University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Weather Forces Practice Schedule Changes
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Weather Forces Practice Schedule Changes
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss had to work around the possibility of afternoon rain today and will do the same Wednesday, as the Golden Eagles continue to prepare for Saturday afternoon's game at Army, the second of three-straight road games for Head Coach Jeff Bower's squad.
Tuesday's practice started earlier than usual as the coaching staff tried to finish before anticipated late afternoon rains, associated with Hurricane Isidore. Players' early afternoon class schedules precluded any prepractice meetings, meaning coaches had to install game plans "on the run." In an effort to work around what is predicted to be even worse weather Wednesday, the team is scheduled to practice at 5:30 a.m., either outside, if the weather permits, or inside, if not.
"Tomorrow (Wednesday), the weather is predicted to deteriorate as the day goes along, so we have to do whatever we can to get in as much work as we can," Bower said. "We started early today, and did most of our workout in reverse order of what we normally do, in an effort to get as much in as possible. The weather will determine how we practice tomorrow, outside, if the weather permits, inside, if the weather is bad.
"We had a good practice today, but we need to pick it up a little over the next couple of days. We got some things done Monday, and more today, but the next two days are important ones for us, as we try to get ready to play an Army team that is better than their record indicates. We also have several players who continue to miss workouts or are slowed considerably because of a flu bug that has made the rounds of the team. We need to get those people back for the next two workouts."
The team is scheduled to fly charter jet out of Pine Belt Regional Airport at noon Friday for the two-hour-plus flight to Newark (N.J.) Airport. The Army game marks the third meeting between the two teams. Southern Miss won both previous games. The game also is the second of three-straight road games that will see the Eagles go from Alabama, to West Point, N.Y. (Army), to Tampa, Fla. (South Florida), before finally returning home for an Oct. 19 homecoming game against Cincinnati.
