The NFL After Week 10

The NFL regular season is just a tad over the halfway marker and it's time to see how things stand. As I did in my “quarter pole” post, I will examine which teams are the best those that are upcoming and a couple of disappointments. We've had some stunning developments of late and things have changed dramatically sine the end of week 5, so without delay, let's see where we are.

The NFL's Best Teams

1. New Orleans Saints --- The Saints are one of two teams remaining with a perfect record at 9 wins without a defeat. Offensively, we know New Orleans can put up gaudy numbers, but my goodness nearly 37 points a game and roughly 426 yards of offense is absurd even by today's standards. Drew Brees is throwing the ball around the yard although his decision making has been somewhat spotty although with 19 touchdowns to 9 interceptions and a 104.6 passer rating, that seems nearly impossible. Brees did throw 3 picks versus Miami in a 46-34 win and threw 2 more in a 28-23 squeaker over the lowly St. Louis Rams. The running game is still very strong with Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush all contributing heavily. The Saints are averaging 151 yards per contest, good for 5th league wide.


The defense isn't as stingy as it was earlier in the season as opponents are moving the ball much more freely in recent weeks. If the Saints are to remain the dominant team in the NFC, the defense must step up to earlier performances.

2. Indianapolis Colts --- The Peyton Manning led Colts are the other 9 and 0 team and have a great offense, albeit one dimensional. The 3rd best yards per game average at 401 yards and the best passing game with roughly 315 a game, the Colts would like to improve on a dismal 86 yards rushing a game, ranking a measly 29th across the league. Mr. Manning does what Mr. Manning does best...completing 70% of his throws, 20 TD's to 7 INT's and a passer rating of 104.2...simply not slowing down yet.

The defense is known as a bend and break type allowing much yardage against while giving up the league's fewest points although the New England Patriots torched them for 34 this past Sunday night. This team has a chance at 16-0 before it's all said and done with.

3. Minnesota Vikings --- At 8 and 1, this is probably the team in NFC that could give the Saints fits should these two meet in the playoffs. Wonderfully balanced offensively, the Vikings average 30 points a game while running and passing are a good balance. When you have Adrian Peterson toting the rock behind a humongous offensive line, it's quite easy to control the ball. Then there's Brett Favre...I've already covered him 2 weeks ago, so I will say no more.


Minnesota on defense is stingy against the run, therefore teams tend to throw more often than desired. The pass defense should improve once cornerback Antoine Winfield returns from a foot injury. I think a very deep run in the playoffs is possible.

The Most Pleasant Surprise

Cincinnati Bengals --- The Bengals don't wow anyone offensively, although the running game is solid averaging 122 yards per game with reclamation project Cedric Benson carrying the load, although he was injured against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hip flexor. Quarterback Carson Palmer hasn't been tearing up the league, but he has been a savvy leader and just having him behind center provides Cincinnati with the confidence knowing turnovers will be minimal.

It's the defense that has been the talk of the NFL. Allowing 16.3 points a game (2nd stingiest) and allowing only 83.4 yards on the ground (2nd), Cincinnati has gone from outhouse to penthouse in the AFC North Division. At 7 and 2, these Cats have beaten the World Champion Steelers twice by being physically dominant defensively without leading sacker Antoine Odom (IR, torn Achilles), safety Roy Williams (IR, forearm) and linebacker Keith Rivers (calf). In short, the Bengals are for real!

The Biggest Disappointment

The New York Giants --- How the mighty Giants have fallen! Losers of 4 consecutive games, These G-Men still move the ball well, but in the red zone it's bogged down. Much of that has to do with the the caliber of teams the Giants feasted on early ( Raiders, Chiefs, Redskins, and Tampa Bay) as opposed to recent opponents ( New Orleans, Arizona, Philadelphia, and San Diego).

On defense, the Giants have totally wilted, although injuries haven't helped. Currently missing are safety Kenny Phillips ( IR, knee), cornerback Aaron Ross (soon to return), and both Justin Tuck (shoulder) and Osi Umenyiora( not 100% from knee surgery) are playing hurt. We'll see how the Giants come out of their bye week versus Atlanta at home.


If you have anything to add, feel free to comment.

Dick

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Baseball's Team of the Decade --- New York Yankees

The 2009 Major League Baseball season has come to a close and a decade has been completed. Sixty division titles have been won, 10 wild card teams decided, and 10 World Series champions have been crowned. It's been a decade that has been marred by accusations and congressional hearings about rampant steroid use, ungodly free agent signings, and umpires blowing calls at an alarming rate this past season. But we have also had some monumental feats in baseball too --- The Boston Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series for the first time since 1918, the Chicago White Sox winning the World Title in 2005 after decades of frustration, and the New York Yankees winning 2 championships in the bookend years of 2000 and 2009.

We have also had amazing player accomplishments such as the emergence of players like Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki, major milestones with Barry Bonds becoming the Major League home run king, Ken Griffey, Jr. reaching 600 homers, and Alex Rodriguez doing what Alex Rodriguez always does. We saw the retirements of Cal Ripken Jr. and Greg Maddux as well, two of the greatest players at their respective positions.

This post will focus on the one team that dominated the decade of 2000-2009. In my opinion, no other team can match what this team has done as far as overall accomplishments are concerned. Without further delay, the team of the decade is:

The New York Yankees

This decade Yankee teams has had an amazing group of players come through the hallowed halls of old Yankee Stadium and the new Yankee Stadium --- Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Roger Clemens, Bernie Williams, Alex Rodriguez, and more recent additions Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia and Robinson Cano. They have had a core group of four players this decade --- Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte whom has defined the Yankee way by showing class and respect for baseball.

They have had one great manager in Joe Torre and I believe a good one in Joe Girardi. Both led teams quietly and let the players play. Torre was considered a push button manger that could do little wrong with the teams he had, while Girardi may have micro-managed at times, but with the shaky bullpen of this past season, I feel he had no choice.

Now let's look at the hard numbers to validate dominance of these Yankees:

*Easily Major League Baseball's best record in the decade
*9 time playoff participant
*8 American League East Division Titles
*4 World Series appearances (2000, 2001, 2003, and 2009)
*2 World Series Titles --- in 2000 (defeated the New York Mets 4 games to 1) and 2009 (defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2).

While Yankee starting was good and the bullpen was spotty at times (2009), there were two constants that were always outstanding:

*The “Bronx Bombers” hit like no other team could, especially with power and patience.
*The Yanks had baseball's best closer in Mariano Rivera.

What other teams come close to such dominance? I'll examine three teams in comparison.

Boston Red Sox

While Boston equaled New York's 2 World Championships (2004 and 2007), they can only lay claim to 1 AL East title (2007), and 6 playoff appearances. Pretty good by most standards but pales the Yankees in every way except World Titles.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels do have a World Series title under their belts (2002), 5 American League West Division titles and 6 total playoff seasons. That may be better than Boston, but is far short of what the Yankees have done.

St. Louis Cardinals

The World Champions of 2006, the Cards can boast 6 National League Central Division pennants and a wild card appearance for a total of 7 seasons in the playoffs. Better than both Boston and the Angels but again short of the Yankees.

I believe I have proven without a doubt that the New York Yankees are by far and away the best team this decade. The numbers prove it and I defy anyone who can argue otherwise. Love 'em or hate 'em, let's give the Yanks all the accolades they deserve.

Dick

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Dear Brett, Please Retire --- Revisited

On August 19th, I wrote that Brett Favre should have retired from the NFL instead of signing with the Minnesota Vikings. I had deduced that Brett was for all intents and purposes finished as an NFL quarterback. He had a bum shoulder and a terrible December with the New York Jets last season ... totally finished.

Yet in 8 games this season, Favre has looked rejuvenated as he has led the Vikings to a 7 win 1 loss start. In the process, he has gone from game manager to gunslinger, as the game against the Green Bay Packers shows.

It looks like that I am wrong about #4, but didn't he have a similar start to the season in 2008? Let's do a comparison, shall we?

Through 8 games last season, Brett's Jets were sporting a 5 and 3 record and Brett was okay with 15 TD throws, including 6 versus Arizona in week 4, to 12 interceptions.

This season, Favre has thrown an amazing 16 TD's to being intercepted a mere 3 times. Included in those 16 touchdowns are two 3 TD games and last Sunday's 4 touchdown passes against Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

So far, Brett has made a fool of me, but I am waiting to see what the final 8 games will bring.

Now the last 8 games for the 2008 Jets started well but ended in disaster. Here are the facts:

Favre was tremendous from 9 through 11 as he threw 5 touchdowns to 1 interception as New York won all three games, including an overtime victory over the New England Patriots. During that stretch, Favre's QB rating was 117.7, 119.4 {Pats game), and 103.6. The Jets were 8 and 3 and looked like they would walk away with the AFC East title.

Then the mighty Brett collapsed in the final 5 games of 2008 as he threw only 2 TD passes against a whopping and incredible 9 interceptions as the Jets lost all 5 games to close at 9 and 7 and Head Coach Eric Mangini losing his job. A sore shouldered Brett Favre couldn't throw deep and the defensive backs could cheat on short passes knowing this.

I just wonder if Brett can hold up for the second half of the 2009 NFL season ... only time will tell. He looks like the Brett Favre of old at this moment but with the facts I have presented within this post, it's still a gamble he can continue this type of play.

Let me know what you think.

Dick

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An Easy Explanation for the BCS --- Take Out the”C”

If you are a fan of major college football, you know that there is one method determining the two teams playing for the national championship within the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). It is a system that weighs 2 polls, computer rankings, and has a unique formula to determine standings or rankings. It also is a source of frustration for most college football fans due to 2 reasons --- its complexity and some of the qualifications. I will give a synopsis of the system that some say is BS.

Welcome to the Bowl Championship Series, better known as the BCS.

There is only one question to ask … How are teams selected for BCS games?

To answer that, there are teams that automatically qualify for a BCS game, namely the champions of the following conferences: Atlantic Coast (ACC), Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern (SEC) throughout the 2013 regular season.

Easy enough, right? Now there are provisions for non-Automatic Qualifiers.

The conference champions of Conference-USA, Mid-American (MAC), Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Western Athletic (WAC) will earn a berth at a BCS game if one of two events occur:

One of these teams is in the top 12 in the final BCS standings OR
One of these teams is a top 16 BCS team and is ranked higher than a conference champion of an automatic qualifier.

Okay, that may not be so confusing --- but then there's this little piece of information that must be considered:

Notre Dame will earn a BCS berth should it finish in the top 8 in the final BCS standings.

But what happens if 2 or more non Automatic Qualifying teams fulfill these provisions? Well, only one team can go to a BCS game and that will be the higher ranked team in the final BCS standings while the other team(s) may earn a BCS bid should it meet the previously mentioned criteria.

There are other provisions too, but it becomes complicated so I won't elaborate.

Such an easy concept --- yeah, right!

The next provision is that of at-large eligibility. If there are not 10 teams that automatically qualify for BCS berths then the following criteria must be met to get an At-Large bid.

Teams must have 9 regular season victories, AND
Is in the top 14 in the final BCS standings.

There are other provisions should there not be enough eligible teams, but yet again, it is complicated and not worth my breath.

For most college football fans, there are obvious facts. One is the top 2 teams in the final BCS standings play for the National Championship and that certain conferences are contractually committed to host bowl games. Those being the ACC for the Orange Bowl, the SEC for the Sugar Bowl, the Big 12 for the Fiesta Bowl, and the Big Ten and Pac-10 hosting the Rose Bowl.

Should a bowl game lose a host because that team is in the National Championship game, it shall be replaced by either an Automatic Qualifier or an At-Large team. And yes, there are other provisions should certain events occur.

A pain in the neck about now!

Now to the BCS standings and how they are compiled. More fun!!!

The BCS standings are comprised of the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, the USA Today Coaches Poll, and computer rankings (SIX of those!) of which each has an equal third of weight. To get the percentages of each, all teams get an inverse point total, such as 25 points for #1, 24 points for #2, and so on.

The percentages of the two polls are calculated by dividing each team's point total by a maximum 2850 possible points for the Harris Poll and a maximum of 1525 points from the USA Coaches Poll. The computer rankings percentage is calculated by dropping the highest and lowest ranking for each team and then the remaining total is divided by one hundred. Included in the six computer rankings are strength of schedule, of which I haven't a clue on how that's determined. I'm guessing that each provider has it's own formula to derive that.

Finally, the BCS Average is formed by averaging the percentages of the Harris and USA Coaches Polls and the computer rankings. These averages are ranked to get the BCS Standings.

Let's see, all of that to determine the BCS National Championship Game participants, determining any other Automatic Qualifiers, and establishing the pool for At-Large teams.

Go at it you math majors!

Now we all know the workings of the BCS...well, some of it. It's complicated and it's made major college football a sham to some. Of course, you can get more information on the BCS at the official BCS site within the links provided. It's a lousy read --- really it is.

Now that I'm finished, I need some Advil for my headache, sore neck, and sore fingers. Perhaps I may need a hospital stay to go into traction.

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

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A Small Town Bat Company With a Rich Tradition

Here's a question for you --- when one thinks of a baseball bat manufacturer, what is the company nearly everyone knows? Of course, we say Louisville Slugger, the premier bat maker for all levels of baseball. The king of bat making will never die but at one time, there was a small bat making company right up along side Louisville Slugger that made bats for major league players and teams until the 1980's. This small town company still proudly exists today, making custom bats for anyone who desires one.

This entry features the R.G. Johnson Company of Denmark, Maine, custom bat makers.

How I came across R.G. Johnson Co. was at an exhibit during Maine's largest agricultural fair, Fryeburg Fair on Tuesday, October 6th. I had spoken with Mr. Bob Logan, the sales representative. I had noticed that he had bats for sale at very reasonable prices, thus I inquired about the business. Bob had indicated as he gave me a brochure, to me that R.G. Johnson had a rich history in making bats for major league players. I was told that Bob's father, also named Bob, produces each bat by hand in the garage by their home. He also told me that the process of bat making is printed in the brochure.

I asked where the ash came from, specifically interested if it was Maine grown. Bob said that roughly 90% was indeed from the Maine woods, but a bit more is coming in from the neighboring state of New Hampshire. On following up, young Mr. Logan said that only the best ash is purchased to insure that the bats are of the highest quality.

I proceeded to ask if he made bats for major league players. Although they no longer produce for current players, R.G/ Johnson had contract for the
Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, and a fourth team which escaped him. I was quite impressed!

As we spoke, I noticed that there were maple bats, baseball bat wall shelves, a book case, and other bat related products, which I found very, very well crafted. It was obvious that the elder Mr. Logan was meticulous in his work and I surmised he loved his work.

We ended our conversation, I took the brochure home with me to peruse. The brochure provided information on bat making at R.G. Johnson. I will just say that the wood is sawn 40” by 3” and air dried for 1 year. Then the blocks are are made into round billets, are graded by the elder Logan, graded so only the finest grain is found to produce the bats. The billets are then air dried again for an additional year before production begins.

Logan then turns the bat to its final form on a lathe, brands them with R.G. Johnson label, then sands them. After sanding, the majority of the bats are are flame treated, bringing up the grain and hardening the surface of the wood. Both ends are then sawed off from the lathe and sands them smooth. The, bat length is stamped on the knob and dip coated twice in polyurethane varnish for its final finish.

There are many bat models from many former major leaguers to choose from including, Henry Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Jim Rice, Ty Cobb, Yogi Berra, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, and many other stars of years past.

There you have it … how a bat is made by a small bat maker with a rich tradition. Unfortunately R.G. Johnson Co. does not have a website but they can be reached via mail at:

R.G.Johnson Ski & Sports
620 West Main Street
Denmark, Maine 04022

Phone and Fax numbers are:

Phone: (207) 452-2770
Fax: (207) 452-2675

Enjoy!

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The NFL's Quarter Pole

Now that the National Football League has reached the quarter pole in the regular season, it's time to see who are the best teams, biggest positive surprise team, and the team that is the biggest disappointment. Notice I didn't include the worst team --- the Oakland Raiders (St. Louis Rams close behind) --- just not worth the waste of effort.

Without further adieu, here are my opinions in no particular order:

Best Teams:

*Denver Broncos --- The Broncos were supposed to be “Team Turmoil” when Head Coach Josh McDaniels revealed he was looking at quarterback Matt Cassel to run the offense, henceforth upsetting incumbent Jay Cutler so much that the Broncos traded him to Chicago for Kyle Orton. As we have seen, Orton has played very well, and Denver is off to a 5-0 start. But the big surprise is the defense allowing a mere 43 points. A major reason is that the Broncos get to the passer, lead by Elvis Dumervil who is tied for the league lead in sacks with eight. An even more surprising statistic is that the supposed maligned run defense has allowed only 81 rush yards per game. Of course, Champ Bailey is still considered the best lock down corner back in the NFL. The defense will be severely tested as Denver travels to San Diego to face the Chargers on Monday night October 19th.

*Minnesota Vikings --- The undefeated Vikings have the most explosive running back in the league with Adrian Peterson, a rejuvenated QB in Brett Favre, and a tremendous rookie receiver/kick returner in 1st round draftee Percy Harvin. Defensively, Minnesota has Jared Allen who pressures the passer as well as anyone in football, Pat and Kevin Williams at defensive tackles, in my opinion the best pair of run stuffers in the league, a swift linebacking corps led by E.J. Henderson, and a decent secondary with veteran Antoine Winfield leading the way. Minnesota has two crucial tests in the next 2 weeks as Baltimore invades the Metrodome Sunday the 18th, then travel to Heinz Field to play the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

*New Orleans Saints --- The Saints have the most explosive offense in football led by All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees, a solid running game, a surprising 2nd in the league 166.2 yards per game, with Mike Bell beginning the season and starter Pierre Thomas returning from injury, and a fantastic receiving corps with Marques Colston and deep threat Devery Henderson as the leaders. Also, the addition of tight end Jeremy Shockey has bolstered Brees's threats. It's no wonder why the Saints are averaging a league's best 36 points a game. The defense has been stout allowing 16.5 points per game and stingy in all around defense allowing under 300 yards a game, ranking sixth. The leaders of the defense are linebacker Jonathan Vilma and big play making safety, the seemingly ageless Darren Sharper. The Saints schedule gets a little tougher over the next 2 weeks as they face Miami in 2 weeks at Miami. But the Saints next game will be the litmus test to see how legitimate they are. New Orleans will be at home in the Superdome to face the...

*New York Giants --- The G-Men are hitting on all cylinders offensively, defensively, and on special teams. The offense is lead by unquestioned leader Eli Manning at quarterback and a terrific tandem of running backs in the large Brandon Jacobs and the elusive but powerful Ahmad Bradshaw. The receiving group, a huge question mark in training camp, has developed into one of the leagues best with possession receiver Steve Smith, the NFL leader with 481 receiving yards, deep threat Mario Manningham, and exciting rookie, top draft choice Hakeem Nicks. The Giants are 4th in rushing, 9th in passing, adding up to the NFL's #2 total offense. To go along with those numbers, the Giants are averaging 30,2 points a game ranking 4th in the league. In my opinion, these statistics reflect that the Giants have the best offensive line in football led by center Shaun O'Hara and Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee. The defense led by defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora is ranked #1 by allowing a mere 210.6 yards a game due in part to giving up and average of 104.8 yards of passing a game. The Giants defense also allows the 3rd fewest points per game at 14.2 a contest. While the numbers on both sides of the ball are gaudy, the G-men will be severely tested as they play New Orleans in their next game on Oct 18th at the Louisiana Superdome. Should the Giants prevail, I feel they will be considered the best team in football.

*Indianapolis Colts --- Right now I feel this is the best team in football. Peyton Manning is the top quarterback in the NFL once again, the receivers led by Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark are second to none and the defense has been brilliant thus far. Offensively, Indy has averaged 27.4 points per game and has passed for the most yardage at 326.0 a game. Peyton Manning already has 12 touchdown tosses, has thrown for at least 300 yards in every game, and is threatening to rewrite the record books. The running game has yet to get going but in time Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown will find openings. On the defensive side, defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney have recorded 10 sacks --- the healthy and rejuvenated Freeney has six. The Colts schedule for the next 3 weeks feature a road game at woeful St. Louis, then 2 home games at the new Lucas Oil Stadium versus San Francisco and Houston. This could be an 8-0 team heading into the November 15th showdown at home against their arch-rivals New England Patriots. Let's not forget that new Head Coach Jim Caldwell is a direct disciple of his mentor Tony Dungy. Nothing has changed much as the Colts continue to roll.


Most Pleasantly Surprising Team:

*Cincinnati Bengals --- Aptly named “The Cardiac Cats” for their last second victories, the Bengals are no longer the NFL's laughing stock. At 4-1, the AFC North Division leaders don't wow people, but have shown grit and togetherness. The Bengals are a team in every sense of the word. Quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy and fairly productive, Chad Ochocinco is happy and playing well, and running back Cedric Benson has revived his career behind a much improved offensive line. The defense has played well enough to keep them in every game and have recorded 14 sacks, led by NFL co-leader Antwan Odom with eight. The Bengals have 2 home games before their bye week, both at home against Houston and Chicago. It will be interesting to see if Cincy can keep the momentum going.

Most Disappointing Team:

*Tennessee Titans --- Who would have thought that a Jeff Fisher led Titans team would lose all 5 games to begin the season? Tennessee has a good ground game with Chris Johnson and LenDale White, a decent if not spectacular quarterback in Kerry Collins and a very good defense. None of it has come together at all and Titans fans have been clamoring to see Vince Young take over the signal calling. The numbers across the board, except for rushing, are horrible and it appears the loss of All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has devastated the team defense. Tennessee's next game is at Gillette Stadium against the Patriots. Can anybody say 6 consecutive losses?

There you have it...if you have any other or different opinions, feel free to comment or email me.

Happy Reading!

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

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A Return to Respectability in College Football

If you are as much of a college football fan as I am, you appreciate the efforts of a team that doesn't quit no matter the game situation or their won/loss record. Here, I will write of a team that has a rich history but has fallen upon hard times of late. However, it appears this football program is about to rise from the ashes and become a national force to be reckoned with in the near future. Truth is, this team has already taken great strides this season even with a 2 win 3 loss record heading into the weekend of October 10 --- they won nary a game last season. As far as I am concerned, this team has returned to respectability even if they do not win again in 2009.

Let's talk about the University of Washington Huskies football program.

Here is a brief synopsis of Washington Huskies history. Some great Head Coaches include:

*Gil Doobie who was 58-0-3 from 1908 – 1916
*Enoch Bagshaw, 63-22-6 from 1921 – 1929
*Darrell Royal, the great Texas Longhorns coach was 5-5 in 1956
*Don James, 153-57-2 from 1975 -1992

Notable players included:

*Running Back Hugh McElhenny --- Pro Football hall of Fame
*Quarterback Warren Moon --- Pro Football HOF, Mark Brunell, Chris Chandler
*Running Backs --- Napolean Kaufman, Corey Dillon
*Wide Receiver --- Reggie Williams
*Defensive Linemen --- Reggie Rogers, Steve Emtman, Larry Tripplett
*Offensive Linemen --- Lincoln Kennedy, Olin Kreutz, Benji Olson
*Defensive Backs --- Lawyer Milloy, Tony Parrish
*Tight Ends --- Cam Clelland, Ernie Conwell

Team accomplishments:
*Co-National Champions in 1991
*Nine times in the Top 10 AP or Coaches Poll
*Won or tied the Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC) 15 times


Now, let's go back to the 2008 season and look at some hard numbers ---

*Record --- 0 Wins/12 Losses --- The only PAC 10 team to lose every game
*The only team in the nation to be 0 – 12
*Were outscored by a whopping 463 – 159 margin
*They were only close in 3 games including a heartbreaking 28-27 loss in which quarterback Jake Locker was penalized for a celebration foul after scoring a touchdown with :02 remaining in the game. This cost the Huskies 15 yards on the ensuing extra point … the kick was blocked.

Head Coach Tyrone Willingham was forced to resign during the season following an embarrassing 33-7 loss to Notre Dame, although he was allowed to finish the campaign.

Enough of the bad, but why do I believe the University of Washington football program has turned around? Here are some reasons.

Head Coach Steve Sarkisian --- A young coach (34) with a winning attitude and calm demeanor. Much of that comes from playing for legendary Head Coach Lavell Edwards in 1995 and 1996 as a record setting quarterback at Brigham Young University (BYU).

For many years, Sarkisian was an assistant under Pete Carroll's eye at the University of Southern California (USC) culminating with being the offensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008.

Quarterback Jake Locker --- Experienced starting QB as he played in 12 games as a red shirt freshman but was lost via injury after 4 games last season. Locker has a strong and accurate arm and can use his strength and mobility to shed defenders. That was in evidence during last week's game versus Notre Dame. Locker doesn't seem to be in a panic and is quite heady.

A team that wants to win --- The Huskies are tired of getting trounced. They did defeat USC earlier this season which became the springboard for new found confidence. Hungry, hungry, Huskies!

Many thought the road to respectability for Washington Huskies football would be a long and arduous one. But with evidence to the contrary, such as games with USC and Notre Dame, that road should be much easier to be traversed. With a young and well versed 1st year coach in Steve Sarkisian and a terrific quarterback in Jake Locker, The Husky football program is on the right track.

Welcome back Washington Huskies football!

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