Cajuns bracing for road trips
<blockquote><p align=justify>LOUISIANA La. — Last season, when Cajun Field was deluged by rain and threatened by lightning, the football game between UL and Alabama-Birmingham was halted for 33 minutes until conditions improved.
When the action resumed, water-logged fans were rewarded for staying as the Ragin’ Cajuns rolled to a 34-0 victory — the first at the school for Rickey Bustle.
This time around, that formula didn’t click.
Once again last weekend, a Saturday night at Cajun Field became an evening at the swimming hole when the Houston Cougars came to town.
The two teams were just about to switch ends to start the second quarter, tied 7-7, when a bolt of nearby lightning sent the two teams back to their locker rooms for a delay that lasted 37 minutes.
Drenching rains had plagued both teams in the first period, turning the field into a swamp. But underground pumps worked well and the second half was relatively free of both rain and standing water.
It was the visitors who prospered after the break this time as Houston improved to 2-1 with a 21-14 win that dropped UL to 0-3 on the season.
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“I knew that in a game like this that everything would come down to three or four plays that would make the difference,” Bustle said.
The Cajuns, who are bracing for three weeks of road games at Minnesota, North Texas and Oklahoma State, were their own worst enemy early in the contest.
Their first march ended with a failed fourth-and-goal from the UH two-yard line, as Travis Smothers was dropped for a two-yard loss. Then Smothers fumbled while crossing the goal line and the Cougars claimed it for a touchback.
Still later, a 43-yard Sean Comiskey field goal attempt was blocked.
“I was really proud of our offense for going down the field on the opening drive,” Bustle said. “We would have liked to have converted on fourth down. We also gave up a big play when we fumbled on the goal line.”
Despite those two plays, Smothers was the lone consistent weapon for a Cajun team that was out-gained 413-196 on the night. He netted 88 yards on 23 carries.
Senior receiver Fred Stamps had two catches for 27 yards in the driving rain during the first period, but was shut out after that.
And Jerry Babb, making just his third career start, regressed in the slop with a 5-of-22 passing night.
The Cajun defense, which surrendered a pivotal 62-yard touchdown because of a missed tackle, did have some standouts.
Safety Patrick Lamy led the team with 13 tackles and pounced on two fumbles, while fellow defensive back C.C. Brown had 10 stops.
But UH freshman Kevin Kolb hit 8-of-18 passes for 157 yards (4-for-120 to Brandon Middleton) and ran for 92 yards on 14 tries. Also effective on the ground were Jackie Battle (15-84-2) and Anthony Evans (15-71-0).
The end result was a deflating loss that robbed the Cajuns of momentum heading out on the road.
“We have to build on, and count on our character,” Bustle said. “We are out there playing our hearts out. I told the team that I feel the pain for them, because it’s hard to go out there and fight your heart out.
“Some of the players were just talking about not giving up. They know that we’re doing some things right and that things just aren’t going our way right now. The players know that if they keep plugging, we are going to turn this thing around.”
CAJUN CLIPPINGS — Minnesota is ranked No. 24 this week in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, 27th in the Associated Press ... UM’s Marion Barber III is tied for first in the nation in scoring (16.0 points per game), 18th in all-purpose yards (157.0 per game) and 26th in punt returns (13.69 average) ... the Gophers’ Asad Abdul Khaliq is third in pass efficiency at 180.8.
QUARTERBACK CLUB — Rickey Bustle meets with the Quarterback Club at noon today at the Cajundome Convention Center. Lunch is $10. For further information, call 233-0390.
OPPONENTS REPORT — How UL opponents fared this weekend:
SOUTH CAROLINA (2-1) lost to Georgia, 31-7. Next: vs. UAB. LA. TECH (2-1) defeated Michigan State, 20-19. Next: at Fresno State. HOUSTON (2-1) defeated UL Lafayette, 21-14. Next: vs. Mississippi State.
MINNESOTA (3-0) defeated Ohio, 42-20. Next: vs. UL Lafayette. NORTH TEXAS (1-2) lost to Air Force, 34-21. Next: at Arkansas. OKLAHOMA STATE (2-1) defeated Southwest Missouri, 42-3. Next: at SMU.
UL MONROE (0-3) lost to Mississippi, 59-14. Next: vs. Northwestern State. NEW MEXICO STATE (1-2) lost to Oregon State, 28-16. Next: Open.
IDAHO (0-3) lost to Boise State, 24-10. Next: at Washington. SOUTHERN MISS (2-1) defeated Memphis, 23-6. Next: vs. Nebraska. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (0-2) lost to Maine, 24-14. Next: vs. Bethune-Cookman. MIDDLE TENNESSEE (0-3) lost to Clemson, 37-14. Next: at Missouri.
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Love the Louisiana in the endzones
I have to say I love the Louisiana in the endzones.
If Im not mistaken there is no Lafayette under it?
You also can barely see the Lafayette under the UL
Cajuns face rugged road stretch
<blockquote><p align=justify>LOUISIANA La. — Welcome to the numbers game, Ragin' Cajuns.
Louisiana embarks on three weeks of demanding road games this week when the Cajuns travel to face Minnesota, a Top 25-caliber program that has bludgeoned its first three opponents by a combined 139-37.
The Golden Gophers have nearly everyone returning from a squad that hammered UL 35-11 last year at Cajun Field, and many familiar faces from the 2001 team that scored a 44-14 win over the Cajuns in the Metrodome.
Against that kind of opponent, coach Rickey Bustle offers an 0-3 team, half of whose key players are still being taught his system.
With games following at North Texas and Oklahoma State, Bustle’s staff is staring down the barrel of a possible 0-6 start.
What to do? Get tunnel vision and concentrate on the Gophers, or you’ll really worry about things.
“We’re not focused on anything but Minnesota right now,” Bustle said on Monday. “It’s the most important game we’ll ever play, because it’s the game we have now.
“I feel the pain of our kids. They’re lining up every week with the deck stacked against them. It’s tough to go through this type of schedule, when week after week we’ve got to play extremely well to have a chance to win.
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“These last couple of weeks, I’ve got to find a silver lining, and it doesn’t just come to you. We played three programs (South Carolina, La. Tech, Houston) that, on paper, are ahead of us, and yet in two of those three we’ve taken them to the very end.
“That tells me the team is getting better.”
The Cajuns fell at SEC member South Carolina 14-7 in the opener before losing at home to Tech (34-3) and Houston (21-14), the latter last weekend in a driving rainstorm.
In his second year running the show, Bustle can see daily progress not yet evident on Saturday nights.
“We looked at it the other day and realized that 33 of 66 players are first-year players, either freshmen or junior college transfers,” Bustle said.
“You have to play almost perfect when your opponents are ahead of you. You can look at it on film and see we’re doing the right things. When we can do it on a consistent basis, then we can go from there.”
That will be tough to do this weekend against the Gophers.
“They’ve got 19 of 22 starters back, and they probably have a chance of being the best team we play this year,” Bustle said. “They just demolished Arkansas in a bowl game last year.
“They’ve got good running backs and a good, maybe great quarterback. They’re big on both sides of the ball, and they like to be physical with you.
“With Tech and Houston, they give you a lot of looks, and sometimes you get tentative or vanilla. Against Minnesota, you kind of know what you’re going to get.
“The deck is stacked a little bit, but that’s where we come from. We’re going up there with nothing to lose.”
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ULL's Bustle happy with effort despite 0-3 start
<blockquote><p align=justify>LOUISIANA La. -- On paper, the University of Louisiana's 0-3 start may not impress anyone, but when one looks beneath the surface -- like Ragin' Cajuns coach Ricky Bustle has -- things aren't nearly as bad as they may appear.
"I think we've played three football teams that, on paper, are ahead of us. And we have played two out of three of them to the very end," Bustle said Monday at his weekly news conference.
"I'm going to take that as a positive. Obviously, we had chances to win two of them and what that tells me is that our football team is getting better."
Bustle, of course, knew things would be difficult with the schedule that awaited the Cajuns in 2003. First there was a road trip to SEC foe South Carolina, then a home game against archrival Louisiana Tech (which upset Michigan State last Saturday) and then another home game against Conference USA opponent Houston.
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The Cajuns fell 14-7 to South Carolina, 34-3 to Tech and 21-14 to Houston.
"Who knew where in this schedule that you'd come across a win. If you're in Las Vegas, you're betting on the other folks about every time," said Bustle.
"We've played two out of three teams that are ahead of us from the standpoint of established programs, commitments to programs, recruiting. And we've played two out of three of them pretty darn good, I mean we had a chance. I have to look at that as we're getting better.
Unfortunately, that improvement may not show up in the won-lost column anytime soon.
That's because the Cajuns this week embark on a grueling three-game road trip that takes them to Minnesota, North Texas and Oklahoma State. All three teams won bowl games last season and the Gophers -- this Saturday's opponents -- return 19 of 22 starters from 2002.
In contrast, 33 of the 66 players on the ULL depth chart are first-year players.
"In order to have won one of those first three games, we would have had to play almost a perfect football game," said Bustle. "That's what you have to do when people are maybe ahead of you in some areas. And we just haven't done that.
"Obviously this week, we have Minnesota and we're going to get as good a game plan as we can, because on any given Saturday, anybody can win. We'll go up there with nothing to lose and we're going to go up there to play hard and win."
Bustle said the Gophers may be the best team the Cajuns will play this season. And defending SBC and New Orleans Bowl champion North Texas, and Oklahoma State figure to be formidable as well.
"I didn't think it was ever going to be easy," Bustle said when asked about the Cajuns' brutal schedule that has left him 3-12 as a head coach and slowed his rebuilding effort to a crawl.
"I feel the pain for our kids, lining up every week with that deck stacked a little bit. They're out there working their tails off and coming out and fighting and coming up a little short week after week.
"It's tough going through this kind of schedule because you have to fight such a great football game to win," Bustle said.
"Personally, I've had tough situations before. But the thing is this is where I want to be and this is the group of young men I want to be with and the group of coaches I want to be with."
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Week 3: Cajuns Announce Hooters Award Winners
<blockquote><p align=justify>LOUISIANA La. – Each week Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football coaching staff honors players for their individual effort in game performances. The UL coaching staff would like to thank Hooters for sponsoring the Cajuns weekly and spring football awards.
This week, offensive lineman Ronnie Harvey was selected as the Hooters Offensive Player of the Game. Harvey did not allow a sack or hurry and graded out at 87 percent. Defensive end Antonio Floyd was named the Hooters Defensive Player of the Game. Floyd finished with three tackles, five assisted tackles, a tackle for loss, two quarterback hurries, recovered a fumble and went the extra mile three times.
Punter Grant Autrey was honored as the Hooters Special Forces Player of the Game. Autrey boomed nine punts for an average of 39.4 yards per punt. His longest punt was 48 yards and he put three of his kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Bruce Taylor and Hershell Robinson were named Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the Week, respectively.
Per player vote, D’Anthony Batiste was given the Thumper Award for delivering the biggest hit for the defense. Tony Hills won the Hammer Award given to the biggest hit on defensive and Travis Cones was given the Kahuna Award given for the biggest hit on special teams.
Harvey and Batiste will serve as offensive captains for the Cajuns’ next game, while Floyd and Pat Lamy will serve as defensive captains. Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football team travels to Minneapolis, Minn., to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday at 7 p.m. in the H.H.H. Metrodome.</blockquote><b><i>LOUISIANA SI
