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Boy, I bet their defense is probably as good as LSU or maybe Nebraska. I mean they only gave up 10 points to Ball State and 37 to MT. Then Ohio dropped 31 on them. Come on, to write an article about this defense is fricken rediculous.
By the way, I'm not trying to take a shot at you Josh. I'm a fan of your UL coverage. Just don't think that this defense will be all that good.
I agree with the write-up. They are improved. Were horrible last year and only bad this year! :rolleyes:
Go Cajuns!!!!!!!..O..
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Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
If you saw the defense they put on the field last year and the one they put on this year, you'd see there is a huge difference. You are obviously comparing numbers and looking at points allowed and that is understandable. However, the Ohio game was in OT or double OT and this defense shut down a Ball State team that almost went to a BCS bowl last year on the road. In that game, they looked really athletic, fast and aggressive. They obviously have some holes or lost some focus in the MTSU game because Middle does not have the best offense in the SBC but I agree, this team scares me and they are much improved on both sides of the ball. They have some playmakers on defense albeit, I know it is hard to believe.
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Originally Posted by zephyr
If we continue our scoring drought in the first half against an improved but not that good a UNT defense, how long before he replaces Masson with McGuire? I hope we don't have that problem, but so far our offense has been anemic.
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Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
The problem is not with Masson at all. He's played well and he's also struggled but everyone should understand that being young and inexperienced is going to give you some inconsistency. That is something we are going to have to live with whether we like it or not. I think you would get the same inconsistency with McGuire that you will with Masson.
The "scoring drought" you speak of has a lot to do with offensive philosophy and the opponents we've played the past 3 games. These teams were all bigger, faster and stronger on the defensive side of the ball and we don't have the individual matchups against them that we may get in conference play. We don't have the homerun hitters like in the past so we have to execute long drives and good defenses find a way to adapt to stop you. The coaches have been ultra conservative in both the passing game and running game as we've run the zone read far too much and the receivers have dropped and fumbled entirely too many balls. I don't think we are as disabled hitting conference as many believe but we are going to have to eliminate the bonehead mistakes and turnovers to even have a shot in conference.
Against 3 very good to great defenses. The lack of scoring is certainly not ideal, but those games are aberrations. The offenses have not been anemic at all, they just havent punched it in. There have been mistakes at times, but I believe that the bye week and focus on fundamentals will remedy the situation. We have seen them move the ball on these good defenses, I dont see that being a problem against lesser defenses.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
I have paid no attention to this so called "drought." I think its a matter of the schedule rather than our lack of offense.
Masson doesnt come out until we are blowing someone out. There should be no debate, in my mind, at this point.
I was at the Nebraska game. I don't think UL ran the zone read once in the 1st half. They did run it a couple of times in the 2nd half. Mostly they ran handoff up the middle. A zone read play or 2 may have kept the defense more honestQuote:
Originally Posted by zephyr
With all do respect Zephyr, every team seems to scare you, even Southern. We should win this game in impressive fashion. The offense will be fine, and I think the defense may have their best game yet. The Nebraska game was a scrimmage, and Bustle was tying to be competitive for about the first quarter. As for Ball State, a BCS game for them would have been a crime, and their studs are gone this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by zephyr
Has Ball State won a game this year? Nuff said.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
UNT is not a good football team.
We are at home.
We should win.
You're right. I should have just written that UNT sucks and has no chance because all games are played on paper. :) Or I could have written about Todd and Riley Dodge - again.
The Mean Green defense is much improved. Its pass defense is one of the league's best. Linebacker Tobe Nwigwe and cornerback Royce Hill are two of the conference's top defenders. Perhaps others will recognize such storylines. It goes beyond the obvious and informs the reader of some new info.
That said, the Cajuns should win easily unless they make a lot of mistakes on both sides of the ball.
igeaux.mobiQuote:
Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
Josh - I suspect most of us are just having some fun with it since they were so bad last year. Hopefully we're still having fun with it after saturday nite! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Parrott
Totally agree. I'm still not expecting something prolific out of our offense. They can, however, steadily march against SBC opponents and score. They are not a big play threat personnel-wise. They are a very balanced, mix it up and keep the chains moving style of offense. When you only have a 10 foot ladder, you will never reach over a 20 foot wall. But, we are getting ready to go up against 5 to 12 foot walls. If we keep stepping in the right direction, there isn't a wall among them we can't see over.Quote:
Originally Posted by wcd35
I don't think Masson or anyone else in the lineup is in doubt until we see them perform in the next couple of games. Anyone who thought something not going well against Nebraska was going to be remedied by someone on the bench... doesn't have a grasp of the game.
This "scoring drought" is about as stupid of a discussion item as any. I suppose if we would have lost 99-7 and 95-7 against LSU and Nebraska... but we got a TD... we'd have to pick some other dumb stat to gnaw on.
I know. Just having fun back!
igeaux.mobiQuote:
Originally Posted by shof
All B.S aside, I think that I speak for all the Cajun Faithful when I say, your work is really appreciated, and please keep it up. Hope your wrong about the NT D though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Parrott
Indeed. Someone named CrappDaddy speaks in my stead...and I'm comfortable with that. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
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Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
Understood. And you are right, every team does scare me. Why? Because, quite frankly, we are not good enough to overlook ANYBODY and disregard what can happen. I happen to think, with quite a bit of certainty, that many here simply look at statistics to quickly arrive at an assumption and name it fact. I think JP is absolutely correct, as I like to take a look fairly clearly at what other conference teams are doing throughout the year and get a vibe for how good they are. You are absolutely correct about SU also. They did scare me and for good reason. If you were around for the first quarter and a half, you probably saw why. The expectations that I have placed on this team are not as lofty as many fans have put on them. I see what this team lost from last year, namely the offensive production that we are obviously missing. While the defense is much improved, the offense puts us in an more vulnerable position with its lack of consistency and firepower.
The scary thing is that UNT is a mirror image of our team. They do the same things well that we do and there are many parallels between the teams. They start a first time QB. They start everything with the running game although they have superior RB's to us with Montgomery and Dunbar. Montgomery may be the best back in our league. That scares me. I saw how efficient Riley Dodge can be in the Ball State game. Their WR's don't hit the homerun but they are solid, small and catch most of the passes that come their way. Their D is much improved and the secondary will surprise you. They've been better at getting pressure on the QB this year and we can't assume that we will just move the ball at will on these guys.
The main reason that all teams scare me is that this conference is much improved which many people continuously overlook. Even if we are possibly a better overall team from last year, don't you think that most of the teams in this conference are in the same boat. There is a reason that we were picked 6th in the preseason. Yeah, I know it was the preseason but odds are, if we had been picked 1, many would be riding that wave and beating their chests. Much like next year. We are likely to be up with Troy in the preseason rankings. I wonder how many will discount those polls then.
IMO, this team is not as good as last years team. If last year's team had not been hit with injuries, you would have seen a different outcome. The play that I saw from weeks 2 through 9 was the best that I've seen from a cajun squad. I think this year's team will make some noise but I don't see the progression in certain areas that I think many hoped for. I don't blame anybody as we have to rely on a lot of young guys who are either new or got little playing time last year and replace guys who had tons of experience.
I'm predicting a cajun win but I think it will be a smaller margin than many think. I also think this team CAN get to 7 wins but they have to grow up quickly and play focused for the rest of the year.
OK, off the soapbox. Geaux Cajuns!
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Originally Posted by HOUCajun
UL did run it but didn't exercise the QB run option because the DE did not allow for the keeper. I arrive at this conclusion after the coaches and players tried to explain the lack of versatility in the running game.
Mr. Zephyr,Quote:
Originally Posted by zephyr
I bet people like me drive you crazy! Your brain is just packed full of all this serious and important information about Ragin Cajun football. You are "scared" about this and "scared" about that. (I actually prefer the word "concerned" instead of scared.) You seem to analyze and think about all of these scenarios - various plays and different players. You are really big time into this stuff. I had no idea that fans were actually thinking about these things. I guess I thought only the coaches were going over all the details. I never really thought about all the brain power that some people are using on a Saturday evening. I wouldn't be too surprised if all of those great thinkers of the game assume that people like me are "missing" the whole point of the game.
Well, my game day experience is totally different than yours. At the ballgame I am rarely serious...unless someone gets hurt. I have no clue about all of the dynamics of the game. I sort of just soak in whatever info comes my way. I really really want us to win...but I have no idea how to get from point A to point B. When we don't win, I don't know who really messed up. I never have been able to tell if the coach wasn't good, or the player forgot what to do, or the other team was just stronger, faster, or more skilled. Actually, I did wonder about the coaches at the end of the LSU game because I thought there were 3 or 4 more minutes on the clock when time ran out. I just assumed the coaches forgot to look at the clock, too...but that is another thread... <O:p
My family and friends all know that when my son goes on the field, they need to remind me to watch that part of the play. My focus tends to just follow the guy with the football. I have discovered that the other 21 players out there play important roles, too. I guess one could assume that I miss most of what is going on between the two end zones.
The 60 minutes that the game is actually being played is only a fraction of what I enjoy about my time in the Swamp:<O:p
I get a big kick out of watching the Ragin Cajuns football players interact with each other during the game. Celebrating those big plays that they worked so hard to learn... or how they encouraging one another to keep going when things don't look so great. I see a team that is growing up quickly and focusing on some very important dynamics of the game. I hope that it will translate into the 7+ wins that define success to so many fans.
Even after each game I love to see our team gather in the center of the field and pray...I assume that is what they are doing. Also, I would feel like I had missed something important if I did not watch the players greet the fans (especially the kids) as they reach down to congratulate the team. But best of all I wait for that moment after the game when the stands are nearly empty, that I see my son looking up into the stands trying to find us...only to realize that he wasn't looking for his wonderful mother...he was trying to find his girlfriend. We usually crack up laughing at how fun it is to see our kids transition from our precious little babies to someone that is living his life full speed ahead!
That makes for one happy Jo Cajun Momma<O:p
I love the last couple of posts... Zephyr analyzing the facts and Jo Cajun Momma celebrating the moment. I think Zephyr's heart is in the same place, as are many others. Many Cajun fans get on here and argue over the paint, trim, pictures on the wall... but when it comes to the home... we're all family.
I had no problem with Josh's evaluation of a much improved NT defense. UL cannot overlook anyone... especially not a conference foe that used to own the SBC. NT has a tremendous recruiting engine in their own backyard. I would never ever overlook an NT. They may have had one of the worst slumps in the league, but they can reload and fire back.
As to who should win this game... the Cajuns of course... it's a home game for one... we are strong upfront on both sides of the ball... I think our LBs and secondary can match up against anyone in the SBC this year, and if we steadily work our offense with well timed and executed plays, we can march up and down the field.
Geaux Cajuns!!!
I've seen every play of every game this year and most of the games from last year. Our defens is world's better than last year which by itself can give us a shot to be better than last year. On offense all of the parts are in place to be effective. The recievers and quarterback will perform much better from here on out. Like I said before we won't face another D that is even as good as KSU, maybe Troy. I like this teams chances at the end of the year to be measurably better than last years.Quote:
Originally Posted by zephyr
From the nosebleed section, it appeared Neb had no one keying on the QB and he could have run for lots of yards. They didn't need to because we didn't tryQuote:
Originally Posted by zephyr
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Originally Posted by HOUCajun
We did try. Did you see where the opposite DE was camped out in containment. He took away the option all night which is why you didn't see Chris take the ball. With only one option, its easier for the defense to direct the offense where to go.
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Originally Posted by CrappDaddy
Would you care to reconsider your statement? I think we can all see that the defense can play effectively and force the issue but they are being put in way too tough of a position to be successful for the entire game by our offense which is sputtering. They are still a bit soft up the middle and since we chose to go with a slightly smaller but faster defense, we are going to have to seriously adjust some things for the rest of conference.
You do have to commend these guys though however. They lifted up their skirts, grabbed their minerals and refused to die. That was impressive in itself. Coach Bustle has got to get this offense going in some manner if we want to continue because we are going to have to be much better with the upcoming schedule.