University of Houston Athletics
Football Continues with Preps for Rice
8/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 28, 2002
HOUSTON - When University of Houston football head coach Dana Dimel says deciding his starting quarterback is a game-time decision, he means it will be a game-time decision.
With the Cougars' 2002 season opener against crosstown rival Rice only three days away, competition for the starting nod as the UH signal-caller remains fierce between redshirt freshman Barrick Nealy and junior Nick Eddy. But, whether it's Eddy or Nealy, the Cougar offense will be in capable hands, according to Dimel.
"Barrick continues to get the full grasp of the system, so each day is an improvement for him," said Dimel, who enters his third season at the helm of the UH program in 2002. "Nick is trying to make up for the 10 days that he missed (due to a hamstring injury), and I see him coming along and making more and more plays."
UH opens the 2002 season with a 7 p.m. showdown Saturday against the Owls at Rice Stadium. Saturday's contest will be only the fourth time in school history that UH has played in the month of August.
The Cougars worked out in shorts and shoulder pads for about two-and-a-half hours Wednesday on the UH practice fields. With the Administaff Bayou Bucket up for grabs in the annual series between UH and Rice, the Cougars competed in one of their more vigorous workouts of the week.
"We got a little bit of scrimmage work in to tone things up and get a little game-speed action in. It was good hard work," Dimel said. "We shored up the special teams and saw some improvement there."
UH will be looking a two-game losing skid to the Owls, who claimed a 21-14 win at John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium in the 2001 season opener. Despite a lengthy training camp and countless preparations, it's hard to predict how any team will perform in their first game of the year. However, Dimel said he feels confident about his 2002 Cougar squad.
"You do know if you feel good about a team or don't feel good about a team," Dimel said. "I feel good about this football team as far as their character and work ethic."
