HAMILTON BEATS EDMONTON IN RAINY CFL CONTEST

After a shaky start, Quinton Porter is becoming more comfortable as a starting CFL quarterback and the result has been improved play for the entire Hamilton Tiger Cats team.  This past weekend Porter led the Ti-Cats to their second straight victory as they upended the Edmonton Eskimos 28-21 at a rainy Ivor Wynne Stadium.  With the win, Hamilton improved to 4-2 on the CFL season while Edmonton dropped to 3-3.

Hamilton also covered as a -1’ home favorite for the fifth straight week to improve their ATS record to 5-1 on the CFL season.  Edmonton’s pointspread record dropped to 2-4.  The 49 combined points wend UNDER the posted total of 52’, which represented the fifth UNDER in six CFL games for Hamilton so far this season.  Edmonton has split their totals evenly this season.

Porter had pulled yanked from two of his first four games as Hamilton’s starting QB due to erratic play and there had been questions in the local media about his ability to lead a team at the CFL level.  He sounded elated after the game as he spoke of his performance:

"It feels great. It doesn't feel great because I'm proving anything, it feels great because this team is winning. We're putting in all the work we can right now to get this team on track and now we're 4-2. We're right where we want to be. We know we're a good team right now and if people want to keep questioning us, that's fine."

Porter ran in the winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak with :46 seconds remaining.  He commended the Eskimos on their tough play:

"I think both teams were executing. It just came down to the end like that. We could play 10 times and probably go 5-5 with them. No team was dominating any aspect of the game. I think what was important for us was no turnovers."

Eskimos’ coach Richie Hall agreed with Porter’s assessment and didn’t seem too discouraged by his team’s setback:

"Whether we're 4-2 or 3-3 the important thing to me is that we continue to play well, and despite what happened to us here, overall, I think we continued to play well. I'm still encouraged by our team. We've played well in the last three games and won two of them. We just didn't win this one."

Hamilton coach Marcel Bellefeuille praised his defense for making timely plays:

“They made plays when they had to and that's what this league is all about.”

Hamilton will try to keep their winning streak in CFL play intact as they head to Regina, Saskatchewan for a Sunday game against the Roughriders.  The Tiger-Cats have been installed as a +5 underdog with the total set at 52.  Edmonton, meanwhile, will host the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday.  The Eskimos have been set as a -1 home favorite with the total set at 59’.