Sports
 

UH unveils schedule for 2004 season

Cougar Sports Services

Athletics Director Dave Maggard unveiled the 2004 schedule for the UH football team Wednesday, and it was immediately clear what Maggard was trying to accomplish.

The schedule is features a pair of nationally televised games, including a special engagement against perennial powerhouse Miami at Reliant Stadium, and an early-season date with 2003 champion Oklahoma in Norman.

By scheduling both Miami and Oklahoma, the team is sending the message that it is ready to compete among the elite in college football. Whether UH can be competitive against those two juggernauts remains to be seen, but the team is trying to break free of the bonds that come with playing in Conference USA, a relatively weak football league. 

The team opens the season with the customary Bayou Bucket game against Rice, which this year will take place at Rice Stadium. UH will then play Oklahoma at Reliant before playing its first game at Robertson Stadium and it's first game in C-USA against Army on Sept. 18. 

Houston's two nationally televised game - at home against Miami on Sept. 23 and at Southern Miss on Oct. 7 - will both be carried by ESPN. 

After playing Miami, the Cougars will play the remainder of their schedule against C-USA opponents, beginning with a gam at Memphis on Oct. 2. The team will finish the regular season at home against Louisville on Nov. 20.

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