Slotback Andy Fantuz has rebounded from a mid-season slump to become the Roughriders’ go-to receiver in just his second CFL campaign. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)

Andy Fantuz was well aware of the huge following and rich football history at the University of Western Ontario in London while growing up in nearby Chatham.

The six-foot-four slotback also understood that every touchdown scored by the home side was dissected by the knowledgeable, passionate and loyal Mustangs faithful.

"It's a great town to play in," Fantuz told CBCSports.ca. "Football is the main sport at the school. There's a lot of history there, a lot of attendance at the games. It's one of the main reasons I chose Western."

Playing under a microscope agreed with Fantuz, who was the 2005 recipient of the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top university player in Canada. He left Western with Canadian records for most catches (189), yards (4,123) and is currently tied for fourth in touchdowns (41).

Through it all, Fantuz managed to keep a low profile on campus by concentrating on football.

That focus helped him make the jump to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, who drafted him third overall in the 2006 Canadian college draft.

"Once I got to the CFL there was a lot more people, a lot more attention," said Fantuz, 23. "It would have been a bigger jump if I had come from a smaller school.

"Playing in Saskatchewan is great. I wouldn't want to play anywhere else right now."

Fantuz posted the third-highest single-game yardage total in Roughriders history when he hauled in seven passes for 240 yards against Hamilton on Oct. 14. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

And fans in football-mad Regina are just as happy to have Fantuz on board after watching him put together one of the more impressive stretch of games by a Roughriders receiver in recent memory.

After capturing CFL player of the week honours following a six-catch, 90-yard performance against the B.C. Lions on Sept. 22, Fantuz caught seven passes for a career-best 142 yards a week later in a 33-22 win over Montreal.

Breakout performance

That effort was topped on Oct. 14 when the 220-pound sophomore hauled in seven passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns - the third-highest single-game yardage total in franchise history - before 94 friends and family at Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Fantuz showed his appreciation to the vocal Riders throng by launching a football into a sea of green in the stands after one of his major scores.

"It's exciting to see," Fantuz said of the fan support on the road. "Some of them travel with us on the plane and will plan family visits around the games. If they're doing that for us, we better do much more for them and give them a show."

Fantuz and company will get a chance to do just that when they host a home playoff game for the first time since 1988.

That scenario didn't appear as likely a month ago when the Roughriders suffered a third consecutive defeat and saw their record fall to 7-5-0. The team's slide coincided with the loss of wide receiver Matt Dominguez, who sprained a ligament in his left knee.

Fantuz was also having troubles of his own, having endured a series of dropped balls. Saskatchewan rookie coach Kent Austin called for someone to step up in Dominguez's absence, then watched Fantuz amass 142 of the team's 502 yards of offence against the Alouettes.

"It was a wake-up call that my job isn't secure and that I had to work harder," said Fantuz in reference to his struggles. "I was focused after that."

Indeed. The former three-time first-team all-Canadian has propelled himself into ninth spot in league receiving this season with 938 yards on 54 catches, just 16 yards behind reigning CFL most outstanding player Geroy Simon.

Fantuz has shattered his rookie totals of 30 catches for 408 yards, while his 17.4 yards-per-catch average is second only to Calgary's Ryan Thelwell (19.2) among pass-catchers with 30 or more receptions.

Fantuz's best 'in front of him'

"Andy has a lot of pride and has been successful for a reason," Austin told the Regina Leader-Post. "He has the kind of makeup that you need to have to be successful.

"He's becoming the player we [coaches] thought he would be. I've said it before that he can still get better. Andy's best is still in front of him."

Fantuz said having Austin, a former CFL quarterback and Grey Cup champion, play a role in running Saskatchewan's offence has been huge.

"The offence compared to last year is at a whole new level," said Fantuz. "I'm grateful to have him as a coach this early in my career. He gives us the freedom to play with what we see on the field and adjust to the play. It's been good for me."

Having a mobile quarterback with a rocket arm and exceptional playmaking ability doesn't hurt, either. Fantuz noted the chemistry he has developed with Kerry Joseph is a result of repetition in practice and excellent communication between the players.

Earlier this season, Austin told the CFL on CBC that Fantuz has the uncanny ability to read zone coverages and get separation from defenders.

"He came here as a mature guy that understood the game," Joseph told CBCSports.ca. "He knows how to get open in zones and find the open spots. He has big hands and knows how to use them.

"There were a couple of games when he struggled but he battled through it like a veteran, never stopped working.

"Maturing physically and mentally is all he has to do [to reach his potential]. He can't get complacent with the success he's had. He doesn't have a lot of attitude and that's what makes him a great player in this league."

Perhaps an assault on another record book isn't far off for Fantuz.