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FEATURES
PRO FOOTBALL
36 The WinMachine
After dismantling the Cowboys, Tom Brady and the Patriots are playing on theirown plane. Can the Colts, or anyone else, stop them?
By Tim Layden
COLLEGEFOOTBALL
42 Fresh Juice
No. 2 South Florida leads a charge of the state's up-and-coming teams
By Austin Murphy
• Second thoughtsat midseason
• Danny Woodhead'srun to glory
• SI's bowl-gamematchups
BASEBALL
50 It's in theAir
In a postseason of one-sided series, the Indians--Red Sox showdown had the rarelook of a drawn-out drama
By Tom Verducci
• Rolling Rockiesare here to stay
BONUS
Two Athletes
Two Soldiers
Still haunted bythe death in Vietnam of his best friend and teammate, the author found anotherhigh school standout killed in action, in Iraq
by JACK McCALLUM
PAGE 56
Departments
6 Leading Off
16 Letters
21 Players
• Why is it so hard to play QB?
• Jeff Garcia on the NFL and garlic
• Poll: Who's the best pro punter?
• The Boss yields control to sons
• Overcoaching in Special Olympics
• Brandon Jacobs's tattoo
35 Faces in theCrowd
78 Life ofReilly
Turn on your TV and you already get jocks around the clock. Isn't that enough?Nah
by Rick Reilly
Inside...
70 The NFL
• The vanishing old-school fullback
73 High SchoolFootball
• Prospect's diary: Cal or Oregon?
76 NASCAR
• Stewart's losses: Don't blame me!
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FEATUREDCOLUMNS
PETER KING
›A Game for AllAges
Vinny Testaverde came off the couch—literally—a month shy of his 44th birthdayto start his first football game in two years (and win it).
STEWART MANDEL
›One Topsy-TurvyYear
Even after voting Matt Grothe and USF No. 1, I wouldn't be surprised if theBulls' run ends as soon as Thursday night, at Rutgers.
› Read more ofthis column at SI.com/king.
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› If a chunk ofChester Taylor's 22 carries had gone to star rookie Adrian Peterson, Minnesotamight not have needed a last-second field goal to beat Chicago.
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BILL FRAKES (WOODHEAD)
46 STRIPPED DOWN The NCAA's career leading rusher, Danny Woodhead of Chadron (Neb.) State, dresses in a typically bare-bones Division II locker room.
PHOTO
COURTESY OF THE GASKO FAMILY (BONUS, LEFT)
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COURTESY OF THE ARCIOLA FAMILY
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ROBERT BECK (TULOWITZKI)
TWO PHOTOS
MEL LEVINE (KING, MANDEL)
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STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES (TESTAVERDE)
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BOB ROSATO (GROTHE)
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GARY BOGDON (GREEN)
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SAM SHARPE (GORDON)
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DAVID E. KLUTHO (PETERSON)
