Argonauts top Ticats on DB Jamal Peters’ three picks and MBT’s three TD throws

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Three interceptions from Jamal Peters, three touchdown passes thrown by McLeod Bethel-Thompson to three different receivers, a huge win.

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It was a good Friday for the Argos, a side desperate for some uplifting news after back-to-back defeats.

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It turns out the hated Ticats would provide solace as the Argos beat Hamilton 37-20 at BMO Field, to improve their record to 5-5 and cement their grip on first place in the East.

The teams meet for the fourth and final time of the regular season on Labor Day at the Hammer. The Argos, who have won two of three wins so far, would need to lose by 21 points to forfeit the tiebreaker should the teams tie at the end of the season.

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Once the Argos took control on Friday, they never looked back, beating the Tabbies 27-4 in the second half, arguably their best 30 minutes of football this season.

Of course, they were far from perfect, especially in the first half when they looked like the same old Argos with too many over-and-outs offensively. When Hamilton made plays on the field, they often featured mix-ups or coverage failures in Toronto’s back end. The Argos also couldn’t run the ball or stop the Ticats on the ground. But compared to Hamilton’s imperfections, the Argos were among the elite.

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Dane Evans started at QB for the Ticats, but would make way for Matthew Shiltz, who was injured in the second half, bringing Evans back.

Toronto overcame a poorly planned first down in the red zone to eventually score a touchdown, as MBT hit Kurleigh Gittens Jr. with a four-yard strike late in the second quarter to go 13-10. Boris Bede attempted a bizarre moonshot on the ensuing kickoff that the Ticats turned into a late field goal and a 16-10 halftime lead.

The Ticats scored first in the second half, another field goal, but it wasn’t until Argos after that. They started making plays, first in defense and then in attack, taking their first lead of the night when MBT kicked their second TD of the game, this one to DaVaris Daniels.

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When the Ticats regained possession, it was Evans, not Shiltz, at quarterback, Hamilton’s third change to the position. Shiltz was favoring his throwing hand and didn’t come back.

On the second pitch Evans attempted in the series, he foolishly threw to the near sideline for Peters to intercept for his second pick of the night.

Toronto cashed in when MBT pitched their third TD when Markeith Ambles won a major.

It should be noted that the Argos’ two touchdowns in the third quarter were the result of big plays by former Ticat Brandon Banks, who hasn’t been a determining factor this season. Speedy B’s 14-yard run set up Daniels’ middle finger before his 26-yard catch-and-run put MBT in position to hit Ambles.

Peters then grabbed his third interception of the night, and that was a killer for the Tabbies as he stood in front of a Hamilton receiver on a pass from Evans and rushed 67 yards for a pick six who was 34-19 at the start of the fourth quarter.

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BRIEFLY

Argos rookie Eric Sutton committed one of football’s deadly sins when he took a selfish penalty that completely changed the complexion of the second quarter. The defensive back was ejected for a blow to the sensitive area of ​​an unsuspecting member of Hamilton’s returning unit. A 25-yard penalty was also imposed… For the second time this season, Argo freshman Javon Leake suffered a hamstring injury, although it is not considered serious. The first setback, which occurred in training, placed him on the injured list for six games. He came back last week and was used as a leading returner and in the backfield… Good night placekickers. The Ticats’ Seth Small was 4-for-5 on field goal attempts, with his only miss coming in the dying seconds of the game. Bede had all three attempts, including one for 56 yards… The Argos ran just 10 times for 43 yards. AJ Ouellette had six of those carries for just 16 yards, but he had a 10-yard burst down the middle early in the second half that seemed to energize the offense.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com