HAMILTON – The Ottawa REDBLACKS make the short trek to Hamilton for a date with the Tiger-Cats on Saturday night.
Ottawa is searching for its second win of the season.
Hamilton has won back-to-back games and sits two points behind first-place Montreal in the East Division.
Here’s three keys to victory for both teams ahead of Saturday night’s 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff, which can be watched on TSN, RDS and CTV in Canada and CFL+ for International and U.S. audiences.
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OTTAWA REDBLACKS
1. OFFENCE ON THE BACK OF DRU BROWN
Dru Brown didn’t miss a beat in his team’s loss to Edmonton a week ago, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Much of the offence will once again run through his right arm as the REDBLACKS are going up against a Tiger-Cats secondary allowing the third-most passing yards per game.
2. KALIL PIMPLETON’S IMPACT
Receiver Kalil Pimpleton has been a key contributor in multiple facets of the REDBLACKS’ offence this season. He’s caught 18 passes for 203 yards and last week returned a punt 97 yards for a touchdown. His presence becomes increasingly important with Bralon Addison out of the lineup.
3. STIFLE THE RUN
Hamilton ranks seventh in rushing yards per game, and it’s up to Johnny Augustine and Ante Milanovic-Litre to improve on it. Ottawa hasn’t been great against the run, which is a bit surprising given their talent up front. Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Cleyon Laing need to step up on the line, with the support of linebackers Jovan Santos-Knox and Adarius Pickett, to limit yardage gained on the ground.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
1. PASS GAME SHOWDOWN
Get ready for the ball to be put in the air as Bo Levi Mitchell and Kenny Lawler have been arguably the most dynamic duo in the Canadian Football League this season. Mitchell leads the league with nine touchdown passes through five weeks and sits second in passing yards with 1,219, while Lawler has been targeted 38 times for a CFL-best 483 yards.
2. SHUT DOWN DRU BROWN
With Brown playing at such a high level, it’s no secret that the defensive focus is on limiting his options. Jonathan Moxey leads the team with a pair of interceptions and has to be part of the solution to shutting down Brown’s top targets, Eugene Lewis and Pimpleton.
3. BETTER SECOND HALF
Hamilton allowed 25 second-half points in their win over Toronto, a total that might have been overlooked thanks to scoring 27 of their own. All told, they’ve allowed 73 points in the second half in four games. If they can get a lead late, it comes down to managing the ball on offence and limiting big drives defensively.
NEED TO KNOW
- Ottawa took 2-of-3 from Hamilton in 2024.
- Kickoff from Hamilton Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on TSN/RDS/CTV/CFL+.