2006 Football Previews

[NewsCopy]

Six Ragin' Cajun defensive backs have found their way into the NFL the last five years, but Bustle and his staff just keep on reloading. The list of alumni in recent years is impressive. Ike Turner won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh in January, Charles Tillman went to the playoffs with Chicago, Antwain Spann did the same in New England and C.C. Brown plays in Houston. Perhaps other Ragin' Cajuns are destined to join them in the pros. Louisiana-Lafayette returns all but one starter in the defensive backfield, along with plenty of players who have seen significant action. "It is definitely a strength for us," Bustle said. "We have a lot of guys back who have been in the battle, guys who were starters last year." Michael Adams (5-8, 170) and Kyle Ward (6-2, 188) are the returning starters at the corners. Adams' main claim to fame last season came when he picked off Vince Young in the first game of the season, but he was solid all year long. The senior added another interception and recovered a fumble in 2005. Adams also makes an impact on special teams. He blocked a pair of kicks last season to increase his career total to five. Ward, a junior, appeared in 10 games last season and started five of the final six. He moonlights on the track team in the off-season, and he put his speed on display during the final game of the season. Ward grabbed an interception and returned it 53 yards to record the Ragin' Cajuns' only defensive score of the season. Senior Jarrett Jones (5-10, 190) and juniors Torres Kingsby (5-11, 190) and Jemarcus Smith (5-10, 180) have all seen action. Jones will take the field in nickel situations, while Smith and Kingby figure to provide depth. Johnny Felders (5-11, 190) split time at strong safety last year, but the job is his this year. The senior has been an iron man for Louisiana-Lafayette, never missing a game in his career. Felders recorded 51 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in 2005. Lamar Morgan (6-2, 210), who split time with Felders at strong safety last year, moves over to replace the departed Terryl Fenton at free safety. Morgan started five times and did a solid job last year, and the junior expects to improve his numbers now that he's the everyday starter. Derik Keyes (5-9, 190) was a letterman in the secondary last year and will provide some experienced depth. The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Punting has not been a strong suit for the Ragin' Cajuns in recent years, but Bustle said he feels OK about senior Brit Framel (6-1, 185) and junior David Schexnayder (6-3, 235) going into the fall. It's the battle of the former starters, as Framel handled the punting duties last season and Schexnayder was the starter in 2004. Bustle hopes the competition will lead to improvement at a position where the Ragin' Cajuns ranked 111th nationally with a 31.7 yards-per-punt average in 2005. The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

When you have a head coach who spent seven years as an assistant at Virginia Tech, it stands to reason special teams will be a high priority. The Ragin' Cajuns have blocked 23 kicks the last four seasons, with five of them resulting in points. Michael Adams will once again field punts this season. Adams returned seven punts for 66 yards in 2005, good enough for a 9.4 yards-per-return average. Adams helped raise the Ragin' Cajuns' punt return average from last in the Sun Belt Conference in 2004 to second last year. Derrick Smith and Jason Chery will handle kick returns. Louisiana-Lafayette was seventh in the conference in kick return yardage in 2005, and the speedy combo of Smith and Chery is a good start in addressing the situation. The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Bustle is pleased with the resolve his team showed in 2005 and is expecting great things again in 2006. It has been said winning cures a lot of ills, and Bustle said he saw evidence of that during spring drills. "They had to change their whole attitude," he said. "They had to change a lot of things, and they've done that. We saw it this spring." After taking over the program in 2001, Bustle is finally coaching a team made up exclusively of players he and his staff recruited. The team certainly has Bustle's fingerprints all over it. Grading the Ragin' Cajuns Unit Grade Offense B+ Special teams B Defense B+ Intangibles A- The quarterbacks have cannons for arms and can really motor when they take off and run. If that description conjures images of someone named Mike Vick, it's no coincidence. Bustle coached Vick as an assistant at Virginia Tech. The Hokie influence also carries over to special teams. Frank Beamer's careful attention to special teams is well documented, and it has obviously worn off on Bustle. The Ragin' Cajuns have blocked 23 kicks the last four years, including a pair against North Texas last year that helped secure a victory. The five-game winning streak and last year's share of a conference championship signal that Louisiana-Lafayette is a program heading in the right direction. Provided the lines can stay healthy and somebody steps up at receiver, it will be hard to keep Louisiana-Lafayette from winning the Sun Belt. Working to the Ragin' Cajun's advantage is that Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe, the two other teams tied atop the standings in 2005, will have to come to Lafayette to play. Of course, anything can happen on any given Saturday in the Sun Belt, but look for the Ragin' Cajuns to win the league as long as they stay healthy. For the most comprehensive previews available on all 119 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college football, the 2006 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255). The rest of the story

[gridiron]

http://sports-att.espn.go.com/ncf/in...ollNCF_CollNCF

ISUCajun thanks for the link I have no problem going direct and its easy to read on the same page.

[ISUCajunfan]

ISUCajun thanks for the link I have no problem going direct and its easy to read on the same page.

GOOD! I was hoping others wouldn't have the same problem I've been experiencing. Glad it worked for you!

[campo118]

try running a virus scan software...

[Kernel]

Excellent preview

[Turbine]

try running a virus scan software...

I don't hink it is that serious, or let me say this;

Without knowing anything about the computer setup at ISUCajunfan's office haven, I am going to go out on a limb with the idea that his office computers have cached (stored) copies of the pages from when they were not free. I am thinking clicking the link brings up the stored copy.

ISUCajunfan if you want to test the idea and you remember "ALL" your passwords to all the places you have ever been . . .go to the top of the page and click Tools, Internet Options, Clear History, Delete Cookies, Delete Files and try only the "free" link again.

If you do not remember your passwords try Delete files and nothing else.

If that does not work I was wrong, wrong, all the way wrong. :confused:

[ISUCajunfan]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll try those out

[lxa656]

Wow, who is ready for some football?!?!?!?!

[CajunDreDog]

Wow, who is ready for some football?!?!?!?!

Me!