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UNIVERSITY PARK – Wide receiver Jay Taylor suffered a sprained foot during the football team's first practice. Trainer Cash Birdwell said X-rays will be taken Wednesday to determine how long Taylor will be out.

Coach Phil Bennett said he was enthused about the Mustangs' retention from the spring in their first practices, starting with the freshmen in the morning and the varsity in the afternoon.

It was the Mustangs' first opportunity to work on the new A-Turf surface in Ford Stadium. SMU will work inside the stadium for the next month, Bennett said, to avoid wear on the re-seeded grass practice fields.

Practices are closed to the public.

- KEITH WHITMIRE / Dallas Morning News

I hope he's okay. He had a great spring and is poised to have an outstanding year.

So the practice fields are unusable at the one time of the year you really need them? Forgive me, but I don't understand how that can happen. I know the camps took a toll, but couldn't the sod be in sooner?

Couldn't have said it better myself. The football program is the biggest financial investment of the athletic department - that the practice fields aren't ready is embarrassing.

Face it, Lubbock is Artificial turf (isn't it still? shoot maybe I am wrong) and they play in a depressed bowl like FORD, so practicing in FORD is probably best anyway. Better to let the grass come back strong for the remainder of the year.

Remember, it was used for
'recruiting' with the football camps (and soccer)

Do you think that Bennett may not want anyone to watch his practices until the season begins?

Those reasons are plausible, but looking at the obvious poor condition of the fields, it looks like Bennett has no choice but to practice in Ford. I know he wants privacy, but there are also sessions where you want more space to do unit drills. And, its hot enough in the afternoon...to play in the bowl and on artificial grass for the next month only makes it worse. In the end, its not a big deal and won't effect the outcome of the season, just not ideal.

Couldn't they go over to the fields next to Moody if they wanted to spread out?

Maybe so. At least until school starts, the team wouldn't get displaced by the Pi Phis playing the DGs.

I hope Jay heals quickly - we need his size at the WR spot.

I pray also it's a minor thing for Jay and he will be back soon.
PonyPride - trying to give me a heart attack right. Receiver and foot.

Sorry, Joyous! Didn't mean to scare you at all (hope you're recovered). Just posted it before I'd had enough coffee to realize the potential mix-up.
Sorry about that!





[This message has been edited by PonyPride (edited 08-06-2003).]

It's OK - I also could not blame Dr. Baker if he never wanted to call me again!

From my run-ins with the guy in charge of the grass on the practice field (and formerly in Ford) I know he is an idiot. Might not be THE guy in charge, but he refered to the grass as "my field" and was ordering underlings around... Anyway, he probably screwed up and didn't order the grass in time.

Oh, and I went by and checked out the turf today... VERY nice. I would perfer if the pony was larger, but other htan that, the color is great, the design is very classy, and the turf feels top of the line (not that I'm an expert or anything). Great addition to Ford.