By The Canadian Press

Liegghio’s 41-yard field goal earns Hamilton Tiger-Cats 29-27 win over Edmonton Elks

Sep 20, 2025 | 7:12 PM

HAMILTON — With the game on the line, Scott Milanovich wasn’t tempting fate.

Marc Liegghio’s 41-yard field goal into a stiff wind on the game’s final play earned Hamilton a 29-27 win over the Edmonton Elks in the annual Hall of Fame game Saturday night. But Milanovich, the Tiger-Cats head coach, didn’t see it, keeping his head down as Liegghio’s kick sailed through the uprights.

It’s something Milanovich began doing last season, and with Liegghio having made 18 straight kicks, he’s not about to change.

But Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who engineered the 13-play, 67-yard yard drive that set up Liegghio’s game-winner, looked on.

“I’ve just got so much trust in that man (Liegghio),” he said. “I knew if I got him anywhere close we were going to have the game.

Wind warning

Wind warning in effect for the Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt, Crowsnest east of Hope

36m ago

Road project in Chilliwack

Multi-use pathway project on Knight Road in Chilliwack to wrap up next month

2h ago

Business closure

Chilliwack poké franchises close

2h ago

“You’ve got a lot of time. I know it seems like you don’t at times but 45 seconds to a minute, you’ve got time to get down there.”

Hamilton’s final possession began at its 10-yard line with 1:37 remaining. The march was aided by a roughing the passer call against Jordan Williams, delighting 22,114 spectators at Hamilton Stadium.

“Having Bo, having Marc I just have total faith in those guys,” Milanovich said. “Sometimes I have to get on Marc about his body language in practice if he misses one because he’s too good.

“We just need to keep that battery clean and he needs to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Earlier, Hamilton drove to Edmonton’s 50-yard line but Brendan O’Leary-Orange dropped Mitchell’s third-down pass to give the Elks the ball with 2:51 remaining. It was one of two turnovers by the Ticats, who also took some bad penalties in the contest.

“I’m still steaming (about penalties),” Milanovich said. “Usually when you make as many mistakes as we did tonight it ends up biting you.”

Mitchell was 28-of-40 passing for 311 yards with two TDs and an interception. He completed seven of his nine attempts for 52 yards on the final drive.

“I think in those situations, the game really slows down for him and he sees things even better than he already does,” Milanovich said of Mitchell. “I thought he played a really good game even before that.

“Some guys have a knack in those situations and there’s no doubt he’s one of them.”

It was deja vu for Edmonton, which dropped a 31-30 decision last week in Toronto on Lirim Hajrullahu’s game-ending 11-yard field goal.

“I thought special teams did their job and put them back there on the 10,” said Elks head coach Mark Kilam. “We’ve got to hold them down there.

“I think we’re taking steps but I don’t have a lot of words after that one. That was a tough loss against a good team at their place. That’s two weeks in a row.”

Liegghio’s 40-yard field goal at 5:38 put Hamilton ahead 26-24. But Vincent Blanchard gave Edmonton a 27-26 advantage with a 12-yard kick at 10:15. The Elks’ 65-yard, 10-play drive was aided by an illegal contact penalty on Ticats’ defender DaShaun Amos on a second-down incompletion and an unnecessary roughness call against cornerback Jamal Peters.

Hamilton (9-5) won its third straight game to move four points ahead of Montreal (7-7) atop the East Division standings.

Edmonton (5-9) suffered a second consecutive loss to remain fifth in the West Division, four points behind third-place B.C. and Winnipeg (both 7-7).

At halftime, the ’25 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class was honoured. It consisted of players Bryan Chiu, Jovan Olafioye, Jeremaine Copeland, Scott Flagel and Darryl Hall, as well as builders Glen Johnson and Frank McCrystal.

O’Leary-Orange and Kenny Lawler had Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio kicked five field goals and two converts.

Justin Rankin and Kurleigh Gittens Jr. scored Edmonton’s touchdowns. Blanchard had two converts and four field goals, while Jake Julien added a single.

Cody Fajardo found Gittens Jr. on a 12-yard TD pass at 5:56 of the third to give Edmonton a 24-20 lead following J.J. Ross’s interception.

Liegghio’s 38-yard field goal at 10:38 pulled Hamilton to within 24-23.

Blanchard’s 29-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Hamilton’s halftime lead to 20-17. After Mitchell found Lawler on a 15-yard TD pass at 13:53, Fajardo moved Edmonton 38 yards on seven plays to set up Blanchard’s kick.

Blanchard’s 21-yard field goal at 12:08 moved Edmonton ahead 14-13.

Liegghio’s 34-yard field goal at 8:09 gave Hamilton a 13-11 advantage. Blanchard made it 10-10 with a 42-yard field goal 24 seconds into the quarter.

Julie’s 56-yard single at 3:42 put Edmonton up 11-10. Mitchell put Hamilton ahead 10-7 with a 12-yard TD strike to O’Leary-Orange at 11:19, ending a seven-play, 87-yard drive.

Rankin took a screen pass 72 yards for the touchdown at 7:14 to put Edmonton ahead 7-3. The Elks were facing second-and-13.

Liegghio opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal at 4:52.

UP NEXT

Elks: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-3) on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Tiger-Cats: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) on Saturday, Sept. 27.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2025.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press