University of Houston Athletics
Football Daily Practice Report
8/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 28, 2007
HOUSTON - With only four days before its season opener, the University of Houston football team continued its preparations for Oregon with a solid workout Tuesday at the UH practice fields.
Working out in full pads, the Cougars practiced for a little less than two hours. The workout began in hot and humid conditions but rain and lightning forced head coach Art Briles and his coaching staff to end the day about 15 minutes early. After practice, Briles said he naturally was disappointed by the change in the team schedule.
"It's a little bit disruptive. We have a flow going and a schedule that we sit by. We had to get off the schedule there," Briles said. "But I have been in it long enough to know that if we have to cut 15 minutes off practice, it's not going to determine the outcome of the game Saturday."
Despite the shortened practice, Briles said he was pleased with his team's performance Tuesday and was especially proud of his upperclassmen.
"It was good. We came back with a good amount of energy. We had some seniors step up and lead us today," Briles said. They understand how important for us to go to Oregon and win. It's all of us working together if we are going to make this happen."
The Cougars open their season at 2:30 p.m. (CDT), Saturday, when they meet Pacific-10 Conference member Oregon at Autzen Stadium. Fans can hear the game live on 790 AM The Sports Animal with Tom Franklin calling the play-by-play action, David Klingler providing color analysis and Chuck Brown reporting from the sideline. The pregame show is slated to begin one hour before kickoff.
The Cougars have been practicing since training camp opened on Aug. 1. After hitting on each other for nearly a month, the players and their coaches are ready to see some different-colored jerseys on the field.
"We are very excited about the season. We are ready to get it going because we have been out there banging around for about 30 days, and we are ready to get out there and get after someone else for a while," said Briles, who enters his fifth season at UH. "It's the right time, the right place and the right journey, so we'll get out there and see what happens."
After winning the 2006 Conference USA championship, the Cougars entered training camp with more confidence than past years, and Briles said that swagger is easy to see.
"It's easier to operate on reality than it is hope," Briles said. "We've got to always strive to improve and build on whatever we have going on. That's our goal and our mission this year."
Meanwhile, the battle for the starting nod at quarterback between sophomore Blake Joseph and redshirt freshman Case Keenum continues to rage. With both players seeing little or no playing time, Briles did not rule out the possibility that both players would hit the field against the Ducks.
"We really haven't (made a decision)," Briles said. "It's not a deal where we are holding a big secret or anything like that. It's a deal where we will go through this week and get through Saturday and see what transpires. It's a situation where possibly both guys could see action Saturday."
