Stuuuuuuuu!!


By Rob Vanstone, Leader-PostJuly 28, 2009

It was a Stu-pendous play.

Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Stu Foord caught a short pass from Darian Durant, fought off would-be tacklers Maurice Lloyd and Mark Restelli, and eluded Edmonton Eskimos defensive back Elliott Richardson late in the second quarter of Saturday's CFL game on Taylor Field.

Richardson lunged for Foord, managing only to rip off his helmet, before Lloyd recovered in time to make the tackle from behind. A sellout crowd responded by chanting: "Stu!''

"I thought it would be cool to score with my helmet off,'' the Regina-born Foord noted. "That's what I was going for.''

Foord's determined play set up a field goal that gave Saskatchewan a 25-10 lead. His effort was one of the few highlights for the Roughriders, who squandered a 22-0 lead and lost 38-33 to the Eskimos.

He touched the ball seven times during the game -- rushing once for five yards, catching one pass for nine tough yards, and returning five kickoffs for 90 yards. It was his busiest outing in four games this season, as evidenced by the repeated "Stu!'' chant.

"The crowd must have been ready to go,'' said Foord, a graduate of the Thom Trojans and Regina Thunder football programs. "We were ready to go, too, at the start and we just couldn't finish it off in the end.

"But about me hearing my name, that's great. When I hear it, I'm representing everybody out there who's yelling it, because this is where I grew up. This is where I played all my ball. I never went out of province to learn any of my tricks or any of my moves or anything. Anything that I've learned is from right here in Regina, so when they're yelling that, they're yelling it for everybody, not just me.''

Foord, 23, has six carries for 27 yards this season. Saturday's reception was his first of the season. With a 46-yarder, he also has the Roughriders' longest kickoff return of the season.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is hoping to build on last season, when he carried the ball 27 times for 162 yards -- an average gain of 6.0 yards -- and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 73 yards, including a 55-yard major, as a rookie in 2008.

Foord spent some time spelling all-star tailback Wes Cates during a scorching day on Saturday.

"I'm very confident that I can do the job,'' Foord said. "Seeing it on film and talking about it and thinking about it is one thing. It's really good to get out there to get the chance to spell Cates and rest him up, because it was a hot day. That was a smart move to do that.

"I feel I'm good enough. You need to get the reps to get better. It's plain and simple. You can't just jump in and get it done, so I'm glad that I got that opportunity.

"I hope I didn't disappoint. I'm ready to keep doing it.''

Foord would prefer to do so in a victorious effort, given that the Riders have suffered back-to-back defeats at home.

"We'll fix the problem,'' he said, "and then we'll get back out there and give the fans a show.''

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