LINEUP

FEATURES

37 SPEED RULES

In its many forms, it is the most critical component in every sport. Just don't blink

BY TIM LAYDEN

BASEBALL

40 RUNNING IS BACK

The stolen base, forgotten in the powerball era, is cool again—and a key weapon in the hunt for October

BY ALBERT CHEN

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

46 DE'ANTHONY THOMAS

He's not a tailback, a receiver or even a starter. The Oregon speedster is simply a touchdown waiting to happen

BY LEE JENKINS

NASCAR

54 CHASING VELOCITY

With the postseason at full throttle, the 12 Cup contenders are calling on every resource for that extra mile per hour

BY LARS ANDERSON

NFL

58 JEFF SATURDAY

First in Indy, now in Green Bay, the veteran center has been the fulcrum of the NFL's most dynamic attacking scheme

BY TIM LAYDEN

DEPARTMENTS

2 SI Digital

4 Leading Off

10 The Mail

12 Scorecard

500,000 baseball errors

20 Faces in the Crowd

22 Just My Type

Clay Matthews's power color

BY DAN PATRICK

26 Inside ...

NFL | Soccer | Boxing

College Football

College Basketball

68 Point After

The knuckleball's slow charm

BY PHIL TAYLOR

ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT BECK

Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling

PHOTO

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT BECK

FLYING DUCK De'Anthony Thomas zoomed past Tennessee Tech for 222 all-purpose yards on 10 touches.