Banks scores a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns to help Argos rout Tiger-Cats

Brandon Banks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn the Toronto Argonauts a 28-8 Labour Day victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on a misty Monday afternoon.

Banks, in his first year with Toronto after playing eight seasons with Hamilton, capped a double-reverse at 3:33 to effectively silence the Tim Hortons Field gathering of 25,266, a record for a Ticats game at the venue.

The TD came after Toronto linebacker Henoc Muamba stopped quarterback Jalen Morton short on a third-down gamble at Hamilton's 27-yard line.

Toronto starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson hit Banks on a 27-yard TD strike at 7:55 to put Toronto ahead 25-8. It came right after Jamal Peters' second interception of the game.

Peters has five interceptions in Toronto's last two games versus Toronto. He had three picks — one returned for a TD — in the Argos' 37-20 home victory Aug. 26.

Banks finished with two catches for 80 yards.

Toronto (6-5) earned its first Labour Day victory over the Ticats since 2012 and handed Hamilton its first Labour Day loss ever at Tim Hortons Field (7-1). The Argos also won the season series 3-1.

WATCH | Argonauts rout Tiger-Cats on Labour Day:

More importantly, Toronto moved four points ahead of second-place Montreal (4-7) in the East Division standings. Hamilton (3-9) remains tied with Ottawa (3-8).

But Toronto was the beneficiary of a non-existent Hamilton offence as the Ticats' points came off an interception return TD and punt single.

With veteran Dane Evans (shoulder) ailing, rookie Jamie Newman made his first CFL start. The results were predictable as Newman completed 14-of-25 passes for 172 yards and an interception, leaving in the third before returning late in the fourth.

Morton was 2-of-6 passing for 13 yards and an