Matt Smith/CFL.ca
REGINA — The word is finally getting out on one of football’s best-kept secrets.
Kyran Moore, just 21 years old out of small-school Austin Peay, was known to almost no one going into Sunday’s annual Labour Day Classic between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
But after a 65-yard punt return touchdown, one that electrified a fully-packed Mosaic Stadium and helped defeat the Riders’ long-time arch-nemesis, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound speedster will never be anonymous again.
While Moore is new to the CFL, his quarterback on Sunday, Zach Collaros, couldn’t help but notice something familiar.
“He’s very dynamic with the football in his hands,” Collaros said of Moore. “Put him in there for a punt return and he takes it for a touchdown. There are a lot of things you can do in this league with a guy like that — I had the pleasure of playing with one of the best there is like that, Brandon Banks.”
RELATED
» Collaros continues to make the most of Labour Day
» Through the Lens: Images from Mosaic
» Marshall, Thigpen lead Riders over Bombers
Banks, of course, emerged as the league’s top returner the last several years and has since taken on a larger role on the offensive side of the ball, currently ranking fifth in the league with 759 yards through the air.
In Regina, in a game the Riders needed to win to put them two points clear of Winnipeg for third in the West, Moore provided the same kind of spark we’ve seen from the man nicknamed ‘Speedy B’.
“You can put him in a lot of places,” said Collaros. “Pitch him the ball, jet sweeps, running by guys. I think he can do all those things and he’s a great receiver as well. He’s going to keep getting better and better with more reps.”
Moore’s touchdown marked one of four lead changes in a thrilling back-and-forth affair between two teams that don’t like each other. Nick Marshall scored twice on quarterback sneaks for the Riders, while Marcus Thigpen scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter that would prove to be the difference.
Despite the emotional highs and lows of a back-and-forth game, the Riders made plays when they needed to, including big catches by Naaman Roosevelt and rookie Jordan Williams-Lambert on the eventual game-sealing drive.
“I thought we did a great job of handling the swings of the game. We kept our composure,” said Collaros. “Guys really believe in what we’re doing, and we made enough plays at the end of the game to win the game.
“We’ve been making plays lately and we just have to continue to focus in on those game-defining moments and make them in our favour.”
The Riders’ win over Winnipeg marked the 13th time in the last 14 tries that they’ve won the traditional Labour Day Classic.
But while the Rider offence perked up in the second half, the first half was a struggle. Collaros’ group amounted to only 97 net yards and eight first downs through the opening 30 minutes, most notably going 2-for-9 on second-down attempts.
Much like we’ve seen so many times with Banks with the Ticats, Moore’s 65-yard scamper was the perfect spark at exactly the right time. With the Riders down 10-7, Moore caught Justin Medlock‘s punt, found a big enough crease and, from there, left no doubt whatsoever.
“When I made a move, [the defender] spun me around and when I saw it was clear on the other side, I knew I was gone,” he said.
Moore’s opportunity to get in the lineup arrived recently after receiver Caleb Holley suffered what’s believed to be a season-ending injury. He caught two passes for 27 yards in his debut in Week 11, a win over BC, then added three catches for 42 yards on Sunday. He also has two rushing attempts for 15 yards.
Moore reportedly ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash at a pro day back in the spring, but has crept under the radar in his early professional career. The Bessemer, Ala. native said after the game this is the most attention he’s gotten in his career, while the crowd of 33,350 was the largest he’s played in front of.
“I can’t even say anything. It’s amazing,” he said. “Coming from a small school, I never played in front of a lot of people. Even in warm-ups going out and seeing all the people around, it was real. It was surprising. I was really shocked. I loved it though, I loved it.”
Moore returned to his stall after the game to see his phone blitzed with text messages and twitter notifications.
“I came in and it was like, my social media had all these messages, and text messages, I can’t even tell you, I haven’t even looked yet,” he said. “My support back at home is amazing and they keep with me every step of the way. I make sure to take my time to get back to everyone that even sent me a video of my touchdown or sent me a text, I’ll make sure to get back to each and every one of them.”
The Riders have won three straight games and, for now, move into a second-place tie with the Edmonton Eskimos in the West. They take on the Bombers twice more this season, including next Saturday, Sept. 8 in the annual Banjo Bowl.
