Masoli injured again as Ticats beat Redblacks 21-13

An injured Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli wears a cast and walks with crutches following CFL football game action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton, Ont. on Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Peter Power/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

HAMILTON -

Marc Liegghio put the Ottawa Redblacks on the ropes before Chris Edwards delivered the knockout punch.

Liegghio kicked five field goals as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Ottawa 21-13 on Saturday night. But it was Edwards' crucial tackle of Redblacks quarterback Dustin Crum that preserved the victory.

Crum, who replaced injured starter Jeremiah Masoli, drove Ottawa (1-3) to the Hamilton 20-yard line with seven seconds remaining. On the game's final play, he took off for the end zone but was stopped a yard-and-a-half short by Edwards, with an assist from teammate Richard Leonard, delighting the Tim Hortons Field gathering of 21,331.

"That was a professional play, that's an All-Pro play," Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer said of Edwards' stop. "He's just that type of a football player.

"Thank goodness he was out there."

Liegghio's 25-yard field goal gave Hamilton (1-3) its eight-point lead at 11:49 of the fourth quarter. Liegghio has made all nine field goals he's tried in the two games he's been with the Ticats but did miss a convert.

"You can't say enough about Liegghio," Steinauer said. "The ball goes through the pipes every time so far.

"It's definitely a team effort but to not make mention of what he contributed would definitely be an oversight."

Hamilton's defence played a spirited game, registering five sacks and four turnovers, including three interceptions.

"We took the ball away," Steinauer said. "That's something that had been eluding us a little bit and tonight it didn't.

"The game had a lot of different turns and twists and at the end of the day we found a way to win."

Masoli, in his season debut, left in the second quarter with a leg injury. The 34-year-old was trying to roll out to his right when, untouched, he fell to the turf and immediately clutched his left leg.

Masoli was carried off the field by his teammates. Injury details weren't divulged but Masoli left Ottawa's dressing room after the game on crutches and wearing a boot on his left foot.

"I have so much love for Jeremiah," Steinauer said. "Injuries are a part of the game ... but I think you saw a little bit of air go out of both sides.

"But that's a credit to him and just the amount of respect he has throughout the league, specifically with these two teams. Not a great thing, I think the league is better with Jeremiah in it."

Masoli was playing a year to the day after suffering a season-ending right leg injury against the Saskatchewan Roughriders -- a span of 17 games that saw Ottawa go 5-12. He was making his first career start versus Hamilton, the team he played eight seasons for (2013-21) before signing with Ottawa as a free agent.

"Jeremiah is one of my favourite people in the world," said Hamilton linebacker Simoni Lawrence. "He's a standup guy, I love his family.

"I just hope he's OK because he loves this. He's the ultimate competitor, he's a great human being, he loves his teammates."

Masoli finished six-of-10 passing for 37 yards and an interception. Crum was 14-of-21 for 149 yards and two picks and ran six times for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Ottawa defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV, the CFL's top defensive player last season, said losing Masoli was a huge blow to the Redblacks.

"It was definitely hard to see him go down," he said. "We had complete faith he'd come in and finish the game and continue to do what he does when he's healthy and playing.

"We made sure we were playing for him ... but it's true when they say this game is a game of inches. It's heartbreaking."

Hamilton starter Matt Shiltz was 19-of-26 passing for 233 yards with a TD and interception. He ran five times for 30 yards.

Tyreik McAllister scored Hamilton's touchdown as the Ticats earned a fifth straight home win over the Redblacks.

Lewis Ward had two field goals and a convert for Ottawa.

McAllister put Hamilton ahead 15-13, taking a screen pass 64 yards for the TD at 8:15 of the third. The convert was unsuccessful.

Hamilton appeared poised to add to that lead after Ted Laurent's fumble recovery at the Ottawa 46. But Brandin Dandridge returned the favour, being the last to touch Ticats' receiver Kiondre Smith's fumble at the Redblacks' 26-yard line.

But Liegghio's 34-yard field goal at 4:14 extended Hamilton's lead to 18-13.

Ward's 20-yard field goal at 4:23 gave Ottawa a 13-9 advantage.

Crum's 15-yard TD at 14:03 of the second earned Ottawa an unlikely 10-9 halftime lead.

Hamilton compiled 153 first-half net offensive yards compared to 87 for Ottawa. But the Ticats were also penalized nine times for 51 yards, including three time-count violations.

Ward kicked a 36-yard field goal at 9:10 to pull Ottawa to within 9-3 following Masoli's departure.

Liegghio's 20-yard field goal at 4:41 of the second staked Hamilton to a 9-0 advantage. It followed an unsuccessful challenge of an incompletion call of Shiltz's 13-yard TD pass to Richie Sindani.

It was set up by Edwards' interception -- Hamilton's first of the season -- that he returned to the Ottawa 29.

Liegghio connected from 50 yards out -- following a second time-count penalty -- at 1:50. He also opened the scoring with a 13-yard boot at 6:06 of the first.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2023.