TORONTO – All. The. Marbles.

That's what the Ticats will be playing for in the Grey Cup next weekend after beating the arch-rival Toronto Argonauts 36-24 on Sunday.

The game was played in a Rogers Centre packed with 35,418 fans, including a huge – and loud – Ticat contingent and beleaguered Toronto mayor Rob Ford, who showed up at halftime wearing his now infamous Argonaut jersey. It was the first East Final played between these two storied rivals in 27 years and the atmosphere was, in a word, spectacular.

The Ticats forced a turnover on the opening kickoff as Marcellus Bowman popped the ball loose from Argonaut returner Andre Durie with Fredo Plesius falling on the loose ball. Hamilton moved the ball to the Toronto nine-yard line but had to settle for a 16-yard Luca Congi field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

The Argos responded, and quickly. Quarterback Ricky Ray, who set a CFL record with a 77.2 per cent completion rate this season, went six-for-six on his first drive, capping it with a eight-yard toss to Spencer Watt.

Hamilton then put together a long touchdown drive of their own, the big chunk coming on a 40-yard Burris connection with Sam Giguere and Andy Fantuz making a spectacular catch for the score. Then more Ray: a 40-yard screen pass to Durie and another 29-yard TD pass to Watt.

And yet more Ray. After the Ticats went for it out of the shotgun on second-and-one, only to lose yards and be forced to punt, Ray connected with Durie again, this time for 59 yards to the Ticat one. Short-yardage quarterback Zach Collaros punched it from there and the Argos led 21-10.

A Burris interception gave the Argos a chance for the killshot. Ray moved them to the Ticats 21-yard line then looked for John Chiles in the end zone but Hamilton defensive back Dee Webb manage to break it up with his fingertips. Toronto settled for a field goal.

It gave the Ticats a spark. With time winding down in the half, Burris connected with Fantuz on a key second-and-ten, hit Giguere for 19, scrambled for 14 then found Fantuz for four more, this time in the end zone. Hamilton went into the break down just seven, 24-17.

The momentum carried over. The Ticats started the third with the ball and promptly drove 75 yards in 10 plays, Greg Ellingson making three catches including a 14-yard touchdown strike from Burris, who had located his missing mojo. Tie ball game.

After allowing Ray to shred them through the first 30 minutes, the defence responded by limiting the Argo offence to a pair of Argonaut two-and-outs in the third quarter, urged on by the large Black and Gold contingent behind the Hamilton bench. Congi hit a 23-yard field goal on the last play of the third to give the Ticats a three-point lead heading to the final frame.

The game tightened up, the Ticats controlling the ball but failing to score, the Argos struggling to get anything going offensively.

Then, the decisive drive. Starting with under five to play, the Ticats ran 15 plays, the biggest of them coming when, facing second-and-19, Burris hit Bakari Grant for 25 yards. Dan LeFevour converted a third-and-short. C.J. Gable ran hard for a first down. Congi hit from 21 yards and the Ticats led by six.

There was still 1:14 to go. Ray hit Chad Owens for a long gain – and got a 15 yard penalty – but with Hamilton crowd at full throat, the Argos could move no further and turned the ball over on downs with 53 seconds left.

The Ticats then recovered a fumble in the end zone – Marc Beswick grabbed it – on the game's final play for an extra six points.

The Ticats now head to Regina to play in the first Grey Cup since 1999.

Notes: The Ticats were without starting corner Delvin Breaux and offensive tackle Brian Simmons, both of whom missed the game due to injury. Hamilton also inserted receiver Luke Tasker into the roster in place of Onrea Jones... offensive lineman Greg Wojt left the game in the third quarter and did not return... former Ticats defensive lineman Justin Hickman, now with the Indianapolis Colts, attended the game...

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