Tough schedule motivating HBU
In one sense, and one sense alone, all is as it was for Houston Baptist University’s football team as it prepares for Saturday’s season opener.
The Huskies are playing North Texas on Saturday in Denton. The Huskies always were playing North Texas on Saturday at Denton.
Everything else, however, has been alterable. Saturday’s opener is the first of three September games for the Huskies, one of four teams among the 11 Southland Conference football schools that will play this fall after the league’s decision to postpone conference play until spring because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All three HBU games are against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents — the Mean Green on Saturday, at Texas Tech on Sept. 12 and at Louisiana Tech on Sept. 26. Texas Tech and Louisiana Tech were added when Texas South
ern and Texas Wesleyan dropped off the schedule.
Elsewhere around the Southland Conference, Central Arkansas will play nine games, four of them against Sun Belt and Conference USA schools, while Stephen F. Austin plays five games against Group of Five schools and Abilene Christian has three, two against Group of Five foes.
Even with eight returning starters on either side of the football, three FBS foes in four weeks will be a challenge for the Huskies, but it’s one that coach Vic Shealy welcomes.
“It’s an opportunity,” Shealy said. “We feel good about the direction we’re headed. Even though 5-7 (in 2019) was not a successful season, we are starting to turn the corner in terms of recruiting being solid and growing and in terms of what we are doing to develop athletes on campus. We have good players, and we continue to gain confidence.”
Shealy said Houston Baptist at this point does not plan to play in the spring if the Southland Conference has a spring conference schedule. The three games this fall, he said, are setups for 2021 because the NCAA will allow an extra year’s eligibility for this year’s players. “These games will significantly challenge our kids athletically and schematically, but they will toughen us about playing at a faster pace,” he said.
“It will be tough to win. I don’t think anybody doesn’t acknowledge that, but if we can grow in toughness and what it feels like it to play at a high level, when we come back into the spring and into next year, we will be a better team.”
The Huskies return quarterback Bailey Zappe, who threw for 35 touchdowns last year, and receiver Ben Retzlaff, who had 12 scoring catches. Linebackers Brennan Young and Caleb Johnson led the conference in tackles, and kicker Gino Garcia had 101 points in 2019.
Shealy said coaches installed most of their play systems during 11 spring practice dates before the COVID-19 shutdown. He said as younger players began to reach their leaning capacity during summer camp, coaches have dialed back on implementing the full playbook.
“We have scaled back so we can play faster,” he said. “The older guys give us a chance and the younger guys are working hard, but it’s a challenge to bring them on.”
HBU is testing players for COVID-19 three times each week. All scholarship players are living on campus, and all HBU students attend each class once a week and rely on distance learning for remaining class sessions.
“We’ve not put on a firm ‘do not leave campus under any circumstances’ rule,” the coach said. “We’ve just
asked them to do everything they can to control their environment. If they want to go to Whataburger at 10 p.m., go through the drive-thru, then eat in your apartment.”
Zappe said players are keeping to themselves on campus and adjusting to the need for caution.
“We’re in a pretty tightknit bubble with the football players,” he said. “We’re always together, and everybody is taking ownership and holding each other accountable.”
The three FBS games, Zappe said, are arguably among the biggest challenges in the program’s sevenyear history.
“Our goal is to come out with wins and to improve things as we look into the spring,” he said. “I’m prepared for anything.”
North Texas must replace quarterback Mason Fine but returns running back Tre Siggers and receiver Jaelon Darden plus defenders KD Davis and Tyreke Davis.
“They’re a good returning team, and we have to be successful in preventing the deep ball out of play action,” Shealy said. “On offense, once we get into rhythm, we can be tough to stop. We play fast, and if we can do that early, we will generate points.”