Kelly leads Toronto to 37-22 Labour Day win over Ticats to clinch season series

Lirim Hajrullahu’s nine-yard field goal at 7:31 of the fourth boosted Toronto’s advantage to 30-14. Harrison Frost found Kurleigh Gittens Jr. on a six-yard TD pass, then Ante Litre for the two-point convert at 12:46 to pull Hamilton to within 30-22.

But Kelly cemented the win with a 21-yard TD pass to David Ungerer III at 13:17. Kelly completed 23-of-35 attempts for 319 yards but also threw his CFL-high 18th interception that set up Tre Ford’s 23-yard TD run at 5:06 of the second quarter to put Hamilton ahead 7-6.

“That was the moment where I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got to really be meticulous about working down the field and just take our shots when they’re needed,” Kelly said. “I thought we were really good at dinking and dunking and taking our shots when they were there.

“They had some exotic pressures that we were ready for but if (they) blitz you’ve got to be ready to get the ball out and I thought we did that. On one-on-one plays, guys made plays.”

Monday’s contest was Toronto’s 10th road game this season with the World Cup staging games this summer at BMO Field. Argos’ head coach Mike Miller said that experience continues to pay dividends for his squad.

“Coming in here as we continue to grow as a team you see that experience of hostile environments,” he said. “This (Hamilton) is a very good football team … we knew we were going to have our hands full.

“Guys just kept fighting but I thought physically we played the type of game that we want to play.”

Hamilton leads the overall series 37-17-1 but suffered its fourth Labour Day loss in five contests. The Ticats also face a near-impossible task to make the playoffs with just five regular-season games remaining to either move past Toronto into second or post a record that’s at least as good as the West Division’s fourth-place finisher and stave off a crossover.

“We’ve got to win five in a row now,” said Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich.

And that’s a tough prospect given Hamilton’s schedule includes games against the Montreal Alouettes (CFL-best 10-2 record) and two against the Edmonton Elks.

Hamilton lost more than its third straight game. Ford (head) was ruled out to open the third quarter after completing four-of-nine passes for 75 yards.

Frost came in and completed 16-of-28 passes for 214 yards with two TDs and an interception before a sun-drenched Hamilton Stadium sellout gathering of 25,274.

Jake Herslow, Damonte Coxie and Isaiah Smith had Toronto’s other touchdowns. Hajrullahu kicked three field goals and four converts.

Gittens Jr. had Hamilton’s other two touchdowns. Marc Liegghio added two converts.

Frost hit Gittens on a 23-yard TD pass at 12:28 of the third to pull Hamilton to within 27-14.

Smith’s two-yard run at 4:40 put Toronto ahead 27-7. It was set up by DaShaun Amos’s interception off Frost and a 55-yard return to Hamilton’s two-yard line.

Frost marched Hamilton 70 yards to Toronto’s five-yard line before defender Benjie Franklin forced, then recovered Kenny Lawler’s fumble at the Argos’ seven-yard line.

Kelly staked Toronto to a 20-7 halftime lead with a 29-yard TD pass to Coxie at 14:45 of the second quarter. It capped an 11-play, 105-yard drive that saw Kelly complete six-of-eight passes for 108 yards.

Hamilton’s offence managed just 103 net yards and four first downs in the first half.

Kelly’s 13-yard strike to Herslow at 10:56 of the second gave Toronto a 13-7 lead.

Ford put Hamilton ahead 7-6 on a 23-yard TD run at 5:06. The three-play, 72-yard march was set up by Jamal Peters’ interception.

But Ford appeared to be hurt on his TD run after being tackled in the end zone. He went under the medical tent after scoring but returned to the bench shortly afterwards and led the offence out on its next possession.

Hajrullahu hit from 40 yards out at 13:34 of the first to put Toronto up 6-0. He opened the scoring with a 52-yard boot at 6:50 that followed a stunning no-yards penalty against Hamilton’s Tyler Ternowski.

The Canadian receiver was flagged for trying to tip a bouncing ball back toward the field at the goal-line on a punt. The 15-yard penalty was assessed from the 40-yard line, where the ball would’ve originally been placed.

UP NEXT

Argonauts: Host the Ottawa Redblacks (0-11) on Saturday.

Tiger-Cats: Host the Montreal Alouettes (10-2) on Friday, Sept. 18.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Kelly leads Toronto to 37-22 Labour Day win over Ticats to clinch season series

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