HAMILTON — 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. Liegghio finished one field goal short of Paul Osbaldiston’s club record. The Ticats (6-12) earned just a second win over their final eight regular-season games. Both were against Ottawa as Hamilton claimed a 34-16 decision at TD Place on Oct. 2. Ford finished 18-of-25 passing for 170 yards. He also ran eight times for 52 yards. Ottawa (1-17) was coming off its first win of the year, a 40-39 decision versus Toronto. But the Redblacks committed four turnovers (fumble, two interceptions, downs) and allowed a partially blocked punt that Hamilton converted into 20 points (two touchdowns, two field goals). The loss was Ottawa’s 23rd in 24 games dating back to last season. The Redblacks set a CFL record for most losses to open a season (16). Bryson Barnes was 13-of-26 passing for 163 yards and two interceptions in his second CFL start. Barnes threw for 339 yards and two TDs last week versus Toronto. Veteran Jake Maier, who was 0-12 earlier this year as Ottawa’s starter, completed 13-of-15 passes for 131 yards in the fourth quarter. Maier had TD passes of five yards to Ayden Eberhardt (9:14) and three yards to Justin Hardy (13:42). Hamilton earned a sixth straight win over Ottawa and 16th in 18 matchups overall. Jaelen Gill and Larry Rountree III scored Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio added the converts. Ottawa’s Paul Geelen kicked three field goals and a convert. Rountree’s five-yard TD grab at 14:40 of the third moved the Ticats up 35-9. It followed Ryan Baker’s partially blocked punt. Liegghio’s 37-yard field goal at 5:02 moved Hamilton ahead 25-9. His seventh of the game, from 42 yards out at 6:42, stretched the Ticats’ lead to 28-9. The kickers dominated the opening half with eight combined field goals, the last being Liegghio’s 53-yard boot to end the half. That gave Hamilton a 22-9 lead as the Ticats scored 10 points off three Ottawa turnovers. Geelen hit a 28-yard kick at 14:33 after Liegghio’s 22-yard field goal at 13:43. It was set up by Isaiah Wooden Sr.’s 45-yard punt return. A scrambling Ford found Gill on a 16-yard TD pass at 10:49 to put Hamilton up 16-6. It followed Wynton McManis’s 33-yard interception return. Liegghio gave Hamilton a 9-6 lead with a 40-yard field goal at 4:18. It came after Barnes was stopped on third-and-one at Ottawa’s 39-yard line. Geelen made it 6-6 with a 53-yard field goal at 14:20 of the first after Liegghio’s 46-yarder at 11:26. Liegghio connected from 34 yards out at 7:17 after Geelen’ s 28-yard field goal at 3:57 opened the scoring. Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
