A shorthanded Hamilton team gets zero rest for a mistake-prone offense against the same Saskatchewan squad that just hung 38 on them at Mosaic.
Game Details
- Matchup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Saskatchewan Roughriders
- When: Saturday, August 15 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton
- TV: TSN
- Stream: Watch live on CFL+
Odds
- Spread: Saskatchewan Roughriders -7
- Moneyline: Hamilton Tiger-Cats +295, Saskatchewan Roughriders -375
- Over/Under: 56
Hamilton has covered at a 4-5 clip this season with the total going over four times, while Saskatchewan sits at a sharp 5-2-1 against the number with five overs of their own. Vegas isn't buying a repeat blowout, but it's not exactly betting on the Ticats either.
Overview
The Tiger-Cats are stuck at 3-6 and staring up at the rest of the East, coming off back-to-back-to-back losses that have dropped them to 1-4 in their last five. Last week's 24-27 heartbreaker at BC Place, where Nathan Rourke went off for 370 yards, was the latest gut punch. Now Hamilton turns around on short rest to host a Saskatchewan team that flat-out owns this matchup — the Roughriders have won five straight in the series and just throttled the Ticats 38-7 back in Week 6, holding Hamilton to seven points in a game the offense never got off the ground.
Saskatchewan arrives at 6-2, second in the West and riding a two-game winning streak after blowing the doors off Ottawa 42-20. Trevor Harris is a staggering 12-5 in his career against Hamilton and has thrown for 1,026 yards and seven touchdowns over his last three starts. The one bright spot for the Ticats defense: they held Harris to a season-low 211 yards and picked him off twice in that Week 6 meeting, so there's at least a blueprint here even if the final score didn't show it.
This is a tough spot for Hamilton. They're breaking in Harrison Frost at quarterback with Bo Levi Mitchell still out, and the receiving corps is banged up with Tyler Ternowski out and Shemar Bridges questionable. Saskatchewan's defense ranks first in the league in points allowed and third in net defense, and this group just held Ottawa to 12 rushing yards. The Roughriders have the far more complete roster, the quarterback advantage, and the recent history on their side — Hamilton's path to an upset runs through takeaways and nothing else.
Key Players
- Harrison Frost (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, QB) — Completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in his first career start last week; he'll need a cleaner outing behind an offense averaging just 23.4 points per game.
- Trevor Harris (Saskatchewan Roughriders, QB) — Owns a 12-5 career mark against Hamilton and has been rolling with 1,026 yards and seven TDs over his last three games, though this Hamilton defense is the one unit that's given him trouble.
- KeeSean Johnson (Saskatchewan Roughriders, WR) — One catch away from 200 for his career, with touchdowns in three straight games and four 100-yard outings this season.
- Larry Rountree III (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, RB) — Hamilton's workhorse with 108 carries for 462 yards; the Ticats need him to control the clock and keep this game from turning into a track meet.
- Julian Howsare (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, DL) — Sitting on 49 career sacks, one shy of the milestone, and Hamilton's pass rush needs him disruptive if they're going to slow down Harris.
Keys to the Game
- Hamilton has to win the takeaway battle — they picked off Harris twice last time and that's their only proven formula against this offense.
- Frost needs to avoid the mistakes that turn a manageable deficit into a blowout; Hamilton is a brutal -84 in fourth quarters this season.
- The Ticats defense has to find a pass rush without banged-up bodies on the interior, with Charbel Dabire questionable and depth already thin up front.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Augustine (RB) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available (Foot) |
| Shemar Bridges (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable (Hip) |
| Charbel Dabire (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Questionable (Arm) |
| Kenny Lawler (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available (Illness) |
| Tyler Ternowski (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Out (Shoulder) |
| Quavian White (DL) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available (Hamstring) |
| Isaiah Wooden (WR) | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Available (Head) |
Depth Chart
Hamilton Tiger-Cats starters by position, built from the official Week 11 depth chart (projected — subject to change before kickoff).
| Position | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
|---|---|
| QB | Harrison Frost | Tre Ford | Jake Dolegala |
| RB | Larry Rountree III | Johnny Augustine |
| FB/TE | Ante Milanovic-Litre | Max Mang | Daniel Bell |
| WR (Boundary) | Myron Mitchell | Kenny Lawler |
| WR (Field) | Keric Wheatfall |
| SB | Kiondre Smith | Isaiah Wooden Sr, Kurleigh Gittens Jr, Tyson Middlemost |
| LT | Trevor Reid |
| LG | Brandon Revenberg |
| C | Liam Dobson | Nate Dumoulin-Duguay |
| RG | Jonathan Denis |
| RT | Brayden Swartout |
| DE | Mitchell Agude, Julian Howsare | Owen Hubert, Philip Ossai, Isaiah Bagnah |
| DT | Aamarii Notice, Miles Fox | Mario Kendricks Jr |
| LB (W) | Jordan Crook | Braxton Hill |
| LB (M) | Wynton McManis | Ryan Baker |
| DB (S) | Reggie Stubblefield |
| DB (FS) | Jake Nitychoruk, Robert Panabaker, Stavros Katsantonis |
| CB | Jamal Peters | Zamari Walton |
| HB | Destin Talbert | Quavian White, Ronan Horrall |
| K | Marc Liegghio |
| P | Mitch McCarthy |
| LS | Gordon Whyte |
| KR/PR | Isaiah Wooden Sr |
Score Prediction
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25 - Saskatchewan Roughriders 32. Saskatchewan's been the better team all year and has owned this series for five straight meetings, but Hamilton's defense showed in Week 6 it can slow Harris down even in a loss, and Frost's development plus a desperate home crowd keeps this one from turning into another rout.
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Who takes this one? Drop your prediction in the comments.