HAMILTON – The quarterback shuffle continues for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
asserted
shuffle → continue → Cats
American Harrison Frost will start Friday night when Hamilton hosts the Montreal Alouettes in the annual Hall of Fame game.
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Hamilton → start → game
Harrison replaces Canadian Tre Ford, who was injured in the Ticats’ 37-22 Labour Day loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
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who → replace → Argonauts
Ford, who was out with a head injury, practised this week and is available to play.
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who → practise → injury
The ’26 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class will be honoured Friday night.
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class → honour → Fame
It includes former players Brandon Banks, Jim Evenson (posthumously), Charleston Hughes, Sean Millington and Calvin Tiggle and former Edmonton head coach Frank (Pop) Ivy (also posthumously) as a builder.
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It → include → builder
It’s been a revolving door under centre for Hamilton (4-9) since veteran Bo Levi Mitchell suffered a serious ankle injury in a 14-13 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 5.
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Mitchell → revolve → July
Jake Dolegala, Ford and Frost have all started contests since Mitchell’s departure.
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Dolegala → start → departure
Mitchell was the East Division’s outstanding player the last two seasons and this year really appeared in sync with Scott Milanovich, the Ticats’ head coach and offensive playcaller.
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Mitchell → appear → Milanovich
Before being hurt, Mitchell completed 86-of-110 passes (78.2 per cent) for 1,107 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception.
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Mitchell → hurt → touchdowns
After losing its season opener 30-27 to Montreal, Hamilton won two straight before facing Winnipeg.
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Hamilton → lose → Winnipeg
The Ticats trail the Bombers (7-6), B.C. Lions (7-6) and Calgary Stampeders (5-8) in the battle for the third and final East Division playoff spot.
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Ticats → trail → spot
Continuity is paramount in football and Milanovich admits the constant change at quarterback has created challenges for Hamilton’s offence.
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change → admit → offence
“It makes it difficult,” he said.
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he → make → ?
“We have to win differently.
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We → have → ?
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“We have to protect the ball offensively, which we did anyway, but the defence has to play great …
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defence → get → which
special teams have to give us field position.
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teams → have → position
Until we get the continuity with one guy at quarterback, we’re just going to have to fight and scratch like heck to score points.”
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we → get → points
Trouble is, neither Dolegala, Ford nor Frost has put his stamp on the job, be it for production or injury reasons.
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it → put → production
Ford, from Niagara Falls, Ont., is Hamilton’s passing leader with 1,293 yards, just 186 ahead of Mitchell, whose total came in two less starts.
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total → come → starts
“There’s a certain flow you get into when you’re with the same quarterback all of the time,” Milanovich said.
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Milanovich → ’ → time
“He knows how you run your routes _ I’m talking specifically receivers/quarterbacks _ you
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I → know → quarterbacks
know where he’s going to throw it, you know how hard it’s going to come, when it’s going to be there.
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it → know → it
“But that (playing with backups) is not an excuse because guys have done it before.
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guys → play → it
It can be done.”
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It → do → ?
Hamilton’s receivers would seemingly have the toughest task of continually having to adjust to different quarterbacks.
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receivers → have → quarterbacks
But veteran American Kenny Lawler downplayed that suggestion.
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Lawler → downplay → suggestion
“It doesn’t impact us a lot, really, to be honest,” he said.
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he → impact → us
“If the ball gets out and it hits your hands, catch it.
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it → get → it
“For us, it’s run our route, be where we’ve got to be and if the quarterback sees us, he’s going to throw to you.”
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he → run → you
Last season, Montreal (10-3) was 7-0 in games Davis Alexander started.
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Alexander → start → games
Montreal’s 10-8 record last year still had it finish second in the East behind Hamilton (11-7), then the Alouettes defeated the Ticats 19-16 with Alexander in the division final.
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Alouettes → have → final
But the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Alouettes 25-17 in the Grey Cup.
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Roughriders → down → Cup
Alexander will make his 14th consecutive start for Montreal on Friday.
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Alexander → make → Friday
He’s currently second overall in passing yards (4,196) and touchdowns (27) with only three interceptions.
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He → ’ → interceptions
Montreal receivers Tyson Philpot (102 catches, 1,471 yards, 11 TDs) and Tyler Snead (75 catches, 1,242 yards, 11 TDs) are 1-2 in the CFL and tied for the league lead in touchdown grabs.
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Philpot → tie → grabs
Receiver Charleston Rambo and Canadian defensive lineman Lwal Uguak will both start Friday.
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Rambo → start → ?
Montreal has lost two of is last three games but is 6-0 versus East Division rivals.
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Montreal → lose → rivals
The Ticats come off a bye week having lost three straight.
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Ticats → come → three
They’re 1-4 within the East Division and 3-4 at home.
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They → ’re → home
…and 5 more, not listed.
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