Bo Levi Mitchell's Five Touchdowns Lift Tiger-Cats to 22-Point Win Over Stampeders
Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell put on a show against his former team, the Calgary Stampeders, in a 42-20 blowout win on Friday night.
It was a nice revenge game for Mitchell, as it was the first time he had beaten his old team since joining Hamilton. He slinged the ball for 450 yards and five touchdowns to one interception. Even running back Greg Bell exploded for 139 rushing yards on just 15 carries. The Tiger-Cats had a season-high 583 yards of offense and the defense held Calgary to 312 yards and four turnovers.
Matt Shiltz struggled in his second start at quarterback for Calgary as he only completed 50% of his passes for 124 yards with one rushing score and one interception. Jake Maier finished the game as the starter after serving as the backup once again. Defensive lineman Clarence Hicks was the standout on defense with two tackles and two sacks.
The Tiger-Cats improved to 7-10 on the season with their fifth win in the last six games. Calgary officially clinched the worst record in the CFL and the top spot in the 2025 CFL Draft as the Stampeders drop to 4-12-1.
3 Takeaways from Hamilton's Win
1. Mitchell Making Convincing Argument for CFL MOP
Outside of the ugly floating pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Calgary, Mitchell looked like a guy who can still start in this league for another year or two. He became the first and possibly only quarterback this season to throw for over 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Quarterbacks are always favorites to win the league's MOP award, but this season, none have run away with it. Mitchell has the best shot to do it as he has been one of the best in the CFL in 2024.
2. Chris Jones Earning Spot as Defensive Coordinator for Hamilton in 2025
Edmonton Elks fans will have a sour taste in their mouths thinking about their former head coach and general manager, Chris Jones, but Tiger-Cats fans might feel differently since he has joined the coaching staff. They allow fewer yards and points per game since Jones has taken over the play-calling on defense. The Hamilton defense has a lot of work to do still in the offseason, but Jones has more than earned a shot at being defensive coordinator in 2025.
3. Calgary's Situation Has Gone From Bad to Worse
While Hamilton is more optimistic about 2025, Calgary's situation just seems to be getting uglier. The team has lost four straight games and hasn't won a game in nine consecutive matchups. There is no sign that the Stampeders have found a proper replacement for Mitchell as quarterback over the past two years. Head coach Dave Dickenson might be able to retain his job, but he will have the hottest seat going into 2025 and has to figure out how to fix his eighth-ranked defense and chaotic quarterback situation.
Up Next
Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ottawa Redblacks (Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 pm EST)
Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:00 pm EST)
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