University of Houston Athletics
Cougar Camp In Full Swing As Entire Roster Reports
8/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 1, 2007
HOUSTON - With exactly one month until the 2007 season begins, the University of Houston football team today reported to fall camp, as 105 returnees, redshirts and newcomers arrived on the UH campus with hopes of keeping the Conference USA title on Cullen Boulevard.
As reigning C-USA champions, the Cougars are focused on retaining their title and making history in the process. Houston has not posted back-to-back league crowns since the 1978-79 squads captured two straight Southwest Conference championships. The quest begins on September 1, when the Cougars travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the University of Oregon.
UH head coach Art Briles-who was not only the Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2006, but also was the SportExe Division I-A National Coach of the Year-is excited about the first day of camp finally arriving.
"We're always excited and pumped up about getting it going," said the fifth-year head coach. "The difference this year is that we're dealing in realities and not hope and vision. We have proven that we can be conference champs, and now we have to prove we can defend it and win (the title) again.
"We don't just want to be a team. We want to be a dominant team. You have to win a championship first before you can be dominant. Now, we have that opportunity to become a dominant team."
Houston hits the field for the first time tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm, as the entire squad will take part in the practice on the UH practice fields. The Cougars are slated for back-to-back morning practices on Friday and Saturday.
Ever cognizant of it being the first practice of the fall, Briles and his staff still are looking for a few attributes from the Cougar squad.
"Sharpness, crispness, intelligence, determination, discipline and great effort and attitude," added Briles. "These are things that it takes to be a great football team. We'll be keeping our eye on that, and we'll see how much retention we had left over from the spring."
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