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SEATTLE -- Shortly after sustaining a knee injury in the spring of 2015 that would cost him the season, Washingtons John Ross placed the Rutgers logo on a calendar app on his phone, a countdown to when hed finally get back on the field for the Huskies.His return proved worth the wait.Ross caught two touchdown passes and returned a kickoff for another score, Jake Browning threw for 287 yards, and No. 14 Washington looked every bit a Top 25 team with a 48-13 rout of Rutgers on Saturday.I feel amazing. I feel great. Im so thankful, grateful, everything you can think of, Ross said. Im just so happy to be able to do it again.Entering a season of lofty expectations, the Huskies (1-0) raced to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and were never threatened by the rebuilding Scarlet Knights, in their first game under new coach Chris Ash.Browning threw for 277 yards and all three scores in the first half as the Huskies built a 34-3 lead. Browning should have thrown four TDs in the half, but Darrell Daniels dropped a pass in the end zone late in the second quarter.Its good to get out of the gate fast, especially with so many unknowns, unknown coaches, unknown players on both sides, Washington coach Chris Petersen said.Brownings offseason goal was to be better on deep throws. He was certainly good to start the season, hitting Chico McClatcher on a 43-yard touchdown on his second pass of the season, followed by TD throws of 38 and 50 yards to Ross as the Huskies burned Rutgers decision to play man coverage on the outside.Ross missed the entire 2015 season after injuring a knee during spring camp.It was just really cool to obviously have thrown the ball to him but to see him come into his own after missing all of last season and all the anticipation of him coming back, Browning said of Ross.The Huskies were also dynamic on special teams. Ross took a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and Dante Pettis returned a punt 68 yards for a score in the third quarter. It was the third time in school history Washington had kickoff and punt return touchdowns in the same game, and first since 2001.THE TAKEAWAYRutgers: Ashs rebuilding job at Rutgers (0-1) is significant and it will take a while for the new offensive system to improve. Chris Laviano was 24 of 40 passing for 168 yards in his first game running a spread offense. Rutgers only TD came on a 10-yard run by Janarion Grant in the fourth quarter against Washingtons backups.There was some good and bad. I thought he probably took too many risks sometimes with the ball, Ash said of Laviano. I thought he did some good things though especially in the second half.Washington: While there were plenty of highlights for the Huskies offense, the run game was absent. Myles Gaskin was held to 57 yards on 15 carries despite Washington spending the majority of the third quarter trying to get the run game established. The Huskies had the luxury to experiment with a 31-point halftime lead.POLL IMPLICATIONSWashington was expected to roll past the Scarlet Knights but such and impressive first half will only go to justify the Huskies preseason ranking. The next two games against Idaho and Portland State arent likely to threaten Washingtons poll positioning so expect them to continue lingering just outside the top 10 for the next few weeks.NUMBER WATCHBrowning threw for more than 300 yards only three times during his freshman season. He nearly had 300 by halftime against Rutgers and if not for the blowout score and the Huskies intent on getting the run game started in the third quarter, Browning would have likely had one of the better passing games of his career.One of Brownings touchdown throws to Ross was a run play that he checked to a pass at the line of scrimmage.Jake made good throws on deep balls early, so we were pleased with that, Washington offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith said.UP NEXTRutgers: The Scarlet Knights get a break facing Howard of the Football Championship Subdivision, the first of three straight home games.Washington: The Huskies meager non-conference schedule continues by hosting Idaho. It will be another chance for the Huskies to give some of its younger players experience before the schedule toughens at the end of September.LAST WORDReally pleased with how fast they started. The first quarter was really, really good on both sides, Washington coach Chris Petersen. 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Jim Taylor Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Tom Dempsey Jersey .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. On Saturday, history could repeat itself when Stephen Thompson (13-1) challenges Tyron Woodley (16-3) at UFC 205 for the welterweight title at New York Citys Madison Square Garden.It was more than seven years ago when a karate expert challenged and defeated a wrestler for a UFC title. At UFC 98, Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight strap, inciting UFC commentator Joe Rogan to utter the famous words, Welcome to the Lyoto Machida era.Could this be the start of the Wonderboy Era?The parallels between the two fights and styles used are no doubt, well, striking. And the outcome is something Thompson hopes to mimic as well.His rise to No. 1 contender status in the welterweight division is a vindication of sorts for karate. The long-standing perception that karate is impractical for MMA started to turn when Machida rose to prominence. Indeed, many past champions in recent years such as George St Pierre, Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson all boast deep karate backgrounds that served as the foundation for their striking, footwork and agility.You see all of those champions, you know they all learned outside the Octagon -- their persistence and discipline to be a champion -- they learned that from karate, Machida says.But considering the widespread popularity of karate around the world and especially in the United States, how did that perception ever begin?The myth of karate in MMAAccording to Machida, traditional karate -- the kind he and his family practice at Machida Karate Academy in Los Angeles -- utilizes many more elbow and knee strikes.Karate, however, had taken on a more sport approach during the developmental days of mixed martial arts, with points tournaments where elbow and knee strikes are frowned upon, as they simply cause too much damage. Traditional karate as a combat sport had gotten, as Thompson says, watered down.Because of this, MMA fighters saw little value in a style that seemed largely for show.You got a lot of schools opening up that stressed doing things that would score points and maybe not as practical for a street situation, Thompson says.So in the early UFC, everyone looked down on it. People would say, those angles and spinning kicks wont work in mixed martial arts, Thompson added. But Machida was the one who really brought it back.Thompsons dad and trainer, Ray, agreed.I think the perception of karate, until the Machida era, was karate doesnt work. Early UFCs karate guys got crushed because they couldnt grapple, says Ray, a former karate and kickboxing pro. Theyd try their kicks and punches and just get taken down. They just got beat up. They had no idea what to do on the ground.The integration of karate into todays MMA offers it a rebirth in the sport. As MMA evolves, the precision and fluidity of a fighters integration of combat disciplines can be the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter.Machida says karate can be very effective in honing a fighters timing and use of distance. Where Machida is a masterful counterstriker with impeccable timing, especially against charging opponents, Thompson is one of the best at using his length -- particularly in his legs.Youre seeing it more and more in MMA, in the movements and stances. Thats my goal, to bring karate back and to help it grow in the UFC, Machida said. But its not an easy technique to learn. It takes a long time to build up the muscles in the front leg and the balance on the back foot. Its not something you can learn in a couple of months.Watch Thompson when hes in his traditional southpaw, or side-out stance. He actually uses his leg as a longer jab. While hes listed at having a 75-inch reach, jabbing with kicks gives him a distinct advantage as he tries to keep the 5-foot-9 Woodley at bay.ddddddddddddAccording to FightMetric, Thompsons 4.7 strikes per minute (SLpM) ranks sixth-highest among UFC welterweights.Wonderboy is a unique guy. His timing is so good -- that is very hard to teach, Machida says.This side-out approach allows Thompson to keep his hands down and come from multiple angles with both his legs and fists, in combinations, hook and head kicks. The position of his hands does leave his head exposed, but thats actually what Thompson wants.You blade that body and [it] gives a smaller target for your opponent, Thompson said. I have my hands down, so you gotta get past my arm to get to my body. You turn straight on doing the Muay Thai, those kicks are straight on and always there [on the body], so thats a lot of wear and tear on you. I think our careers will last longer not taking the abuse, especially the head. That goes for training as well.But that head also serves as a kind of bait for aggressive strikers. As they come in, Thompsons footwork allows him to pivot and counterstrike effectively, and while the front leg seems exposed and ripe for a single-leg takedown, Thompsons improved takedown defense and quick feet allow him to either sidestep or readjust and sprawl.Yeah, Ill leave my head out there just to get guys to throw at it, and youll take one on the nose every now and then, Thompson says. But my feints and head movement are key to making that effective.Thompson has effectively worked karate into an approach that also includes a ground game that has significantly improved since he entered the UFC in 2009. Hes earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a first-degree black belt in Tetsu Shin Ryu Ju-Jitsu (Japanese ju-jitsu), but hes probably most proud of how much his wrestling has improved. Thats probably the biggest thing thats different in me since my only UFC loss (to Matt Brown in 2009), Thompson said.Of course, it also helps when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, a two-time All-American wrestler, is your brother-in-law.Training with the bestThompsons trained with Weidman for several years, but hes been training with his dad Ray since he was 3. Ray Thompson was a champion kickboxer and runs Upstate Karate in their native South Carolina. Thompson also served as the punching bag to older brother Tony and his sister Lindsay, both accomplished martial artists in their own right, but dads influence is unmatched.I remember taking Stephen to UFC 2 or 3 and he was just hooked after that, Ray says.Thompson first toyed with the notion of entering mixed martial arts after working out at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada -- the home and training center of Firas Zahabi and Georges St Pierre.Its a career that has suited him well. With such an esteemed pedigree, and riding a seven-fight win streak, Thompson, 33, seems ready for prime time. With that goal in mind, what better place than New York City, where MMA makes its long-awaited debut, for Thompson to put himself on the map.Weidman trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo on Long Island, and all of them have been major proponents and activists in getting MMA legalized in New York State. Thompson also sees this fight as an opportunity to show his appreciation for all that Weidman has done.I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for my family and my team and Chris, so Im doing this for all of them --and [for] the sport, Thompson says. ' ' '