Tiger-Cats 35 Lions 31
VANCOUVER — Chris Bauman doesn’t get to celebrate in the end zone all that often but he scored the biggest touchdown of his CFL career Saturday night.
The six-foot-four, 212-pound slotback from Brandon, Man., snagged a Kevin Glenn pass with 1:24 left to give the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a 35-31 CFL victory over the B.C. Lions.
“We run that play all day and I was always open,” Bauman said after his first touchdown in two seasons and fourth of his four-year career.
“We were just waiting for it. I guess it was the right moment.”
Cornerback Dante Marsh tried for the interception but missed.
“He thought he had the pick, flew off my back and the rest is history,” Bauman said of his first game-winning TD and his second reception of the game.
It was a cruel defeat for the Lions who were trying for their third victory after a 1-7 start.
Rookie running back Jerome Messam fumbled the ball in the rain and former Lion Markeith Knowlton recovered on the B.C. 26 yard line to give Hamilton a chance for the win. Bauman made it sound easy.
“We knew from the beginning we were going to win this game,” he said in a noisy Ti-Cat locker room after Hamilton piled up 19 fourth-quarter points.
“We just had to follow our game plan and make plays. Our defence stepped up huge, turned the ball over for us and we put points on the board. That’s all you’ve got to do.”
Messam was disconsolate after the game. Close to tears, he stared into space while wiping his face with a towel as he sat alone.
“I don’t even know,” he said when asked what happened on the play. “I don’t know, man.”
Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn also threw touchdown passes to Arland Bruce III for a 13-11 lead and 51 yards to Maurice Mann to bring the Tabbies to within two points at 28-26.
Kicker Sandro DeAngelis kept his club in contention by being perfect on all five of his field goal attempts.
While Glenn threw for 292 yards, it was the 151 yards on the ground by DeAndra Cobb that set up the passing game.
“We were committed to running the ball,” said coach Marcel Bellefeuille. “It didn’t matter whether we won the football game, that’s how much we were committed.”
Hamilton’s first win outside the East Division enabled them to improve 6-5 and move two points ahead of third-place Toronto Argonauts. The Argos play host to Winnipeg on Sunday.
The Lions, who had been hoping to continue salvaging their season, slipped to 3-8 and are only two points ahead of fourth-place Edmonton in the West.
B.C. quarterback Casey Printers threw for 312 yards and a season-high three touchdown passes to Geroy Simon, Steve Black and Paris Jackson.
Paul McCallum added three field goals, two converts and a single as the Lions led 18-13 at halftime before a season-low 21,481 fans.
Several Lions said they let this one slip away.
“You have to finish the games and you have to keep pushing on the pedal,” said centre Angus Reid.
“Just because you’re ahead in the game, you can’t just decide ... we’ll just whatever. You have to play every play like it’s the most important play you’ll ever do.”
Coach Wally Buono said the Lions didn’t stay focused when the rain created a greater need to protect the ball.
“It’s a case of us making mistakes at the wrong time and they capitalized on them,” said Buono.
“You never want to take away from the other team. They played hard and they made plays.”
The Ti-Cats also intercepted Printers twice, once by Knowlton and another by Geoff Tisdale which resulted in another seven points.
“We just didn’t play as well in the second half,” said Printers who completed 22 of 40 attempts, including eight balls to Jackson for 109 yards.
“We just turned the ball over often. I’m a culprit. I’ve got to hold on to the football and not throw interceptions.”
The Tiger-Cats still believed they could pull the game out even though they trailed 28-16 in the third quarter.
“We just kept our composure, stayed positive and chipped away,” said Cobb a 23-carry workhorse who had a career-high 167 yards against the Lions last season. “When the chips were down we all looked at each other and we believed we could do it.”
NOTES: Import defensive end Stevie Baggs, who tied for most quarterback sacks with 12 last season, did not play ... the former Saskatchewan star signed Thursday with Hamilton after being released by the NFL Arizona Cardinals ... Bruce had 42 receiving yards to leave him 57 short of 1,000 for the season ... B.C. defensive tackle Steve Williams left in the second half with a torn bicep muscle.