Running back happy to return to scene of 260

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/10/2010 (5520 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FRED REID is heading back to the scene of the sublime.

Four hundred and seven days ago, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back took a big Sharpie and wrote his name into the franchise record book, putting his 260-yard rushing effort against the B.C. Lions right above Blaise Bryant’s 249-yard game (1994 season). League-wide, only Ottawa’s Ron Stewart (287 yards, 1960 season) and Saskatchewan’s George Reed (268; 1965) have put up bigger single-game numbers than the fourth-year Winnipeg back.

Saturday, when the Bombers take on the Lions (9 p.m., TSN, CJOB), Reid re-visits the city where he ran wild.

“It’s not exactly the same spot — it’s not the dome — but hopefully we can have another game like that this time around,” he said. “I think their defence is a little better than what they’ve shown to this point, so we’re going to need to be sharp like we were last year.”

For the record, the Lions — exiled from their BC Place for the historic feel of Empire Stadium this season — haven’t exactly recovered from the marathon Reid put them through a year ago. The B.C. run defence is ranked seventh, allowing over 134 yards a game and over six yards a carry, numbers that should mesh nicely with what Reid is currently churning out.

Still, Reid wasn’t forecasting any great encore in his return to B.C.

“It’s in the books now, and it’s a game I always will remember, but I don’t think about it too much,” the 28-year-old said. “I’m always trying to have another game like that.”

When a back finds the century plateau, it’s heralded as a quality outing. Anything over that is typically measured on a sliding scale of greatness.

But 260 yards? Something like that doesn’t happen often in a throw first, throw second league like the CFL.

Blue coach Paul LaPolice watched that game on television and recognized a certain aligning of stars for the Winnipeg ground game. The offensive line dictated the flow of pressure and holes started to open for Reid. Plays designed for 5-6 yards turned into big gainers, and wore down the defence.

“They hit runs for 20 yards, 30 yards — we talk all the time when you run the ball successfully, if a guy wants to get 20-something carries, you have to get 10-yards a clip,” LaPolice said. “They were doing that. When you’re hitting on all cylinders like that and running the ball well, it’s really demoralizing. You could see the (Lions) players get really despondent and almost quit.”

While the Lions had no answer for Reid, he had no inkling before the contest (a 37-10 Bombers win) that it would be a record-setting performance.

“There wasn’t one moment where I thought that it would be a big one,” he said. “It just kind of happened. Once you get in the groove and they keep feeding you the rock, you get a pretty good feeling something is happening.”

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Reid ’em and weep

Since putting up that 260 game (Aug. 21, 2009), Bombers RB Fred Reid has only put up three 100-yard games (all have come this season; with two 98-yard games mixed in there). Despite whispers that he’s fallen off slightly, Reid is still a top back in the CFL. Here’s No. 32 in 2010, by the numbers:

total number of carries; fourth in the CFL

3total yards rushing, tops in the league

3average yards per carry; tops among backs with 100-plus touches

3average yards per game, good for second behind Argos RB Cory Boyd

total yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving), tops among starting backs