Hamilton, ON (Best E Casino) - Buck Pierce threw for 364 yards and a touchdown on 29-of-37 passing to help lead the British Columbia Lions to a 35-12 drubbing of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Pierce also ran for a seven-yard score and threw an interception while Jason Clermont and Geroy Simon caught eight balls each for 133 and 111 yards respectively for the Lions (5-5). Stefan Logan ran for 55 yards and gained an additional 41 on five receptions.
Casey Printers struggled mightily under center for Hamilton, completing 7- of-15 passes for 91 yards. He threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and lost a costly fumble that set up a B.C. score. Terry Caulley had the Tiger-Cats' (2-8) lone touchdown on 49 yards rushing and Chris Bauman led Hamilton's receiving corps with four catches for 70 yards.
Nicholas Setta opened the game with a 20-yard field goal on Hamilton's first possession but it was all B.C. from there as Paul McCallum booted a 25-yarder and linebacker Jamall Johnson picked off a Printers pass and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown for a 10-3 lead after one quarter.
Pierce ran it in from seven yards out on the Lions opening possession of the second quarter to cap a 70-yard drive. A Printers fumble on a sack from Cameron Wake on the ensuing Tiger-Cat possession gave the ball back to the Lions on their own 49-yard line and Pierce connected with fullback Lyle Green for a 12-yard score and a 24-3 lead.
A Setta 22-yard field goal made it 24-6 but McCallum kicked a 43-yarder to give the Lions a comfortable lead at halftime.
Setta conceded a safety on Hamilton's first possession of the second half and Cauley was able to find the end zone from one yard out for the Tiger-Cats' only touchdown. A failed two-point conversion made the score 29-12 with three quarters in the books.
A pair of McCallum field goals from 27 and 35 yards closed out the scoring and the Lions prevailed by the count of 35-12.
Game Notes
Hamilton is 1-5 at home this year and 0-4 against West Division teams...B.C. is 2-3 on the road but 4-1 against Eastern clubs...This week, the Lions traded running back Joe Smith, last year's CFL rushing leader, to Winnipeg for tailback Charles Roberts, who left Manitoba as the club's career rushing leader. Smith lost his starting job to Logan this year...Pierce, replacing the injured Jarious Jackson, was 28-of-48 passing for 406 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions last week against Montreal in his first start since the season opener. He began the year as B.C.'s starter, but was injured in the season opener, paving the way for Jackson to start seven straight contests before suffering a hand injury.
