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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Go In Full Pads In Preparation For Memphis
8/31/2005 | Football
Aug. 31, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - In a break from their usual game week schedule, the Ole Miss football team practiced in pads Wednesday as they began final preparations for the season opener Sept. 5 against Memphis.
"We normally won't go in pads on Monday, but since we didn't have a game, we decided to practice in pads," first-year head coach Ed Orgeron said. We will go lighter towards the end of the week. We were scheduled to go in pads on Saturday, but now we won't do that."
Orgeron said the team will practice in pads Thursday, shells on Friday and no pads on Saturday before completing a final walk-thru on Sunday.
Offensive lineman David Traxler was among those back on the practice field Wednesday to the delight of coach Orgeron.
"We are in game mode now," Orgeron said. "Joe Lee Dunn's (Memphis Defensive Coordinator) defense poses some different problems, so he needs to learn and catch up."
With the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, several members of the team as well as coaches have been worried about their families in Louisiana and Mississippi.
"They've been in contact with their parents, but we are worried about some of the relatives who stayed behind. There is no communication, so it's hard. That's all we know right now."
The Labor Day match-up against Memphis will kickoff at 3:30 p.m., with ESPN televising the contest.
