Mitchell’s late TD pass to Lawler rallies Ticats to 23-20 home win over Redblacks

By Canadian Press on July 12, 2025.

HAMILTON — Bo Levi Mitchell’s three-yard TD pass to Kenny Lawler with 1:54 remaining rallied the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a 23-20 win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday night.

Mitchell’s second scoring strike to Lawler capped a smart 50-yard, six-play drive. But Hamilton (3-2) caught a break when Ottawa’s Michael Wakefield was called for roughing the passer on a Mitchell second-down incompletion that kept the march alive.

Ottawa (1-5) had one final possession at its 19-yard line with 1:51 remaining, but the Redblacks turned the ball over on downs at their 39-yard line with 1:13 remaining, delighting the Hamilton Stadium gathering of 22,913.

Hamilton was able to run out the clock for a third straight win and move into a tie with idle Montreal (3-2) atop the East Division. Ottawa has dropped three straight.

Hamilton had a glorious chance to take the lead on Mack Bannatyne’s recovery of Kalil Pembelton’s fumble of Nic Constantinou’s 57-yard punt at Ottawa’s 15-yard line. But the Ticats drove to the Redblacks four-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with 5:12 to play.

Ottawa appeared to go ahead 27-13 on Pimpleton’s 105-yard punt-return TD at 1:53. But it was negated by an illegal block penalty, the Redblacks’ first of the game following an unsuccessful challenge.

Ottawa started at its 15-yard line, and Dru Brown’s pass was intercepted by Jamal Peters, his second pick of the game. That gave Hamilton possession at the Redblacks’ 43-yard line, setting up Marc Liegghio’s 38-yard field goal at 4:23 that pulled the Ticats to within 20-16.

Liegghio kicked three field goals and a convert while Nic Constantinou added a single for Hamilton.

Keelan White and William Stanback had Ottawa’s touchdowns. Lewis Ward booted the converts and two field goals.

Stanback ended the third with a 23-yard TD run that put Ottawa ahead 20-13. Ward gave the Redblacks a 13-10 advantage with a 14-yard field goal at 9:46. But Liegghio tied it with a 41-yard kick at 12:54.

Mitchell’s 44-yard TD strike to Lawler at 2:38 made it 10-10 as Liegghio missed the convert. It followed Ward’s 41-yard field goal at 1:08.

Brown’s 10-yard TD pass to White, the third pick of the ’25 CFL draft, in the first quarter staked Ottawa to its 7-4 halftime lead. The seven-play, 70-yard march accounted for almost half of the Redblacks’ 142 net offensive yards.

Ottawa threatened to go ahead 10-4 but Ward missed from 48 yards out with under three minutes to play.

Hamilton mustered 165 net yards, but could only manage a field goal and single. The Ticats also took all seven penalties called in the half for 71 yards as both teams had six total possessions.

Brown completed 13-of-19 passes for 137 yards. Mitchell was 13-of-22 passing for 128 yards as Isaiah Wooden Sr.’s 47-yard punt return was the opening half’s biggest play.

Constantinou’s 51-yard punt at 3:16 of the second quarter cut Ottawa’s lead to 7-1. Liegghio pulled Hamilton to within 7-4 with a 16-yard field goal at 8:59.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday, July 20.

Tiger-Cats: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday, July 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press