Unlike many bowl-bound teams, 25th-ranked Utah won't engage in two-a-day practices now that school is no longer in session. It's something the Utes don't feel is necessary — especially since head coach Urban Meyer, as well as coordinators Mike Sanford and Kyle Whittingham, remained with the team for regular workouts while other members of the staff hit the recruiting trail.
"I love the way we did it," Meyer said. "I remember the old days when all nine coaches go out (recruiting) so you wouldn't practice at all for two weeks. That's when you have to go to two-a-days and that's how you have to get them back.
"We've been going every other day for three weeks now," he added. "So we'll be fine."
If that weren't the case, the Mountain West Conference champions would be in trouble.
"We would be completely nonfunctional if we went two weeks without throwing the ball or snapping it," explained Meyer, who has six more practices scheduled between now and Dec. 20 when players head home for the Christmas break. The Utes will reconvene in Memphis on Dec. 26.
The approach differs from 2001 when Utah appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl.
"It seemed like we did have a little more time off than we've had here," said senior quarterback Lance Rice, who recalled things being shut down for a time while former head coach Ron McBride and his staff recruited. "We've been able to get a lot of work done."
And because of it conditioning hasn't been a problem.
"We've been running hard every day. There hasn't been much of a break," Rice said. "It's been hard. I think some guys, maybe, aren't happy with it. But we want to win this game. This is a huge game for this program — to go on national television, win 10 games in a season and be one of the best teams in Utah history. That's what we're shooting for."
Meyer expects the absence of idle time to pay dividends — especially at the skill positions.
"I think we're a little different than a lot of teams," Meyer said. "We always worry about throwing, catching and those kind of things."
After winning their first outright conference title in 46 years, the Utes have learned the value of staying sharp and consistent.
"I think the way they're doing it is good," Rice said of the bowl preparations. "Next week is going to be hard. Come Thursday or Friday after practicing every day, it'll seem like camp again."
Preparations for the New Year's Eve game against Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi have intensified since final exams ended. With conditioning already covered, the coaching staff can begin concentrating on the Golden Eagles and their 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
"Game-planning, we have a decent idea. I think the defense is a little ahead of us because the offense faces that darn defense again," said Meyer, who has compared Southern Mississippi's coverage to that of New Mexico, Air Force and BYU. "We know the base plays we're going to run, but we've got to clean it up a little bit."
In the meantime, Utah is making the most of extra practices that accompany a bowl bid. It's given Meyer a chance to see what some of the newer players in the program can do. Freshmen Martail Burnett, Alex Puccinelli, Willie Sao and Joe Johnson are among a group of players that Meyer said have the size and the speed to help the Utes in the future.
EXTRA POINTS: Defensive lineman Sione Pouha, who stepped on a nail and broke a small bone in his foot a couple of weeks ago but didn't seek treatment until the pain became too great Thursday night, suited up and practiced Saturday . . . Offensive lineman Thomas Herrion left the field with ice on an injured ankle. Early indications are it isn't serious . . . The Utes are 5-4 in bowl games.
2003 Liberty Bowl
Southern Mississippi (9-3) vs. Utah (9-2)
Dec. 31, 1:30 p.m. MST
TV: ESPN
Radio: KALL 700 AM
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com