2006: UL vs T A&M

[DaddyCajun]

Yes this hurts in more ways than one. As a fan it is gutrenching! As a potential fan is seems as more same oh same oh! A fire MUST be lit, like one of the California forest fires, these guys just do not seem to be in it mentally and are gettin WAXED physically!!

DaddyCajun:o

[BrockMeaux]

It was tough to be at this game and try to stay positive about anything honestly. Against LSU, we had our moments but it was just incredibly apparent that we were getting beat by a few key big plays by much better athletes. Against A&M, we were outmatched physically, but it just didn't seem like the same kind of effort was there. Some guys played hard...even though his stats were horrendous, it was clear that Babb was giving it 100% to make something happen. And Desormeaux provided a little spark for a while. Fenroy didn't get much time, and Wallace is going to be as good as advertised.

What it came down to for me though, was that we just don't seem to be playing the same kind of football that we did to end last year. We're still trying to run a lot, but the misdirections in the option reads aren't as crisp or balanced as they were, and we're definitely throwing the ball more. Now, I know a lot of that has to do with being down 41 and 47 points, respectively, in consecutive weeks. It's why I hate these money games. If we could have opened with a smaller school at home and then played one or two of these, just so that players would have confidence, even if they got smashed by these big teams, that they still knew they could succeed, it would have done a lot to improve our psyche I believe. It's the same thing in basketball. We don't have the budget to schedule the teams that we want to schedule yearly, so we always open up with these brutal early schedules in all our sports to make enough money to survive, get creamed, and we end up having to rely on the idea that it'll all come together when conference play kicks in.

I'm still behind the team 100%, though. I was prepared to open up 0-2, because these are good teams, and on a different level athletically. And we got off to a terrible start last year before righting the ship. I think we'll get on track much earlier this year and they'll perform to the level we all know they can, starting with NC A&T in two weeks. After that we get good tests against teams that have a very similar talent level to ours in Eastern Michigan and Houston. I think we'll win two of those games, three if we're back to feeling good about ourselves going into the Houston game. And, if the worst happens and we have a losing record in those 3 games, then we have a bye week after non-conference to clear our heads and get ourselves mentally and physically ready for the Sun Belt.

[DaddyCajun]

I don't have a positive thing to say either. I am very hurt and disappointed by the performance. It's hard to keep defending my team and telling everyone how good I think our team is when Saturday rolls around and they make me eat my words. I will never quit supporting my team but it just hurts after games like this.

Ditto, Clutch!! I am feeling in the words of J-Bird, discombopulated!!!

As for as the facilities and the way the program is going I am still good, but this team has to kick it into high gear and lay it on the line!!!

Other Sunbelt schools played equal or better competition ie Troy vs FlaSt and it went down to the wire. FAU was up 20 to 6 for the longest and lost 20-21(I think), ULM gave Kansas all they wanted for a while, North Texas beat SMU, WE ARE SLACKING TO SAY THE LEAST!!!

DaddyCajun

[USLJim]

I was just trying to raise your spirits.....you know, the whole sportsmanship deal. To be honest though, I have not a positive thing to say about the way yall played in this game. Met some of your fans though...nice guys!

Thanks for that. Believe me it isn't easy to swollow this type of defeats. Wish we could have made it a sporting event instead of a slaughter.
Sorry Cajun fans but let's face it we are in trouble ALREADY.


Geaux Cajuns,

See ya'll at the NC A&T game.

[Damon]

And, if the worst happens and we have a losing record in those 3 games, then we have a bye week after non-conference to clear our heads and get ourselves mentally and physically ready for the Sun Belt.

If we go 1-4, we'd have to win out to be bowl eligible.. not an ideal situation.
Great post, though.

[SlappyCajun]

I think one of the problems is since we beat A&M in 96 and came close in 2002 for some reason we as fans think this game should be closer than it is. The Aggies are still an elite football program and we are not.

Still, these games are not a barometer for the success we can have. Of course our program is not where Texas A&M and LSU are at. However, if we beat A&T, and Eastern Michigan. We can be 2-3 going into conference, and we just have to win games.

If we would finish 8-4, who could really be that upset?

[Just1More]

Brock... good post. I am a competitor, but did expect the 0-2 start. I thought we would look a little better however. The reality of it is that this process of rebuilding is slow. Were we thinking last year's finish somehow raised us to compete, at the beginning of the season, with these powerful programs? I think not.

I want success for UL football. I am tired of being down. I recall when the Brian Mitchell years allowed us winning seasons and an element of respect. All of us wanted to grow on that... not stagnate. But, we did. Jake's era came along and we returned to that level. Again, we sank. 10 years running, until last year, we finally picked it up a notch. We have a toe-hold from last year, not a firm grip. Our highest expectation right now, as fans, is to hope that Bustle and his staff can keep improving in every respect. And, that this group of young men have the right stuff to work day by day, and focus on each moment to learn and get ready for the next game.

These past 2 weeks are whatever we want to make of it. If fans are going to return to whining and not attending... that upsets me. We need every fan, even those who only want to associate with us on the upswing. I know I'm preaching to the choir on this website... we are going to get behind the Cajuns. I just hope that the fever that was building in Lafayette does not die. I have seen a student body that was rejecting the football team, turn it around and start backing the team. If they can do it, everyone else should too.

I am just letting everyone here know that I am still making every trip from BR to Lafayette for home games... and I am solidly behind this program.

[Just1More]

Totally agree Slappy. I don't live in the negative very long. I wanted to see us hold our own with LSU and TAM. We didn't. My hope is that we get it together from here on out. The schedule takes a major turn now. If we get complacent however, we are going to get disappointed. Some of these Sunbelt teams are not honoring our status as the pick to win. They may just want to turn their own programs around this year. Our team and our fans have got to tighten our chin straps and dig in hard this year.

It is so freakin early, but "I want that bowl game"!

Geaux Cajuns!

[Clutch0364]

Totally agree Slappy. I don't live in the negative very long. I wanted to see us hold our own with LSU and TAM. We didn't. My hope is that we get it together from here on out. The schedule takes a major turn now. If we get complacent however, we are going to get disappointed. Some of these Sunbelt teams are not honoring our status as the pick to win. They may just want to turn their own programs around this year. Our team and our fans have got to tighten our chin straps and dig in hard this year.

It is so freakin early, but "I want that bowl game"!

Geaux Cajuns!

I agree I won't live in the negative for long but after yesterday I just want to be negative for a little while haha I want to see us get our confidence back and finish the OOC strong and then rip the conference up from top to bottom.

[Clutch0364]

Brock... good post. I am a competitor, but did expect the 0-2 start. I thought we would look a little better however. The reality of it is that this process of rebuilding is slow. Were we thinking last year's finish somehow raised us to compete, at the beginning of the season, with these powerful programs? I think not.

I want success for UL football. I am tired of being down. I recall when the Brian Mitchell years allowed us winning seasons and an element of respect. All of us wanted to grow on that... not stagnate. But, we did. Jake's era came along and we returned to that level. Again, we sank. 10 years running, until last year, we finally picked it up a notch. We have a toe-hold from last year, not a firm grip. Our highest expectation right now, as fans, is to hope that Bustle and his staff can keep improving in every respect. And, that this group of young men have the right stuff to work day by day, and focus on each moment to learn and get ready for the next game.

These past 2 weeks are whatever we want to make of it. If fans are going to return to whining and not attending... that upsets me. We need every fan, even those who only want to associate with us on the upswing. I know I'm preaching to the choir on this website... we are going to get behind the Cajuns. I just hope that the fever that was building in Lafayette does not die. I have seen a student body that was rejecting the football team, turn it around and start backing the team. If they can do it, everyone else should too.

I am just letting everyone here know that I am still making every trip from BR to Lafayette for home games... and I am solidly behind this program.

I will never turn my back on the program but like you I want to see us win. I'm tired of hearing this team has so much potential...I want that potential to be lived up to. I had high hopes going into the season and I still figured at this point we would be 0-2 but I expected for us to show up and play those 2 teams tough and we didn't. A lot of people are going to jump off the ship and start calling for heads but I'm not going to do that but I believe Bustle has to get fired up and in the process get his team fired up again. I like what Bustle has done' sense he has been here but my 1 complaint is he is to passive...he needs to yell and let this team know that just being middle of the road is not exceptible. He has brought this team from about 50 scholorships players to what it is now, he brought it from nothing to something, now its time to show everyone in Lafayette and nationally that this team is not a joke anymore...being ranked in the bottom 10 on espn is not exceptible and us as fans deserve better. I still believe in these players and in our coaching staff and I know most people on here still believe as well...now its up to the players and coaching staff to believe and get that confidence back and go out and kick some ___ the rest of this season.

**rant off**

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!