Football Practice Report #32
11/3/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
For the fourth straight season, Hatfield and the Owls will travel for a game that will determine their post-season hopes. Rice can clinch at least a tie for the 1999 WAC title with a win against the Bulldogs, but a loss can consign the Owls to also-ran status.
"Even though we have another game next week, this game is for the lead," he said following Wednesday's workout. "We have to find a way to be at our best."
Both teams are playing for the 10th consecutive week without an open date and both are suffering from the usual late-season injuries.
"You find that you have unlikely heroes in a game of this magnitude at this time of year," added Hatfield. "I've seen it before: guys have come in and made big plays.
"At Air Force, we had a kid that had torn his knee up, had gone to the Prep School, tore his knee up again, and didn't play for four years. But in the biggest game of his senior year, against Army, we lost our quarterback, and Eddie Antoine, from San Antonio, had to come in and play. He led us on our only drive and we win 7-3. The next week, we went back to third team.
"But I've always appreciated that he was ready when he was called on."
Fresno's largest crowd of the year, approaching Bulldog Stadium's 41,031 capacity, is expected for the game.
