Photo courtesy: Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have made another quarterback switch.
Tre Ford was benched by the Ticats with just over a minute remaining in the first half of their Week 9 matchup with the Calgary Stampeders and did not return. He was replaced by Harrison Frost, who led the team the remainder of the way in a 44-20 loss.
The Canadian pivot completed just four-of-10 passes for 58 yards prior to his exit. He also ran the ball four times for 52 yards, but committed a costly fumble while trying to hurdle a standing defender. After six drives resulted in two field goals, head coach Scott Milanovich made a switch.
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After the game, Milanovich indicated that the change was not part of his initial game plan, but would not elaborate on the decision.
“It’s never one reason. There’s a number of reasons, and when a guy gets replaced, the last thing I’m going to do is kick him while he’s down,” he told reporters.
Ford was making his third start of the season in place of the injured Bo Levi Mitchell. The 28-year-old has produced mixed reviews; he earned praise from Milanovich after a 24-23 victory in his first game, while a 31-18 loss the following week was dubbed a “tough game.” He has completed 40-of-60 passes (66.6 percent) for 440 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions as a Ticat, adding 17 carries for 185 yards on the ground.
Frost completed nine-of-20 passes (45 percent) for 165 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in relief. He also ran twice for 13 yards. The six-foot-one, 195-pound passer was sacked on his second play of the game and coughed up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by the defence. However, Milanovich indicated post-game that the turnover was due to an incorrect play call by him.
Frost was able to rebound with a scoring drive to end the half and opened the third quarter with a 24-yard touchdown strike to Kenny Lawler. He ultimately couldn’t sustain the momentum, and threw an interception late in the fourth quarter, which Derrick Moncrief took back for a second defensive score. Nevertheless, the performance drew praise from his head coach.
“He’s an accurate passer. He’s been with us in the past. Unfortunate that he wasn’t with us in training camp, but he knows the system. He knows what we’re looking to do, and despite the stats, I thought he did a nice job,” Milanovich told the Ticats Audio Network. “Minus the interception at the end, he just didn’t see No. 6. But I was pleased with the way he competed, given he had no reps.”
Frost was signed by the Ticats on July 15 as an insurance policy. The 27-year-old previously spent two seasons in Hamilton, but saw limited action in 17 games as backup, throwing for 95 yards and one touchdown.
The Kennesaw, Ga., native was released this offseason to pursue an opportunity with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. He went 2-1 as a starter, completing 53.3 percent of his passes for 719 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions, before returning to Canada.
Frost is the third quarterback to take snaps for the Ticats since Mitchell went down. Jake Dolegala made the first start, leapfrogging Ford on the depth chart, but struggled mightily in a loss to Saskatchewan. Milanovich then turned back to the Hec Crighton Trophy winner and appeared to lean into his unique athletic ability, before losing patience this week.
The noted QB guru did not give an indication as to who his starter will be in Week 10, admitting that the lack of certainty was an issue..
“We’re trying to figure out who our quarterback’s going to be, so that’s always a concerning thing,” Milanovich acknowledged. “We’ll have to evaluate the film and go forward.”
The Tiger-Cats (3-5) will have seven day to determine which quarterback will be handed the keys. They visit the B.C. Lions (2-5) on Saturday, August 8, at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
