University of Houston Athletics
Football Daily Practice Report
11/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 7, 2006
HOUSTON - The University of Houston football team, new leaders of the Conference USA West Division, began preparations for this weekend's contest at SMU with an impressive workout Tuesday afternoon on the UH practice fields.
The Cougars compete in their penultimate regular-season game of the 2006 season when they square off the Mustangs at 2 p.m., Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The game can be heard live on 790 AM The Sports Animal with the pregame show beginning one hour before kickoff. Tom Franklin will handle the play-by-play duties, while former record-setting UH quarterback David Klingler will provide color analysis. Former All-Southwest Conference center Chuck Brown serves as the sideline reporter.
All Cougar Football games can be heard live on the Internet by logging onto UHCougars.com.
The Cougars come into the game on the heels of a sparkling 27-10 win over Tulsa last weekend at John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium. That win pushed the Cougars into first place in the C-USA West Division with only this weekend's game at SMU and another road contest at Memphis on Nov. 18 remaining on the regular-season schedule.
With wins over SMU and Memphis, the Cougars will clinch the C-USA West Division and play host to the C-USA Championship at 7 p.m., Dec. 1, in a game to be televised live nationally on ESPN.
Briles said he was proud of the Cougars for their success during the last three games and said his team wasn't looking ahead of this weekend's game at SMU.
"I am proud of our players for last Saturday's effort and outcome. Their intensity, attitude and determination were the difference the football game as it has been in the last three games that we have played," Briles said. "We have to continue on the same path and take it one game at a time."
Besides the motivation of remaining atop the West Division, the Cougars will be looking to exact some revenge against the Mustangs. A year ago, SMU connected on a field goal with three seconds remaining to break a tie and then took advantage of a late safety during a 29-24 win at Robertson Stadium. However, that fact will have little to do with this weekend's game, Briles said.
"As far as last season, it has no consequence with us as far as what's going on right now. We are about winning respect," Briles said. "We are not sure we did a good job with that last year. We don't care if teams like us, but we sure want them to respect us. And the only way you are going to get that is by beating them.
With their win over UCF on Oct. 28, the Cougars became bowl eligible. If the team is selected for a bowl game at the end of the regular season, it will compete in the postseason for the third time in a four-year span under Briles. That will be the first time that UH has accomplished that feat since the 1978-81 Cougar teams played in four straight bowl games.
