Football Continues Preparation For Alabama

Football Continues Preparation For Alabama

MEMPHIS, Tenn. ? Southern Miss practiced for a little over two-hours, this morning, at the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex on the campus of the University of Memphis in preparation for its season-opening game at Alabama on Sept. 10.

The Golden Eagles will take Sunday off before returning to the field on Monday and will practice until they depart for Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Southern Miss held meetings, watched film on Alabama and then went on the field. The Golden Eagles went through several periods of drill work, before the team went through offense/defense periods to get timing down. They ended with a period of conditioning before working out in the weight room.

?We went a little longer today, and it went well,? Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower said. ?We put the pads on and have gradually been working back into playing shape. I?ve been pleased for the most part with our conditioning since we have been away from it for a few days. The players worked hard and seemed to push through it. We haven?t worked in severe heat, like we had in Hattiesburg, but I?ve been pleased with where we are at.

?Getting into a routine was the biggest thing we are trying to accomplish here in Memphis. We have been on this routine for two days and then we will take tomorrow off, which we need to, and then we will go four straight days in preparation for Alabama.

The Golden Eagles have been working on preparation for their game with Alabama and have already installed a majority of their game plan.

?We?ve been already working on our game plan for Alabama,? Bower said. ?We seem to be where we need to be from that standpoint. We need to get back into physical shape while we are working on our mental game over the next few days.?

?Practice has been going pretty well,? redshirt sophomore running back Cody Hull said. ?It?s all about getting back into condition and back into rhythm. We had a few days off and now coach is doing a good job of pushing us and making us work hard and that will help us.?

?We are doing a pretty good job of getting back into shape and into rhythm after having to move here during the week,? redshirt senior John Eubanks said. ?The more we practice and prepare for Alabama, our concentration will pick up and be where it needs to be.

?Everyone is giving a lot of effort and practicing hard,? junior offensive lineman George Batiste said. ?I really appreciate Coach Bower for bringing us here to Memphis and getting us away from Hattiesburg so we could think about more than just the devastating hurricane that just hit us.?

The Golden Eagle players also believe that the adversity from Hurricane Katrina and the devastation will help build team chemistry and make them a stronger team for what they went through and are going through at this time.

?We are all we have, regardless that we might not come from the same background or the same places, but we have all experienced this adversity together,? Bastiste said. ?Time pulls us closer and closer and will hopefully make us a closer group.?  

 ?Coach talked to us about how adversity struck us before the season started and then the hurricane hit us and we now have more adversity,? Eubanks said. ?It really makes us realize how much we have and how we need to take advantage of what has been given to us a team and be thankful for it.?

The Golden Eagles, being away from Hattiesburg the past few days are really thankful to the University of Memphis for their hospitality shown to the football program.

?I want to especially thank the University of Memphis football program for taking us in and letting us use their facility for practice, and taking us in and making us part of their family,? Batiste said. ?Our whole football program wants to thank them very much.?

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Football Continues Preparation For Alabama

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