Burris dissects vaunted Tiger-Cats defence

Romby Bryant had three touchdown catches Friday as the Calgary Stampeders demolished the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 55-24.

It was the Stampeders last home game of the regular season before they host the West Division final Nov. 21. They'll face the winner of the Nov. 14 semifinal between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and either the B.C. Lions or Edmonton Eskimos.

Calgary (12-5) concludes the regular season on the road next Friday in Winnipeg, while Hamilton (9-8) hosts the Lions on Saturday.

Toronto's 37-30 loss to Montreal earlier Friday eliminated any playoff implications for the game at McMahon Stadium with Hamilton clinching second in the East Division by way of the Argo loss.

The Stampeders nailed down first in the West last week. The Ticats will host Toronto in the East semifinal Nov. 14 with the winner heading to Montreal the following week.

Bryant totalled 131 receiving yards while Ken-Yon Rambo added 120 yards of his own to join teammate Nik Lewis with over 1,000 this season. The last time the Stampeders had three receivers with over 1,000 yards in one season was a decade ago with Allen Pitts, Marc Boerigter and Travis Moore.

Cornerback Dwight Anderson ran an interception back 86 yards for a Calgary TD, while Joffrey Reynolds and backup quarterback Drew Tate rushed for touchdowns. Running back Jesse Lumsden got his first carries of the season for Calgary late in the fourth quarter and scored on a 13-yard run with just over a minute left.

Rob Maver made two of field-goal attempts in a game played in front of an announced crowd of 27,644.

Marcus Thigpen scored a pair of touchdowns for Hamilton late in the game, including a 112-yard return of Maver's 44-yard miss in the third quarter. Dave Stala caught a touchdown pass and former Stampeder Sandro DeAngelis made his one field-goal attempt.

Hamilton had given up just 17 points and a single touchdown over three straight wins before arriving in Calgary, but the Ticats had no answer Calgary quarterback Henry Burris and his receivers. Calgary finished with 489 passing yards.

Burris completed 19-of-24 pass attempts for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Tate was inserted late in the third quarter with Calgary up by 31 points.

Kevin Glenn was 12-for-23 for 88 yards and one touchdown pass. Backups Adam Trafalis was 5-for-9 and 38 yards, while Quinton Porter made one of two passes for seven yards.

Calgary had the game well in hand when Hamilton's Thigpen scored is second TD of the half on a 30-yard run at 8:33 of the fourth quarter. Reynolds scored his 50th career touchdown on a one-yard plunge at 5:40.

Bryant, acquired in a trade from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers midway through last season, blew past the 1,000-yard mark with a pair of touchdowns to end the first half and another to start the second.

Hamilton defensive back Bo Smith appeared to injure his knee trying to keep pace with Bryant, who sprinted down the sideline before cutting to the middle for a 43-yard passing play at 5:11 of the third.

Bryant hauled in a six-yard pass with 11 seconds left in the first half. He shook off Hamilton defensive back Ryan Hinds for a 67-yard pass from Burris at 13:09. Calgary led 34-10 at the half.

DeAngelis kicked his first field goal at McMahon since signing with Hamilton in the off-season at 12:52. He was good from 40 yards despite a chorus of boos from the stands.

Tate plunged one yard for a touchdown on a third-and-goal at 3:39. He's scored five Calgary touchdowns when inserted in short-yard situations.

The first quarter ended with Glenn's seven-yard pass to Stala for Hamilton's first touchdown of the game. Glenn's 30th touchdown throw this season is a Ticats' single-season record. Stala celebrated with a double somersault down the slope at the north end of McMahon.

That drive started with Markeith Knowlton's block and subsequent recovery of the ball on Burke Dales punt, which allowed Hamilton to set up from the 29-yard line.

After Maver's 30-yard field goal at 4:34 , Anderson intercepted Glenn and ran the ball 86 yards back for the major at 8:38.

Calgary leads the league with seven defensive touchdowns and is tied for fourth with Edmonton for majors scored off an interception.