarter gave the Ticats their 10th victory in 13 Labour Day games but first since 2021.

"What a big kick, right," said Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich. "Fifty-five yards with the game on the line and an elite returner (Janarion Grant) back there.

"It's been a tough year, we've had changes at two coordinators, players have been in and out and for them (Ticats players) to just keep at it and keep believing makes you proud as a coach. I'm happy for them, they deserve it."

Hamilton clinched the season series with Toronto (6-5) while moving to within six points of the third-place Argos in the East Division.

Lirim Hajrullahu put Toronto ahead 28-27 with a 42-yard field goal at 4:21. He connected from 25 yards out 14 seconds into the fourth.

However, Nik Constantinou's 74-yard single at 6:32 made it 28-28 before a sun-drenched Tim Hortons Field sellout of 25,291. But after scoring 27 first-half points, the Ticats could muster just four in the second half, all in the fourth.

"I think we had a lull there kind of between the third and fourth," Mitchell said. "That just showed the resiliency, which is something I don't think we've shown a lot this season, there in the fourth quarter."

Hamilton's Tim White had six catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Taulia Tagovailoa had the Ticats other touchdown while Liegghio booted the converts and three field goals and Constantinou added the single.

"He was just ballin'," White said of Mitchell. "He was just laying the ball up there and letting us go get it.

"It's extremely fun to play like that."

Tagovailoa, the brother of Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa, completed the only pass he attempted for six yards while running twice for 10 yards. Hamilton had 143 rushing yards in the contest.

DaVaris Daniels and Chad Kelly had Toronto's touchdowns. Hajrullahu kicked five field goals and a convert.

Kelly finished 24-of-30 passing for 322 yards with a TD and interception. Ka'Deem Carey ran for 78 yards on 12 carries while Daniels had seven catches for 74 yards.

"I'm not happy with the performance, I'm happy with their fight," Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said. "We're just not there yet, we're an average football club.

"Luckily we've got a few more weeks to get to where we need to be. The fight is there, the execution has got to just be a little bit cleaner."

Toronto enters a tough stretch where it will visit Ottawa and B.C., then host Hamilton and Montreal before heading on a bye week. The Ticats have next week off before facing the Redblacks at Tim Hortons Field on Sept. 14.

Hamilton didn't score but put together a smart 11-play, 58-yard drive that consumed 6:29 in the third. The Ticats started at their one-yard line when Jordan Bryd suffered a knee injury tracking down John Hagerty's 69-yard punt.

"Going from the one-yard line is tough, especially at that point in the game," Mitchell said. "You're trying basically not to make a mistake.

"We got the ball over the centre line and were able to change field position there so that was a huge one. It's probably a drive enough people won't talk about."

Kelly cut Hamilton's lead to 27-22 with a 13-yard TD run at 2:20 of the third. It capped a 69-yard, four-play march.

Liegghio staked Hamilton to a deserving 27-15 halftime lead with an 18-yard field goal to end the second. Mitchell was 14-of-18 passing for 259 yards and two TDs, both to White, who had four receptions for 154 yards.

Toronto pulled to within 24-15 on Kelly's 10-yard TD pass to Daniels at 12:50. Kelly tried running in the two-point convert but was stopped short by Hamilton cornerback Jamal Peters, a former Argo.

Mitchell's 70-yard bomb to White at 11:55 of the first put Hamilton ahead 21-3. Tagovailoa ran three yards for the TD at 7:28 on his first CFL snap.

White caught Mitchell's 57-yard touchdown strike to open the scoring at 1:35. It came just two plays after Richard Leonard's interception.

UP NEXT

Argonauts: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks (7-3-1) on Saturday.

Tiger-Cats: Enjoy a bye week, then host the Ottawa Redblacks on Sept. 14.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2024.