10 days off benefit Frogs before matchup
By Danny Gillham
Sports Editor

The last few practices have seen the Frogs at Amon Carter Stadium, as the pounding of the players and the rain has left the normal practice fields with some needed time off.

The team is gearing up for their matchup with Southern Mississippi Wednesday night, who currently holds the first-place position in the Conference USA Standings.

When the Frogs step onto the field, it will be the first time in 10 days the team has had a game. For players who have been fighting nagging injuries like senior wide receiver LaTarence Dunbar, the extended preparation couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It’s like heaven,” Dunbar said. “I’m moving around better, and a lot of guys that got banged up (are) coming back.

“It’s the last four games for us seniors, so we all want to be healthy and finish it up hard.”

The health of players like Dunbar is one of the main topics of concern for head coach Gary Patterson. By moving the teams off the worn-down practice fields to the soft grass of the stadium, and having the team practice with no pads in practices, Patterson said he is making sure his team will be as fresh as possible.

“The key is to get the shoulders, the ankles and the feet (healthy) where we can be a fast football team,” Patterson said. “That has been our battle cry when we have these kind of games. We’ll have to be fast to beat Southern Miss.; you got to be able to make up for mistakes.”

This game will determine the leader in the conference standings, and the Frogs are well aware of that. But Patterson said no added emphasis is necessary.

“I’m not going to put anymore pressure on this game than I have any other one,” Patterson said. “We don’t want to come out here and play so tight that we make silly mistakes and give the ballgame to (Southern Miss).”

Danny Gillham