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Last year's top QB prospect Chad Harding is beginning to look as if the No. 3 overall pick in the draft that the West Virginia Beasts used to nab him was well worth the investment. After a tough start to the season where he was completing well below 50 percent of his passes, the signal caller has regrouped to throw for 63.9 percent of his passes over his past four games and has been part of 12 touchdowns.
His potential was most evident in the Week 3 contest against Montreal, a game in which Harding basically took over the game by overcoming two interceptions to rush for three touchdowns, a IFL record for a quarterback, and complete nearly 70 percent of his passes in a 31-10 win.
Harding hasn't looked back since, he followed up that game with a three touchdown pass performance in a 42-14 rout of Los Angeles. But in Week 5, Harding ran into a stout Norfolk defense and took nearly the entire first half before warming up and throwing three touchdowns in a 30-21 loss. Then, following a Week 6 bye, he threw for another three touchdowns in a thrilling 31-27 victory over Portland.
Harding performance in the contest was good, but it may have been overshadowed by Ernest Martinez's thrilling 85 yard catch and run in the closing two minutes of the game that gave the Beasts the win.
That was the kind of explosiveness that the Beasts have sorely lacked prior to trading for Martinez at the trade deadline.
The Beasts head into tomorrow's matchup with California with an opportunity to have an above .500 record at this point of the season for the first time in five years and Harding is a major reason for it. And having one of the better young defenses in the league doesn't hurt either.
His potential was most evident in the Week 3 contest against Montreal, a game in which Harding basically took over the game by overcoming two interceptions to rush for three touchdowns, a IFL record for a quarterback, and complete nearly 70 percent of his passes in a 31-10 win.
Harding hasn't looked back since, he followed up that game with a three touchdown pass performance in a 42-14 rout of Los Angeles. But in Week 5, Harding ran into a stout Norfolk defense and took nearly the entire first half before warming up and throwing three touchdowns in a 30-21 loss. Then, following a Week 6 bye, he threw for another three touchdowns in a thrilling 31-27 victory over Portland.
Harding performance in the contest was good, but it may have been overshadowed by Ernest Martinez's thrilling 85 yard catch and run in the closing two minutes of the game that gave the Beasts the win.
That was the kind of explosiveness that the Beasts have sorely lacked prior to trading for Martinez at the trade deadline.
The Beasts head into tomorrow's matchup with California with an opportunity to have an above .500 record at this point of the season for the first time in five years and Harding is a major reason for it. And having one of the better young defenses in the league doesn't hurt either.
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