University of Houston Athletics
Football Gears Up for Miami
9/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2006
HOUSTON - The University of Houston football team hit the practice fields for a solid two-hour workout under breezy conditions Wednesday afternoon at the UH Athletics Complex.
The Cougars (4-0) open the 2006 road schedule against Miami (Fla.) at 5 p.m. (CDT), Saturday at the Orange Bowl in Miami. That game can be heard live on ESPN 790 AM 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 www.UHCougars.com. In addition, the game will be broadcast to a national television audience on ESPN2 with Eric Collins handling play-by-play duties and Brian Kinchen on color. Dave Ryan will serve as the sideline reporter.
Houston notched a 34-25 victory over Oklahoma State last weekend, while the Hurricanes are coming off a bye week. Miami lost a 31-7 decision at No. 12 Louisville back on Sept. 16.
"We're excited about bonding together and banding together during our first roadtrip," head coach Art Briles said. "It's going to be a 60-minute battle but our team is going to be up for the challenge."
Miami is fueled by quarterback Kyle Wright, who has completed 64.6 percent of his passes this season. Wright has thrown for 576 yards but only one touchdown.
Three Miami running backs have rushed for over 100 yards. Charlie Jones leads the way with 124 yards and three touchdowns.
On the outside, Lance Leggett and Darnell Jenkins record over 10 yards a catch. Of Jenkins' 13 receptions, seven of them have resulted for a third-down conversion. However, Jenkins is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game and will not start according to the Miami Herald.
"Wright is one of the better quarterbacks in the nation," Briles said. "He'll give our defense a different test than what we've seen in the last couple of weeks. Our guys have risen up to the challenges, and I don't see a reason in practice why they won't this week."
Jon Beason headlines the Miami defense with 18 tackles, including a team-best 3.5 for a loss. Kenny Phillips and Brandon Meriweather anchor the secondary with a combined 28 stops, while Meriweather has recorded the unit's lone interception.
The Hurricane defense has only given up three points in the first quarter this season but has allowed 15.3 yards per pass completion.
"They are very dynamic on the defensive side of the ball," Briles said. "It will be another test for our offense. We go into the game planning, expecting and determined to make plays early on both sides of the ball and on special teams."
Saturday's game will mark the second time in the last three seasons that Houston and Miami will meet on the gridiron. The No. 4 Hurricanes won a 38-13 decision at Reliant Stadium during the 2004 season.
