Key plays and players lift Hamilton for a road victory
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats closed out their regular season with a 35-22 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday, a win fuelled by timely offence from quarterback Tre Ford and a kicking clinic from Marc Liegghio.
"Tre Ford threw two TD passes and Marc Liegghio kicked seven field goals to power the Hamilton Tiger-Cats past the Ottawa Redblacks 35-22 on Saturday afternoon."
Ford completed 18 of 25 passes for 170 yards and added 52 rushing yards on eight carries, providing both mobility and efficiency in a game the Ticats needed to finish on a positive note. Liegghio’s seven field goals were a dominant element of Hamilton’s scoring — he finished one field goal shy of matching Paul Osbaldiston’s club record.
Game flow and turning points
The contest featured several momentum swings, but Ottawa’s mistakes helped the Ticats convert opportunities into points. The Redblacks committed four turnovers and allowed a partially blocked punt that Hamilton turned into two touchdowns and two additional field goals. Those special-teams miscues and turnovers widened the margin and underpinned Hamilton’s control of the game despite Ottawa staging some late responses.
- Tre Ford: 18-of-25 passing, 170 yards, two touchdown passes; 8 rushes for 52 yards.
- Marc Liegghio: Seven field goals, one short of the club record.
- Team records: Hamilton finished the season 6-12; Ottawa closed at 1-17.
Season context and consequences for Hamilton
The victory was Hamilton’s sixth straight over Ottawa, and one of only two wins for the Tiger-Cats across their final eight regular-season games. The result does little to alter the broader narrative of a season that fell short of expectations for Ti-Cats supporters, but it provided a cleaner finish and allowed some positive building blocks to emerge — particularly the interplay between Ford’s mobility and Liegghio’s reliability on field goals.
For Hamilton fans who watched a team that struggled to string wins together through much of the schedule, Saturday’s win offered a glimpse of what can be salvaged: special-teams strength and a quarterback who can create with his legs and manage the passing game. The club will need to decide how to translate those elements into sustained success if they are to improve on a 6-12 finish.
Ottawa’s woes continue
Ottawa’s loss completed a disappointing 1-17 regular season and extended a run of defeats that has carried over from last year. The Redblacks set a CFL record for most losses to open a season with 16, and the team has now suffered 23 defeats in 24 games dating back to the previous season. Rookie and young quarterbacks saw playing time in Ottawa’s rotation: Bryson Barnes, making his second CFL start, was 13-of-26 for 163 yards and threw two interceptions, while veteran Jake Maier delivered a strong fourth quarter, completing 13 of 15 passes for 131 yards and throwing two touchdown passes in the period.
| Team | Final record | Notable contributors |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 6-12 | Tre Ford, Marc Liegghio, Larry Rountree III |
| Ottawa Redblacks | 1-17 | Bryson Barnes, Jake Maier |
Hamilton’s final regular-season win against Ottawa was not a cure-all for a team that struggled for consistency, but it served as a reminder of the local appetite for football and the opportunity for growth. With the CFL landscape shifting and teams looking to retool over the winter, Ticats supporters will be watching how management and coaching address the gaps revealed over the 6-12 campaign.
On the ground in Hamilton, the immediate reaction from fans and analysts will focus on whether the glimpses of form from Ford and Liegghio can be extended into next season. For a city that divides its loyalties between urban concerns and suburban and rural communities beyond the downtown core, the Tiger-Cats remain a unifying local institution — one that will be central to winter conversations about personnel moves, coaching priorities and the club’s direction for 2027.
