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Show Cl WWW.NETXNEWS.NET MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 18 • 2006 Bright future Season looks good as BYU runs past Tulsa Webster's Wisdom Ben Webster Sports Editor After BYU dominated Tulsa on both sides of the ball in their home opener 49-24 the season looks brighter than the last few as the Cougars aim to turn things around for a program that hasn't had a winning year since 2001. The past four seasons have been disappointing for the Cougars but a strong running game, a senior quarterback and a new defensive scheme has the Cougars looking like they arc on track for a winning season. The Cougars bounced back from a disappointing week, one loss to Arizona with a big win against last year's Conference USA and Liberty Bowl champ where the running attack was the key to the game. L 'I think our team played well," Coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I thought there were phenomenal efforts from our running backs." Running backs Curtis Brown and Fui Vakapuna combined for 221 yards on the ground as the Cougar offensive line opened hole after hole for the two backs from the very beginning of the game. Vakapuna said, "We [running backs] have committed to improving. We say just give us the ball and we will run the offense, we just wanted the ball." On BYU's first offensive play of the game Curtis Brown took a handoff to the left side for 11 yards. The play not only was a first down but it was a statement that BYU could run the ball even after a 24-yard rushing output against Arizona a week earlier. "That first play of the game we knew we could run on these guys," BYU quarterback John Beck said. "From the get Bern Webster Legend Brett Favre from a Bears fan ' "1 There is no question that Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre is one of the NFL's most legendary and prolific passers, but his time has come and gone. Favre should have hung up the cleats after the 2004 season, but he's a competitor and he is now in his 16th NFL season. As a Chicago Bears fan I have been plagued by this guy. For most of those 16 seasons, Favre has been the number one Bear killer. It is finally time for me to thank Farve for sticking around and still trying to make it happen. I like the guy Brett Favre, it's hard not to, and now I am starting to like Favre the football player. Farve's numbers speak for themselves. He is one of the best quarterbacks of all time, without question. A three-time MVP, Favre is in second place in all-time passing yards, attempts, completions, and touchdown passes, only trailing Dan Marino, but he even has a Super Bowl win under his belt unlike Marino. He is third in wins as a starter and needs just 10 more wins to take the top spot. Unfortunately for Favre, and fortunate for Bears fans like me, he will not get it this year and even if he plays next year he won't* The Packers are a very bad, no good team. Favre said, "This is the most talented team that I have ever been on." Along with his waning talent, his mind seems to be going as well. This is definitely not the most talented team he has played on. Maybe he was just trying to convince himself or even his teammates, but this Packers team is young and inexperienced and that is never a winning combination in the NFL. The Packers have 17 rookies on the roster, more than any other team in the league. In the opener, they started two new linemen that couldn't even manage to get enough push to let Favre get a first down on a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak. Look at Favre's targets in the passing game. The only decent guy on the team is Donald Driver because Farve basically chased away Javon Walker. The Packers don't have any offensive weapons and Farve's talent is declining as his hair fades from brown to gray. Even the once-sturdy Ahman Green is coming off an injury. He can't run like he used to. The defense, even with the additions of Charles Woodson and A.J. Hawk, is going to be one of the worst in the league. They let the Bears score on four out of five possessions in the first half. We are talking about the Bears offense See LEGEND-a photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU The Cougars will need more running like Curtis Brown had against Tulsa if they want to have a winning season. go when we were pounding these guys we knew we could run the ball and that sets up the pass." Vakapuna capped the opening drive with an 11-yard touchdown run after Beck threw a lateral pass to Vakapuna out of the backfield. Vakapuna said, "The run- ning back's dream is to get the ball every time but we just want to open up the game and the offense." Tulsa evened the score in the second quarter when they finished a 58-yard drive with a six-yard pass touchdown pass from quarterback Paul Smith to Kyle Grooms. Tulsa scored again when their defense held BYU to a three-and-out and forced a punt. Tulsa junior Courtney Tennial blocked the Cougar punt and Tulsa set up their offense See BYU-C3 Chukars knock out defending Pioneer League champs Jason Adkins Sports Writer i! i • i I The Idaho Falls Chukars swept the Orem Owlz two games to none in a three-game series in the divisional series of the Pioneer League playoffs. The Owlz lost for the first time in the playoffs in two years. Orem was the reigning Pioneer League champs entering the playoffs but couldn't put their pitching and hitting together to make another title run for the three-peat. After a first-game loss in Idaho the series returned to Orem for a potential double-header, due to the first game being rained out, if Orem could win the first game. Orem, however, was not up to the challenge, as they were knocked out 9-3 in the second game of the series. The Chukars broke out of the gate to a 3-0 lead when Jase Turner belted his second home run of the series over the fence for a three-run shot. Orem got a couple back as the game was 3-2 in Idaho Falls favor after one inning of play and it remained close until the Chukars were able to put the game away. A six-run fifth inning that was punctuated with a grand slam over the left-field wall by Chukar third baseman Brenan f Herrera put Idaho Falls way ahead and into the championship series against the Missoula Osprey and send the Owlz into their nests for the winter."We've got nothing to be disappointed about," Owlz manager Tom Kotchman said following the game. "We finished the regular season with a 4531 record, which is outstanding for this league. I'm proud of the kids. They are all quality individuals With bright futures, and I mean that whole- heartedly." In game one of the series Idaho Falls busted out five runs in the fifth and then relied on the strength of pitcher Brent Fisher to get the job done in the 6-2 win. Fisher shut out Orem in four innings and struck out eight Owlz batters to finish the game. Before the big fifth from the Chukars, Orem was up 2-0 scoring single runs in the second and third innings. Chukar's pitcher Fisher contributed to hold the Owlz hitless after the third. Orem finished game one with just four hits and seven base runners. Orem cruised past Idaho Falls in the regular season with a 13-5 record against Idaho Falls but ended the season losing four straight to the Chukars including both playoff games. |