After 705 days, former University of Hawaii coach June Jones has turned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats into a winning Canadian Football League team.

In Friday’s home opener, the Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31-17 to improve to 2-1, tops in the CFL’s East Division. It was the first time the Tiger-Cats were above .500 since July 23, 2016, when they were 3-2. The Tiger-Cats are 8-5 since Jones was promoted to head coach in the middle of the 2017 season.

“Wow. Computers,” Jones said of the geek talk in a telephone interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Jones added: “Winning is better than the alternative.”

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s accurate passing, kicker Lirim Hajrullahu’s four field goals, and a Jerry Glanville-led defense contributed significantly for Hamilton. Masoli, an alumnus of Saint Louis School, was 31-for-41 for 369 yards and a touchdown. Four of Masoli’s passes were dropped, and another would-be reception was nullified when the airborne receiver was pushed out of bounds.

Masoli has thrown for at least 300 yards in eight consecutive games, one short of the CFL record set by Sam Etcheverry in 1956 and matched by Kent Austin in 1992.

“He’s frickin’ the real deal,” Jones said of Masoli. “I’ve been telling people that, but nobody listens.”

Masoli has mastered Jones’ version of the run-and-shoot offense. At UH, Jones’ offense was rooted in a four-wide formation. In the CFL, Jones has made use of the 12th offensive player. His schemes range from a six-man line with four receivers to a six-receiver set.

“I play American ball sometimes, and sometimes I play Canadian ball,” Jones said. “I’m kind of confusing them.”

But the eclectic style fits Masoli, who has played well enough to keep 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel on the sidelines. Manziel has not taken a snap in the Tiger-Cats’ first three games.

Jones praised Masoli as a passer.

“Everywhere he’s been, they’ve always wanted him to run and do all this (run-pass) option stuff. I told him, ‘If you trust me and read the coverage and be a passer, you can play as a quarterback.’ And, man, has he done that.”

Running back Mercer Timmis rushed seven times for 13 yards, but scored two touchdowns.

The Tiger-Cats also repelled the Blue Bombers’ final charge with a blitz-heavy red-zone stand. Glanville said he ordered two blitz schemes — “Sticky” and “Oiler” — that he used to run when he was UH’s defensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006. “That was all Hawaii stuff we threw at them at the end,” Glanville said. “We brought more people than they had to block. Whatever they had, we brought one more.”

Winnipeg’s Chris Streveler, who entered as the CFL’s leader in touchdown throws, was limited to 17-for-30 passing for 146 yards and no scores. From the second quarter through 12:11 remaining in the third, the Blue Bombers had six consecutive two-and-out possessions.