White still has big hopes
Senior cornerback Melvin White will be the first to say the play of UL's secondary so far in 2012 isn't exactly what it was a season ago.
At least not yet.
Those were glory days in 2011, when the unit — White, now-in the-NFL cornerback Bill Bentley and safeties Lionel Stokes and Jemarlous Moten — produced a combined 10 interceptions and six touchdowns off those picks.
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Senior cornerback Melvin White will be the first to say the play of UL's secondary so far in 2012 isn't exactly what it was a season ago.
At least not yet.
Those were glory days in 2011, when the unit — White, now-in the-NFL cornerback Bill Bentley and safeties Lionel Stokes and Jemarlous Moten — produced a combined 10 interceptions and six touchdowns off those picks.
Each of the four intercepted at least two passes apiece. Each of the four had at least one pick six. And both White and Moten produced more than 100 return yards each off their interceptions.
But Bentley gone now, playing for the Detroit Lions. So is Stokes, whose eligibility expired. And Moten has moved from safety to Bentley's old spot on the corner, meaning UL has new starters in three of four different defensive back spots this season.
Three games into 2012, with a fourth coming when FIU visits tonight, the Cajuns sit 119th among 120 FBS teams nationally in pass defense at 365.3 yards per game allowed.
Only SMU has allowed more at 383 per game.
UL's 365.3 is 104 more yards per game than UL permitted through the air in 2011, a certain indicator there ample room for improvement.
"We're getting to where we (were) a year ago," White said.
"The bond — I feel like that's the main thing that's lacking with the secondary. But we're working on that. We're getting there."
Former Ole Miss signee T.J. Worthy, a first-season Cajun, said veterans White and Moten have done their part toward that cause.
Worthy will get his first career start at one safety spot tonight over the injured Tig Barksdale, another ex-Ole signee and first-year Cajun. Fifth-year senior Rodney Gillis, also a first-year starter, will open a fourth straight game at the other safety position.
"We're working every day, getting better," Worthy said of the secondary. "But we're gonna be real good. I just have to learn — the safeties, we've just got to learn — what we've got to do.
"They (White and Moten) are helping us, and we've just got to work."
As for the corners, teams have been throwing away from NFL prospect White at times this season and right at him on other occasions.
It doesn't matter to White what they try.
"I've just got to be on my toes every play — regardless if they come our way or don't come our way," he said. "However many plays that come our way, I'm trying to make every play that comes my way — no matter if it's two, the whole game, no matter what."
White has one breakup and one forced fumble through three games, while Moten has two breakups, one interception and a forced fumble that led to his own 56-yard touchdown return in a Sept. 8 win at Troy.
White knows a stated goal of the Cajun defense is to create as many turnovers as possible.
But he isn't overly concerned about his personal interception count, in part because his style differs from that of the risk-taking Moten.
"If they come they come," White said.
"I'm going out there just doing what I'm supposed to do, and just playing ball," he added, "and if they come my way they come."
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