Cougars are on schedule despite late start

When the season opener has been cancelled, what’s a few extra hours?

The University of Houston’s opener will be a latenight affair with Saturday’s 9:30 p.m. CDT kickoff against Arizona in Tucson.

UH coach Major Applewhite does not think any major adjustments will be needed, especially after the Cougars recently spent six nights in an Austin hotel.

“We’ve gotten pretty good at understanding how to spend time around the hotel the last week,” Applewhite said of evacuating ahead of Tropical Storm Harvey. “We’ll be just fine.”

Applewhite, who will make his regular-season coaching debut, said not much change is needed in terms of logistics for the late start. He expects to give the players a later wake-up call Saturday morning and find things to occupy time beyond the typical walk-throughs and position meetings usually held at the team hotel.

“Long days like that in the hotel, we find things to do in terms of walkthroughs, walk around the hotel and get out of the hotel,” he said. “But nothing different. We’re not going to change our routine. This is our first game, so a lot of them have been through this and understand it. Some of them it will be new for them.”

Because of location and conference affiliation, UH has rarely played out West; the last time they had this late a kickoff was a 9:30 p.m. start at UCLA in 2012. In the last 30 years, the Cougars have played just nine games in the Pacific Time Zone. (Most of Arizona does not recognize daylight savings, so this time of year, Mountain Standard Time is the same as Pacific Daylight — two hours later than Houston.) They are 2-7 in those games.

“Its unique,” said UH offensive coordinator Brian Jones, who is familiar with late games from his college

career at Utah. “I think it more of a challenge for coaches than players. As a college student, you’re generally up at that time anyway. They have a different body clock.”

If anything, the Cougars may have to temper the anxiousness to get on the field after major flooding from Harvey forced the postponement and later cancelation of the season opener at Texas-San Antonio. The schools are the only in FBS yet to play a game this season.

As part of game-day routines, depending on kickoff time, UH typically has a detailed schedule that accounts for every part of the day: from wake-up call, walk-through, meetings, meals and departure for the stadium. Players are also usually given time to watch some of the earlier games on television.

“We’ll probably have more walk-through time,” center Will Noble said. “They’re probably not going to have us sitting around the hotel just thinking about the game all day. It will be late, but maybe it will give us some extra time to get some rest and recuperate before the game. We’re not thinking about it too much. Whenever they tell us to put the ball down, we’ll play.”

Kyle Allen, who is expected to get the start at quarterback, said change in time zone is not a problem. He flies home to Scottsdale, Ariz., frequently and is “used to the jet lag.”

“Honestly it doesn’t really matter,” Allen said. “I think we’re gong to be prepared. I’m excited to play in my home state.”

Come Saturday night, wide receiver Linell Bonner is certain of one thing.

“I’ll be awake.”