The Houston Tigers made their 2008 debut with a new wrinkle: the no-huddle offense.
Second-year coach Chris Edwards said the transition was a no-brainer.
“We went to a spread last year and if you’re going to be in it, you might as well go no-huddle,” Edwards said. “It puts more pressure on the defense and forces them to do some things they’re maybe not used to.”
The Tigers got their first live practice with the new look at Friday’s annual pig roast. Edwards and assistant coach Todd McKinney relay the signals from the sidelines to the skill players. Quarterback David Weybright then shares the play with the offensive line.
Edwards took a different approach to the scrimmage in his second season. Instead of playing the varsity starters against the junior varsity, he split the players evenly into two teams.
Weybright, who played quarterback for both teams, had a rushing touchdown for the white team. But the black team held on for the victory based on a points system when Ty Scheets made an acrobatic interception on the next-to-last play.
Edwards wanted to save his assessment until he reviews the tape. He said the main objectives for the night were fundamentals like lining up correctly and blocking assignments.
“It’s tough to tell (how we played) until we look at it on film, but the kids were competing,” Edwards said. “Hopefully we can use this as a building experience and get ready for the first game.”
Houston had a full week of practice in preparation of Friday’s jamboree at Sullivan. The season opens the following Friday at Cabool.
“The jamboree is always a crapshoot. You go and play a bunch of different schools you’re not prepared for,” Edwards said. “We just hope to compete, come out healthy and be ready for the first game.”