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Eskimos swamp Ticats for first win of season

Jul 8, 2013 - 1:06 AM Hamilton, ON (Sports Network) - Mike Reilly tossed a pair of touchdown passes and also ran for a major as the Edmonton Eskimos downed the Hamilton Tiger- Cats, 30-20, Sunday at a rain-soaked Guelph Alumni Stadium.

Reilly finished 14-of-22 for 136 yards through the air while carrying the ball six times for 54 yards to help the Eskimos (1-1) earn their first victory of the 2013 season.

Hugh Charles caught one of Reilly's scores and highlighted an 11-carry, 119- yard rushing performance with a 70-yard touchdown scamper in the win.

Hamilton signal-caller Henry Burris threw for 229 yards and a score, but was picked off twice and completed just 18-of-35 passes as the Ticats fell to 0-2 on the season.

Simon Charbonneau-Campeau led all receivers with five catches for 63 yards in the setback.

After Luca Congi missed a 47-yard field goal on Hamilton's opening series, the Eskimos scored on their third play from scrimmage, as Charles broke free for a 70-yard major to get Edmonton on the board.

"It was good to start out that way," Charles said of taking his first carry 70 yards for a score after managing just 22 rushing yards in Edmonton's Week 1 loss to Saskatchewan. "A credit to my blockers and the schemes that our coaches put together to try to expose their weaknesses."

Burris was sacked near his own goal line on 2nd-and-30 during the Ticats' next touch, forcing punter Josh Bartel to concede a safety to push Edmonton's edge to 9-0.

An unnecessary roughness penalty aided Edmonton's ensuing possession and the Esks cashed in two plays later when Reilly found Fred Stamps with a 5-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 16-0.

Lindsey Lamar returned the ensuing kickoff 68 yards before a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the Ticats the ball on the 1-yard line. C.J. Gable punched it in on the next play to bring Hamilton within 16-7.

Congi buried a 39-yard field goal midway through the second and added a 26- yarder with just over a minute left in the half to bring Hamilton within 16-13 heading into the break.

After a muffed punt pinned the Ticats deep in their own territory early in the third, T.J. Hill picked off Burris to give the Esks the ball at the Hamilton 27.

Three plays later, Reilly bootlegged right and found a wide open Charles, who waltzed into the end zone for a 13-yard score to give Edmonton a 23-13 lead.

Edmonton padded the lead early in the fourth when Reilly capped an 8-play, 83- yard drive with a 12-yard scramble into the end zone to push the lead to 30-13 with just under 10 minutes to play.

Hamilton answered on its next touch when Burris found Ed Gant down the left sideline for a 40-yard major to make it a 10-point game.

Hamilton, however, turned the ball over on downs on each of the its last two possessions.

"We didn't play well enough," Hamilton coach Kent Austin said. "I'm proud the way we scratched and clawed to get back in the game after being down 16-0, but the three turnovers and the undisciplined penalties, that you can blame on me."

Game Notes

The Eskimos signed head coach Kavis Reed to a contract extension on Saturday ... The squads will face off against each other in Edmonton on Aug. 2 ... Edmonton owns a 54-29-1 advantage over the Ticats during the regular season ... Edmonton has taken four of the last five meeting between the teams.