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UL — Don’t send recycled wide receivers to University of Louisiana secondary coach Hurlie Brown.
He doesn’t particularly want them.
Brown is searching for defensive backs who catch the ball, and that approach works for the Cajuns who lead the Sun Belt Conference with 11 interceptions.
UL, whose nine interceptions ranked second to last in the league last season, is ranked No. 17 nationally in pickoffs.
That’s something Brown thinks is due mainly to profiling players who have instincts for taking away possessions.
So send those suspect receivers with suspect hands elsewhere, Brown said.
<center> <a href="http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/69273132.html?showAll=y&c=y" target="_blank">The rest of the story </a>
By BOB ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate
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“There’s the old saying that if a receiver can’t catch the ball, move him to defensive back. I don’t want that guy,” he said. “I want the players with the good ball skills, who can catch the ball.”
Brown said the Cajuns’ interception improvement is due to a combination of things, including the type of secondary players UL now recruits, scheme simplicity, maturity and rearrangement of personnel.
“The kids we have are older. Guys like Orkeys Auriene, Dwight Bentley, Maurice Rolle, Garren Blount are more mature,” Brown said. “They all have athletic ability and are using that to get it done along with having a better understanding of what we are doing on defense.
“This season we are trying to make it more simple for them.”
Bentley, a sophomore cornerback, and Rolle, a junior free safety, are tied for second place in the SBC with three interceptions apiece.
Blount, a senior free safety, has two, while Auriene, a junior, has one. Defensive lineman Hall Davis and linebacker Antwyn Zanders each have an interception.
Rolle, Bentley, Auriene and Blount had two interceptions combined last year.
Bentley said the Cajuns are more comfortable with the defensive concept.
“Last year, we were playing and trying to understand the defense. Now we know where (the base defense) is coming from and how to play our man,” he said.
This summer Bentley said the Cajuns also studied more film, which helped them grasp their responsibilities.
Bentley said the UL defensive backs are also aware of when to take a chance at intercepting a pass.
“Last year, I think everyone tried to make the big play when the big play wasn’t there. Now we are waiting for that play to happen and taking advantage of it,” he said.
Rolle said the secondary is just trying to fulfill its responsibility.
“On the back end, we are concerned with our job and we let the front end do its job. That way we can take care of the turnovers,” he said.
Brown said the Cajuns are still short of their preseason goal of 20 interceptions.
“Having this many interceptions is not so much a surprise to me. In a way, I’m also disappointed, because we’ve dropped some balls and missed some opportunities to get (more interceptions).
“I guess you could say that I’m pleased, but things could be better,” said Brown.
Brown said that while the secondary has nine of the 11 pickoffs, the front end of the defensive has done its part.
“We can’t take all the credit. We’ve played better defensively. Last week, Daylon McCoy, our linebacker, dropped one that I know would have been a touchdown.
“Then Hall (Davis), a defensive end has an interception, so it’s not just the guys in the defensive backfield.
“Are we pleased with our interceptions? Certainly, but we are no way content of where we are,” Brown said.
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