Dec. 20, 2003
With its Humanitarian Bowl date still two weeks away, the Georgia Tech football team held its final pre-Christmas practice Saturday morning before dispersing for the holidays. The Jackets return to campus to resume practice on Saturday, Dec. 27 and then depart for Boise, Idaho on Dec. 30.
Tech (6-6, 4-4 ACC) meets Tulsa (8-4, 6-2 WAC) Jan. 3 at 12 noon ET at Bronco Stadium in Boise. The Jackets are making their seventh straight bowl appearance and 32nd overall, while Tulsa, is playing in a bowl for the first time since 1991. After winning just two games over the last two seasons, the Golden Hurricane are the nation’s most improved team under first-year head coach Steve Kragthorpe.
Since the regular-season finale against Georgia, Tech has practiced 11 days, including the last nine days since fall semester final exams ended Dec. 12.
“The timing of this bowl allows you to have a lot of good practices,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey. “I think it’s excellent. We’ve been able to get in a bunch of practice time, which is great for our football team.
“We’ve scrimmaged several times with the younger guys, and we’ll save all that tape and look at it in the offseason to evaluate where we are going into the offseason.
“It’s a real advantage to play in a bowl, I don’t care when it is. For us, it’s been an eight-day spring practice.”
Tech’s final workout Saturday morning was a spirited one, complete with chilly weather to prepare for the trip to Idaho.
“The last two practices have been very good,” said Gailey. “The players were excited about practice, and I’m sure they’re excited about going home, too.”
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