From Jeffrey Martin in the Houston Chronicle:
November 06, 2009
Thursday thoughts at Rice Stadium
Only caught a few minutes of Thursday's practice, so I only have a few observations to share:
- I snuck into the locker room to use the rest room, and there were "BEAT SMU" signs plastered EVERYWHERE. In each locker, at the water fountain, above the doors, at the stalls - the message is clear.
- I'm a firm believer that body language is very real and can, indeed, be interpreted. With that said, there's no way I would have thought it was an 0-8 team I was watching. Well, not for reasons beyond ability — I'm kidding. Seriously, everyone was upbeat, exuberant. David Bailiff said it's been a strong week of practice, but then again, as the Rice coach pointed out, he's said that basically every week this season.
- Saw some formations where Jeramy Goodson and Tyler Smith were in the backfield at the same time, which presents a whole host of offensive options. Should be interesting.
- And this is way, way off topic, but maybe it's hope for next year and beyond. Sam McGuffie and Taylor Cook remained behind on the field Thursday, throwing the ball to each other. When I was finishing up with Bailiff, we both caught a glimpse of McGuffie doing a back-flip. The coach laughed, and then told the running back to do it again. On demand, he did, and yeah, my jaw dropped. No gathering himself, no planning, nothing — he just did it. Cook was besides himself. Then, McGuffie caught a pass from Cook, and running half-speed, he zig-zagged towards the goal line and vaulted into another flip — this time forward — into the end zone.
I asked him if he planned to do that in a game and he said, "Yeah."
I asked Bailiff if that would be OK and he looked at me as if I was crazy, as in, "Hell, yes, he can do that in a game."
The coach, still chuckling, leaned in, pointed at McGuffie and Cook and said, "Those are a couple of offensive stimulus packages right there."
Just sharing...
http://blogs.chron.com/owls/2009/11/thursday_thoughts_at_rice_stad.html
