University of Houston Athletics
Cougar Football Notes
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2003
Houston, Texas- - For the second time in the last three days, rain in the Houston area forced the University of Houston football team to move its practice indoors midway through Thursday's practice. It was Houston's final workout before the Cougars travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to play the University of Michigan in a nationally televised game on ESPN. The game is slated to kickoff at 11:00 a.m. (Central).
The Cougars spent half of their practice outdoors Thursday afternoon before being forced to move inside the Bill Yeoman Field House due to the rain.
"I would have preferred to practice outside the entire time this week, but there isn't much we can do about the weather," Houston head coach Art Briles. "Practicing indoors will allow us to go into the game with fresh minds and bodies because the changes in routine is something new for you to do. The only disadvantage is that we can't practice all of our plays because there isn't enough room inside the field house."
Houston will have 64 players traveling to Ann Arbor for the game and Saturday's game marks the first time Houston will play against the Wolverines since 1993. It also is the first time the Cougars will play on ESPN since playing in the 1996 Liberty Bowl against Syracuse. Houston has played on television 20 times since that game. The Cougars played Texas on ESPN2 and TCU on ESPN Regional television in 2001. Last year, Houston played at Texas and against South Florida on Fox Sports Net.
Michigan Stadium seats 107,501 and if the game is filled to capacity, it would represent the largest crowd to see the Cougars play. Houston played before 106,417 at Tennessee in 1998 and 104,968 at Michigan in 1992. There were 104,196 on hand to witness the Cougars and Wolverines play in Ann Arbor in 1993.
