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Sports

Cougars hone skills in spring practice

by BEN GEGENHEIMER
The Daily Cougar

The UH football team returned to the practice field Tuesday following last week's Spring Break. 

The Cougars, who began spring practice on March 7, will have nine more practice sessions before they conclude spring drills with the annual Red-White scrimmage.

Entering his fourth season as head coach, Art Briles is pleased with his team's work ethic during spring drills.

"It has been fairly productive so far," Briles said. "The things that we are working on are intensity, effort and attitude. 

"We like our guys, we like their experience and we like their attitude, but now we've got to get to the field and refine all the skills that are involved in playing football and get ready to go in the fall."

While most college students were drug back into the last half of the semester kicking and screaming following Spring Break, the Cougar football squad hit the field with some pep in its step, Briles said.

"Coach (Larry) Jackson and his staff (strength and conditioning) did a great job of getting them in shape through the offseason," Briles said. "They are all out here with a good frame of mind and good vision and focus."

The cold front that passed through on Thursday was may have been an unpleasant surprise to some, but the football team welcomed the chill with open arms. 

"This is great. It's unbelievable," Briles said. "You can't beat this (kind of weather) in late March in Houston, so we are going to take full advantage of it." 

UH will return 17 starters ? 10 on defense ? from the 2005 team, which finished with a 6-5 regular season record and earned a bid to play Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl. The Cougars lost the game, 42-13.

In total, 40 lettermen will take the field for the spring practice sessions.

Briles said the team is hard at work on all three phases the game.

"We've got to get our defense a little farther along schematically, and they are doing a great job on defense," Briles said. "Special teams have been really sound and we're working on being productive offensively.

"We have a couple of weeks before the spring game so we have to keep everybody healthy and make sure everybody understands what they need to do to help us win championships."

The Red-White scrimmage will be held at 11 a.m. April 8 at the Carl Lewis International Track and Field Complex. All Cougar football fans are encouraged to attend.

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