HAMILTON — Bo Levi Mitchell delivered another masterclass on Friday night, throwing five touchdown passes to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a 41-27 victory over the BC Lions at Hamilton Stadium.

The win improves Hamilton to 2-1 on the season and gives the Tiger-Cats their first home victory of 2026.

Top Performers

Hamilton’s offence wasted little time setting the tone.

On the opening drive, Mitchell connected with Kiondré Smith on a 56-yard touchdown strike to give the Tiger-Cats an early lead. After BC answered with a field goal, Hamilton marched right back down the field and capped another impressive drive with a one-yard Jake Dolegala quarterback sneak to make it 14-3.

The Tiger-Cats continued to apply pressure in the second quarter.

Mitchell found rookie Maximilian Mang for a seven-yard touchdown, extending Hamilton’s lead to 21-6. While the Lions were able to move the ball between the 20s, Hamilton’s defence consistently tightened in scoring territory, forcing BC to settle for field goals.

The game’s biggest turning point came late in the first half. With the Lions looking to cut into the deficit, Stavros Katsantonis stepped in front of a Nathan Rourke pass for an interception. On the very next play, Mitchell launched a deep ball to Kenny Lawler, who came down with a spectacular 49-yard touchdown reception to give Hamilton a commanding 27-9 advantage heading into halftime.

Mitchell was nearly flawless through two quarters, completing nine of his 10 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns.

The Tiger-Cats picked up right where they left off after halftime. Mitchell engineered a lengthy scoring drive before finding Mang for his second touchdown of the night, extending Hamilton’s lead to 34-9.

In the fourth quarter, Mitchell added his fifth touchdown pass of the evening, connecting with Kurleigh Gittens Jr. for his first touchdown as a Tiger-Cat and putting the game firmly out of reach.

The Lions added a pair of late touchdowns, but the outcome was never seriously in doubt as Hamilton secured its second consecutive victory.

Mitchell’s five-touchdown performance tied a career high and marked his second straight game with a perfect quarterback rating. Lawler added 81 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Smith, Mang and Gittens Jr. all found the end zone in a balanced offensive attack.

Defensively, the Tiger-Cats limited BC’s opportunities in the red zone and capitalized on key mistakes, highlighted by Katsantonis’ interception that helped swing momentum firmly in Hamilton’s favour.

With back-to-back wins over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and BC Lions, the Tiger-Cats head into their first bye week of the season with plenty of momentum.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

• Bo Levi Mitchell 56-yard touchdown pass to Kiondré Smith | HAM 7, BC 0

• Sean Whyte 40-yard field goal | HAM 7, BC 3

• Jake Dolegala 1-yard rushing touchdown | HAM 14, BC 3

• Sean Whyte 14-yard field goal | HAM 14, BC 6

Second Quarter

• Bo Levi Mitchell 7-yard touchdown pass to Maximilian Mang | HAM 21, BC 6

• Sean Whyte 17-yard field goal | HAM 21, BC 9

• Bo Levi Mitchell 49-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Lawler | HAM 27, BC 9

Third Quarter

• Bo Levi Mitchell 8-yard touchdown pass to Maximilian Mang | HAM 34, BC 9

• Sean Whyte 43-yard field goal | HAM 34, BC 12

Fourth Quarter

• Bo Levi Mitchell 23-yard touchdown pass to Kurleigh Gittens Jr. | HAM 41, BC 12

• Carl Meyer punt single | HAM 41, BC 13

• Nathan Rourke 14-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle | HAM 41, BC 20

• Chase Brice 18-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle | HAM 41, BC 27

Next Up

The Tiger-Cats enter their first bye week of the season before returning to Hamilton Stadium on Sunday, July 5 to host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Hamilton earned a 37-27 victory in Winnipeg earlier this season and will look to keep its momentum rolling when the two teams meet again.