TORONTO -- Chad Owens broke the CFL's single-season all-purpose yards record but it was Swayze Waters' 51-yard field goal on the game's final play that earned the short-handed Toronto Argonauts a wild 43-40 win over Hamilton on Thursday night and eliminated the Tiger-Cats from playoff contention.
Toronto (9-9) rested 10 starters -- including quarterback Ricky Ray -- and linebacker Brandon Isaac served a one-game suspension for an illegal hit last weekend against Saskatchewan's Darian Durant.
But that didn't deter the Argo subs, who took control early by surging to a stunning 20-3 first-quarter advantage before rallying before a season-best Rogers Centre gathering of 27,283 on Fan Appreciation Night.
The Ticats (6-12) played all of their regulars, and with good reason: They desperately needed the win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. But Hamilton continually shot itself in the foot against the Argos' B-team -- which played veteran Jarious Jackson and rookies Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros at quarterback in the contest, with Collaros's 13-yard TD pass to Sammy Tranks putting the home team ahead 37-26 at 3:38 of the fourth.
Burris pulled Hamilton to within 40-33 with 2:47 remaining with a three-yard TD strike to Cobourne. After two incompletions that took just 26 seconds by Collaros, the Ticats got the ball at the Toronto 39-yard following a 35-yard punt return by Chris Williams with 2:15 to play.
Burris and Williams then hooked up on five-yard touchdown pass -- Burris's fourth of the night, giving him a career-high 43 this season -- that tied the score 40-40 with 1:10 remaining. Burris also finished 37-of-56 passing for 497 yards, another career-best. Williams scored two touchdowns for Hamilton, boosting his club-record total to 17.
But Collaros took over at the Toronto 42 with a minute remaining and marched the Argos to the Hamilton 44 to set up Waters' winning boot.
Hamilton ends the season the CFL's worst road team with a 1-8 record and after a 3-2 start to the season went a dismal 3-10 the rest of the way. Tempers flared with 4:49 remaining with a melee that resulted in five penalties being called.
Owens had a front-row seat for the fireworks as he was on the sidelines for the second half after delivering a record-breaking performance in the first. He accumulated 95 combined first-half yards to give him 3,863 on the season, breaking Mike (Pinball) Clemons' mark of 3,840 yards.
As a result of the Toronto win, Edmonton clinches a playoff berth. If the Eskimos can beat the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night and the B.C. Lions down Saskatchewan on Saturday, the Esks will get third in the West and face the Stamps in the conference semifinal Nov. 11. The Riders would cross over into the East Division and travel to Toronto on Nov. 11.
Should the Eskimos lose to Calgary or the Riders defeat the Lions, Saskatchewan would get third in the West and Edmonton would cross over.
Burris also threw two interceptions -- with one being returned for a TD -- and lost a fumble that led to another Argos touchdown. Slotback Andy Fantuz also lost a fumble for the Ticats.
Jordan Younger, Gerald Riggs and Dontrelle Inman -- back after missing four games with a hamstring injury -- scored Toronto's other touchdowns. Waters booted five field goals and four converts.
Aaron Kelly also scored for Hamilton. Luca Congi kicked four field goals and four converts.
Owens' record-breaking effort capped an eventful opening half that Toronto led 27-20.
Owens broke Clemons' mark with a 29-yard kickoff return after an electrifying 93-yard TD catch by Williams pulled Hamiton to within 20-13. The original plan was to have play halted and Owens honoured with an on-field ceremony as soon as he broke the mark but play continued.
But one play after Jeremy Geathers recovered a Burris fumble at the Hamilton 14, rookie Trevor Harris hit Owens on a 12-yard completion before play was halted and the Hawaii native honoured in an on-field ceremony that also featured Clemons and CFL commissioner Mark Cohon. Two plays later, Riggs' one-yard TD put Toronto ahead 27-13.
Hamilton cut the deficit to 27-20 on Burris's two-yard TD pass to Kelly at 13:17.
Owens also flashed a new element of his game, hitting Spencer Watt on a 49-yard completion on an option pass in the first. That set up Jackson's 13-yard touchdown pass to Inman that put Toronto ahead 20-3 at 14:11.
Burris was intercepted twice by Toronto's Jordan Younger, who returned the first 36 yards for a TD in the opening quarter, the third pick-six Burris has surrendered against the Argos this season.
Notes: Receivers Ken-Yon Rambo and Mike Bradwell were among Toronto's pre-game scratches while receiver Bakari Grant and defensive lineman Brandon Peguese didn't dress for Hamilton . . . . Ray is Toronto's first 4,000-yard passer since Kerry Joseph in 2008 and finished the season as the most accurate passer in Argos history 68.6 per cent, breaking Kerwin Bell's club record of 67.3 per cent in 1998. But Ray will end the year six pass attempts short of Condredge Holloway's club record of 474.
