University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Eagles' Davis Continues To Improve
12/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Eagles' Davis Continues To Improve
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss continued preparations today for the Dec. 27 Houston Bowl game with a spirited two-hour-plus workout that Head Coach Jeff Bower says "got his team closer to being ready for the game."
"We'll cut the time down some for tomorrow's workouts, but it'll be another physical workout," Bower said. "We'll work in short and shoulder pads on Sunday and travel Monday. But, if the players will continue to work like they worked today, it'll make all the difference in the game."
The news on the player front was both good and bad. Bower announced that senior running back Derrick Nix would definitely miss the bowl game, but that junior linebacker Rod Davis continues to improve. "We held him (Davis) out of contact work today, but he practiced some, moved around some, and could return to fullscale workouts as early as Saturday. We'll leave that up to him. If he feels ready, we'll let him practice."
Bower also says workouts such as today's are important in getting ready to play. "The first thing we have to do is get ourselves ready to to play, and that's determined by how we practice," he said. "From a game-plan standpoint, we've got to stop the run, not give up big plays on defense, and offensively, we've got to control the line of scrimmage. No question, we ahve to be able to run the football."
The Golden Eagles now take four days off, return to the campus late Wednesday, then will work Thursday (Dec. 19) through Sunday (Dec. 22), then depart for Houston the following day.
Tickets to the Dec. 27, game remain on sale through the Athletic Ticket Office, or by calling, 601-266-5418 or 1-800-844-TICK.
While the university starts its holiday break as of today, the ticket office, located at the Pat Ferlise Center on West 4th St., will be open on Mon., Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., before closing until 8 a.m., on Jan. 2, 2003.
Starting Dec. 24, game and social tickets for the Dec. 27 Houston Bowl may be ordered through a special bowl ticket office located in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in Houston, Texas. Orders may be placed by telephone by calling 713-850-2360.
The USM Bowl Ticket Office in Houston will be open on Dec. 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Dec. 26 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and on Dec. 27 from 7 a.m., until 9 a.m. On game day, ticket office personnel will be located at the Ford Gate on the southwest corner of Reliant Stadium. The Houston Bowl is scheduled for a noon kickoff.
