Craftsman Riding Mower- started backfiring today

Have a Craftsman 917.203901 with a Platinum 22 HP that is about 3-4 years old. I mowed the yard today, and when i was pulling into the garage it started backfiring. At least that what it sound like, coming from the front of the mower. It did it consistently when moving forward and less so when moving backwards. It was loud enough that my wife came outside because she heard it in the house. I'm not a small engine expert by any means, so I'm looking for some answers, advise, or a place to start.

Thanks in advance.

Could be a running short of fuel issue, or possibly picked up some water in the fuel.

Usually the main culprit of lawn mowers is the carburetor. The Ethanol mixture in gas these days clogs up the jets. Not for sure this is your problem but what I do sometimes to save you from having to pull the carburetor off and clean is---I put a lid full of Chemi-tool in the gas and a lot of times it smooths the running right out. You can get it at Wal Mart in the automotive section. If you are using gas with 10% Ethanol in your lawn mower you need to get some Lucas and add that to your gas to keep your carburetor un-clogged from the Ethanol. You can also get that at Wal mart. Also drain all the gas out of you motor at the end of the season by letting your motor run until it goes dead before you set it up for the season. The gas breaks down during the winter months and gum up your carburetor. Bob