Ticats, Alouettes All Set For East Division Final - Beritaja

HAMILTON – The look that earned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats first successful the East Division is what caput coach Scott Milanovich wants the nine to travel successful its playoff showdown pinch the Montreal Alouettes.

Hamilton hosts Montreal successful the Eastern last Saturday. The Ticats led the CFL successful turnovers (44), interceptions (27) and points disconnected turnovers (134) and besides won the turnover conflict successful some of their regular-season wins complete the Alouettes.

“Just do what we’ve been bully at, which is protect the shot and get the football,” Milanovich said Friday. “Have explosive plays erstwhile the opportunity presents itself, person immoderate balance.

“If and erstwhile we get turnovers, move those into touchdowns. It doesn’t request to beryllium thing flashy.”

Montreal will person a overmuch different look offensively Saturday pinch starter Davis Alexander. A hamstring wounded constricted Alexander to conscionable 7 regular-season starts and forced him to miss some contests versus Hamilton.

“Obviously everyone would emotion to locomotion into the Grey Cup but you want to play the best,” said Hamilton starter Bo Levi Mitchell. “I’m gladsome we yet get to play this squad astatine their best.”

Alexander, successful his first afloat play arsenic the starter, went 7-0 to boost his regular-season people to 11-0, the champion commencement to a CFL career. However, Montreal was conscionable 3-8 successful games he didn’t start.

Alexander won his playoff debut past weekend. He passed for 384 yards pinch a TD and interception and rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown successful Montreal’s 42-33 successful East semifinal triumph complete the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“There’s a different constituent successful position of mobility astatine that position,” Milanovich said of Alexander. “We’re going to do a awesome occupation of keeping him successful the pouch and limiting those opportunities wherever he could beryllium explosive extracurricular the pocket.”

Alexander, 27, makes conscionable his 13th CFL commencement Saturday truthful Hamilton could effort giving him different protect looks aliases disguising coverages to create indecision aliases hesitation. However, seasoned Ticats information Stavros Katsantonis cautioned against doing excessively overmuch of that.

“One of the things coaches person ever told america is don’t fto your disguise beryllium your demise,” he said. “Don’t hide immoderate you’re doing for truthful agelong that you can’t get your occupation done.

” … if we confuse immoderate backmost we’re playing a small spot to springiness america an advantage, yea that helps. But location are times he’s going to cognize precisely what we’re successful and we’re going to person to effort our champion to beryllium the amended squad retired there.”

Hamilton must besides interest itself pinch Stevie Scott III, who accumulated 133 of Montreal’s 176 rushing yards against Winnipeg pinch 2 TDs. The Ticats allowed a CFL-high 111 yards per crippled connected the ground.

But Hamilton’s rushing onslaught was stellar successful its 26-9 roadworthy triumph successful Montreal connected Sept. 6. Greg Bell ran for a career-best 156 yards and a touchdown arsenic the Ticats rushed for 234 yards.

Hamilton’s offence besides features Mitchell (5,296 passing yards and 36 TDs, some CFL highs) and 1,000-yard receivers successful Kenny Lawler (86 catches, 1,443 yards, league-best 14 TDs), Canadian Kiondre Smith (86 receptions, 1,126 yards, 5 TDs) and Tim White (84 catches, 1,016 yards, 7 TDs). Bell besides ran for 1,038 yards and 5 touchdowns and had 62 catches for 426 yards and a TD.

“They sewage immoderate heavy threats, they sewage a batch of seasoned guys complete there,” said Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette. “Their backmost is decidedly a veteran, he knows shot truthful they play smart.

“So I deliberation (if) we extremity their heavy shot threats and we make them play top-down, I deliberation we person a bully chance.”

Saturday’s forecast calls for a precocious of 7C pinch a 30 per cent chance of precipitation. But it will beryllium breezy, pinch winds of 17 kilometres an hr pinch gusts of 30 km-h.

Montreal practised successful cold, rainy conditions Wednesday pinch caput coach Jason Maas calling it 1 of the club’s champion sessions.

“Dealing pinch elements, you’re going to woody pinch them successful a game,” Maas said. “I deliberation erstwhile you’re mentally reliable and conscionable each azygous time we cognize you’re going retired successful it, there’s nary preservation whatsoever and it’s each about figuring it out.”

Montreal makes its 4th consecutive East last quality and chases a 2nd Grey Cup berth successful 3 seasons aft winning the ’23 title.

The Ticats big their first section last since 2019 and haven’t won the Grey Cup since 1999, the league’s longest drought. And pinch a rabid Hamilton Stadium sellout expected, it’s important the location squad commencement strong.

“We person the benignant of fans that want to spot large plays, they want to spot guys smacking pads,” Mitchell said. “They want you to play well.

“They’re going to spell retired location and capable that full stadium truthful we conscionable want to spell play a awesome crippled for them.”

Ticats protect lineman Casey Sayles offered a overmuch simpler outlook.

“At the extremity of the time we’re conscionable playing football, we’re playing a kids’ game,” he said. “You conscionable sewage to spell retired location and play confident, commencement fast.

“It’s going to spell backmost and forth, I’m sure, 2 bully teams playing. We’re excited for it.”

— With files from Daniel Rainbird successful Montreal.

This study by BERITAJA was first published Nov. 7, 2025.

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"Ticats, Alouettes All Set For East Division Final - Beritaja"

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