University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Inside the Huddle
10/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Inside the Huddle
Tuesday night games are totally different. From a preparation standpoint, you have longer to prepare for a team. We had 10 days to prepare since our last game. We were given a couple days off, and then we came back out last Thursday and treated it like a normal Monday. Each day from there was like a normal game week until Tuesday, which will be like a normal game Saturday. It is different, but we will get ready for the game just like the others.
It has positives to it. You have 10 days to prepare for it. Your body is adapted to Saturday games but once your get your mindset ready to treat it like any other week, you?re ready to go. You?re not use to it, because you sit back and think, Its Tuesday, we are playing football tonight, that?s right, it?s like a normal Saturday and you have to be ready to play.
Other positives are the national exposure for your football program and University on ESPN2. First, I thought the fan attendance would not have been as big. It doesn?t matter, when Southern Miss and Louisville play, it doesn?t matter whether you play on a Wednesday or Sunday, people are coming to cheer on their teams and it is going to be loud.
This season, we have a Tuesday game, a Thursday game and two Friday games, so this year is not normal. It has already been a long season. We were ready to play Alabama after an off week and then the tragedies in the Northeast happened, and we were off two weeks in a row. Then a Tuesday night game, where we have the Saturdays off around the game. Then in a couple of weeks, we play a Friday game, then a Thursday game and another Friday game to close out the season. It will be a long season.
From a leadership standpoint, we have to get the players ready to play Tuesday night. It?s a very tough conference. Anyone can win on any given night. Louisville is a very tough team, and we need to be ready to play. The only way a team can bounce back after a loss is to play another game. I am anxious to see how we bounce back.
Coach has been very positive with us at practices since the Memphis game and encourages us to work harder so we can correct our mistakes. The attitudes have been very positive by everyone. It helps us that we are playing a good program like Louisville. Those games have been big games for both teams over the past several years and that makes us want to work harder so that we are ready.
