Bergbau » 352 yards a game this year after giving up just 19.5 points and

TORONTO -- Hes still unsigned just over three weeks before CFL training camps are scheduled to open, but Noel Prefontaine still has reason to smile. For the first time in years, the veteran kicker/punter is pain-free. The 39-year-old was limited to seven regular-season games last season after being forced to undergo major hip surgery in the summer. He returned earlier than expected to help the Toronto Argonauts win the historic 100th Grey Cup game but was released less than a month later. After starting his off-season workouts in March -- two months later than usual to give his hip more recovery time -- Prefontaine is no longer experiencing the lower back and hip pain he endured for years before finally going under the knife. Prefontaine admits hes not ready yet to resume playing but remains intent on continuing his CFL career. And when Prefontaine returns to the field, it will likely after a teams regular punter or kicker is injured or struggles badly once the 2013 season begins. A California native, Prefontaine is deemed a non-import in the CFL because he spent time growing up in Quebec. "My hip feels really good right now and I still feel I can be productive and help a football team win," he said. "Im still a good two months away from being game-ready in my opinion but there are no after-affects anymore. "Im no longer going out there to kick and having to take a few days or a week off to let it rest. I can pretty much go out and kick every day right now." The five-foot-11, 205-pound Prefontaine began his CFL career with Toronto in 1998 and spent 10 seasons with the Argos -- with a stint in the XFL and NFL tryouts with Baltimore and Kansas City before being dealt to Edmonton prior to the 2008 season. The Eskimos dealt Prefontaine back to the Argos in October 2010. The six-time league all-star and two-time Grey Cup champion has appeared in 235 career CFL regular-season games. Prefontaine boasts a career 45.8-yard punting average and has made 332-of-457 career field goal attempts (72.6 per cent). Prefontaine opened the 2012 season with Toronto but the club looked to American rookie Swayze Waters to handle its kicking and punting duties in Prefontaines absence. Prefontaine returned ahead of schedule to resume punting chores after Waters suffered a hand injury that prevented him from handling third-down snaps. There didnt appear to be anything wrong with Prefontaines hip in Torontos 35-22 Grey Cup win over Calgary at Rogers Centre last November. He averaged a solid 44.6 yards on seven punts but admitted afterwards he was nowhere near 100 per cent. Prefontaine said hes been working out four-to-five times weekly this off-season and has spent time on the field kicking and punting. And each time, Prefontaine adds, his back has been more than able to handle the workload. "Im able to do all the things I need to do in order to prepare for a season," he said. "Im not kicking every day but I am training with weightlifting, doing cardio and running in addition to kicking. "Its really the only thing I know in terms of getting ready for the season and Im just going to approach it that way." When Toronto released Prefontaine in December, GM Jim Barker kept the door open to Prefontaine possibly returning sometime down the road. That would certainly be ideal for Prefontaine, a married father of two young children with a baby girl due in July who has an off-season job with Canadian Title Loans, a Toronto-based company that provides vehicle finance options to consumers. Prefontaine says hed consider playing for any team once hes healthy. Last season, Prefontaine was able to play football and work with Canadian Title Loans during the season and would prefer to have a similar situation in 2013. Thats because Prefontaine understands, given his age and health issues, his CFL tenure will continue on a year-to-year basis although Prefontaine believes he has at least three good seasons left in him. "I think theres a lot of question marks for teams," Prefontaine said. "I think there were question marks for Toronto. "I have no ill will towards Toronto, if I was sitting in their shoes looking at my situation I wouldve done the same thing. The only thing I can do as a player is get ready, get an opportunity to play again this year and show I can do it at a high level." Even if that means being employed as just a punter or kicker. Id be open to that," Prefontaine said. "Im training and preparing to do all three because Ill never know exactly what issue a team is going to have. "If a team needs me to do just one Im fine with that." But should Prefontaines CFL career be over, having it end on a winning note in an iconic championship game isnt a shabby way to go. "The way I see it, Ive accomplished a lot in this game," he said. "Ive had the privilege of playing for 15 years and if this is how its supposed to end, then it really couldnt end any better." Custom Blazers Jerseys . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Terry Porter Jersey Large . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. http://www.customblazersjersey.com/custom-terry-porter-jersey-large-116e.html . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Blazers Jersey China . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Blazers Jerseys China . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. STORRS, Conn. -- UConn coach Bob Diaco says his Huskies are built to play close games.Since the start of last season, 10 of UConns 16 contests have been decided by a single score (eight points or fewer), including all three this season. The latest was a 13-10 win over Virginia (0-3) last Saturday that wasnt secured until Virginias walk-on kicker, Alex Furbank, missed a 20-yard field goal as time expired.But the quality of the opponent doesnt seem to be much of a factor for UConn (2-1).The Huskies are 6-4 in those one-score contests, with wins over Villanova (20-15), Army (22-17), Tulane (7-3), then-No. 13 Houston (20-17), Maine (24-21) and Virginia. The losses came to then No. 22 Missiouri (9-6), South Florida (28-20), Marshall (16-10 in the St. Petersburg Bowl and Navy (28-24).Diaco said the tight margins are more a function of UConns style -- a stingy defense combined with a ball-control style of offense.The analogy I would draw is like a hockey game or a soccer game, he said. Theyre all decided by one goal or two goals when the points are down. Were kind of built that way.Under Diaco, UConn doesnt give up a lot of big plays, using a bend-dont-break style defense that eschews a lot of blitzing and forces opponents to move methodically down the field.The Huskies aree holding the competition to 19.dddddddddddd7 points and an average of 352 yards a game this year after giving up just 19.5 points and 355 yards per game a year ago.We take pride in always being in the game and always having a chance to win the game, said defensive tackle Mikal Myers.But Diaco acknowledges UConn would win more and win by more points if it had a more efficient offense.The Huskies are averaging just 20.3 points and 331 yards per game this season, which ranks 111th out of 128 FBS teams. Last season they averaged just 17.2 points, and just over 310 yards a game, 123rd in the nation.I cant hide from it, Diaco said. Everyone watching the games knows it.Ball control will be a key for UConn this week against Syracuse (1-2). The Orange run an fast-paced offense that snapped the ball a school-record 105 times in a 45-20 loss to South Florida. They average one play about every 20 seconds while on offense.Field position is a huge piece for this model, Diaco said. Time of possession is a huge piece to this model. That, when you play in a game like this, becomes even more critical.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.org ' ' '