Tiger-Cats try to slow down 1st-place Stampeders

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will have the unenviable task of trying to take down the best team in the league Saturday, and they'll have to do it without their coach on the sidelines.

Hamilton head coach Kent Austin was banned from the sideline for Saturday's game against the Calgary Stampeders for making contact with an official, meaning the Tiger-Cats will be in tough to beat a team that hasn't lost since Week 1.

The Ti-Cats find themselves in second place in the East, despite sitting at 6-7. Hamilton lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, its third defeat in the last five games.

Quarterback Zach Collaros has slowed down in the past three games after a solid start to the season. The signal-caller has tossed only three touchdowns to five interceptions over that stretch.

Meanwhile, the Stamps just keep rolling. Calgary moved to 11-1-1 on the campaign after beating the red-hot Winnipeg Blue Bombers a week ago. Bo Levi Mitchell is playing some of the best football of his career, throwing 11 touchdowns and only two picks over his past six outings.

Calgary will be playing with heavy hearts this Saturday, as it will be the first game for the Stamps since defensive back Mylan Hicks was killed in a shooting outside a nightclub Sunday.

Hamilton lost 30-24 in the only meeting so far between the two teams this season.