Mitchell to start for Ticats against Riders on Saturday
Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — Bo Levi Mitchell is back under centre for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The veteran quarterback will get the start against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, according to the team’s depth chart.
TSN’s Dave Naylor reported earlier this week that Mitchell was closing in on a return to action after splitting first-team quarterback reps at Ticats’ practice with Matthew Shiltz on Tuesday.
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Mitchell has landed on the six-game injured list twice this season, his first with Hamilton. In three games played this year, he’s made 57 of 96 passes for 714 yards with three touchdowns to nine interceptions. He signed a three-year deal with the Ticats in January after spending the previous 10 seasons with the Calgary Stampeders.
He started 117 of 165 games for the Stamps, leading the team to Grey Cup wins in 2014 and 2018 and picking up a pair of CFL Most Outstanding Player nods.
Mitchell last suited up in Week 8 and sustained a leg fracture late in the Ticats’ 16-12 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Shiltz, who has dealt with injuries himself this season, came into the Ticats’ win over the Stamps this past week. He made 11-19 passes for 225 yards, a pair of touchdowns and an interception, relieving rookie QB Taylor Powell, who had held the QB1 role the previous eight games, after Shiltz and Mitchell were injured.
Despite the injuries to the most important position on the field, the Ticats have qualified for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and have won four of their last six games. They travel to Saskatchewan this week, looking to hit the .500 mark on the season and trying to close the gap on the Montreal Alouettes, as the two teams battle for the second-best record in the East Division and the right to host the Eastern Semi-Final on Nov. 4.
