Golden Hurricane Practices in Pads for First Time

TULSAHURRICANE.COM/NEWS

TULSA, Okla. –– On day No. 4 of preseason football camp, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane practiced for the first time in pads with a 135-minute session on the grass of Harwell Field Sunday morning.

Tulsa returned to the practice field after taking Saturday off following its first three practices in shorts and helmets.

The Hurricane changed the start time of practice today from 6:30 a.m. the first three days to 9:15 a.m. Temperatures started at 81 and ended at 91 with a 101-heat index when the morning session ended today.

“We got a little more heat today than what we‚ve had. It‚s important for us to have heated days like this and we‚re going to have a lot of them, I think, throughout fall camp. It prepares us for the season. We‚ll play games with heat, and it will make a difference when we get into the fourth quarter and our guys know how to work, play and think when you‚re tired and been banging on each other,” said Montgomery.

“You can‚t replace it. If you haven‚t felt the heat and you feel it for the first time in a game. Heat can melt you. We have to do a good job of taking care of our guys in fall camp but on top of that we have to feel some of this (heat).”

Montgomery added, “our consistency level has to continue pick up. We saw a lot of good flashes today, but not enough consistency on both sides. It was good to see the give-and-take and backand- forth part of it, but sometimes when you put on pads you get so locked in on wanting to play downhill and you might lose sight of your assignment. So, we have to do a good job of being technically and schematically sound and the rest of it will take care of itself.”

“Overall, I was pleased with the first day in pads,” said Montgomery.

The consistency Montgomery is looking for will take practice repetitions and replicate work in the film room to the field.

“It will take more reps and taking what we see in the film room and putting it onto the field and coming out and being coachable every play to develop the consistency we‚re needing,” said Montgomery. “You‚re going to get different looks, we‚re moving and adding things schematically so our guys will have to continue to grow, build on the foundation and be able to apply what we did in drills and in the film room to the total scheme package.”

Tulsa will be back at Harwell Field on Monday morning.

Season ticket packages for the six-game home schedule range from $75 to $330 and can be purchased online at TulsaHurricane.com/tickets or by calling 918.631.4688.

The University of Tulsa football team practiced in pads for the first time on Sunday morning.

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA ATHLETICS