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LOUISIANA - In each of the last four seasons, UL's football team reached a mid-season crossroads ... a point at which a choice was made.
All four times, it was a blind intersection. One choice led to the Cajuns' desired destination, and the other went over a cliff.
Without the benefit of maps or GPS monitors, the Cajun program broke even in its crossroads choices. Twice, in 2003 and 2005, the right road led to late-season success. The other two times, in 2004 and 2006, the road led to a crash-and-burn.
In each of those four seasons, it was one pivotal game that turned things around and pointed the way toward success, or made moot any positives created early in the season. Each time, UL had no idea going into that game that things were about to turn for the better ... or worse.
This Saturday, there's no such ambiguity.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/SPORTS/710020324/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com
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When UL hosts North Texas Saturday, the only question is whether the Cajuns remain in the Sun Belt Conference race or begin the process of playing the remainder of the season for little more than pride.
"It's very important," said junior wide receiver Derrick Smith of Saturday's 6 p.m. contest at Cajun Field. "We've already lost one to Troy, and we have to win them all from here on out. It's the conference games that matter, and six out of our last seven are conference games."
It's important for both teams, since UL and UNT are both winless (0-5 and 0-4) and both lost their Sun Belt opener. But it's probably less crucial for the Mean Green, who were expected to struggle in coach Todd Dodge's first season, and more vital for a Cajun squad that was picked to be among the possible challengers for the league title.
"We've had a tough go of it early," said Cajun coach Rickey Bustle. "We haven't been as consistent as we need to be. I can't tell you if it's going to be this week, but as long as we play with the passion we're playing with now it's going to happen."
It happened for the Cajuns in Bustle's second season in 2003. After spending a 3-9 2002 season patching up the listing ship left by former coach Jerry Baldwin, the Cajuns began 2003 with an 0-7 record before rallying for a 26-24 win over then-Sun Belt member New Mexico State. UL won four of its last five that season, all four wins coming in conference games on the way to a runner-up finish.
Two years later, the Cajuns were also in a deep funk at 1-5 and figured to be underdogs in four of their five remaining games. But a shocking 13-10 victory at Middle Tennessee spurred UL to five straight wins and a share of the Sun Belt title, and the Cajuns missed out on a bowl appearance by only an interpretation of league tiebreaker rules.
"This program's come a long way," Bustle said. "The reality is that we've got some growing pains right now, but our guys know from the past that things turn in a hurry."
But things can also turn in the other direction, and it doesn't take a long memory to find an example. Less than 12 months ago the Cajuns were flying high with four straight wins, the last two a victory over eventual Conference USA champion Houston and Sun Belt opener foe Florida Atlantic.
One week later, a 34-20 home loss to Middle Tennessee derailed that momentum and UL went 2-4 the rest of the way. It was reminiscent of the 2004 season, when UL started out 3-2 with two conference wins and finished up 1-5 after going to New Mexico State and dropping a last-second 35-32 heartbreaker.
"We've been through some tough times," said senior safety Lamar Morgan, a part of each of those last four units. "But this is a whole different team. It's not the same players.
"Back then, people would get down when we'd start losing. It's easy to get down when you've lost five straight and to give up, but no one's given up on this team. We're all in this together. We're going to get back after it today (Monday) and work hard all week."
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