Coach Ricky Bustle's comments on Bil Ryckman's SportsNote

[NewsCopy]

posted by cajunsmike on Delphi
The following are the highlights of what Coach Bustle had to say this morning (12/5) on the Sports Note show. I found the interview interesting.
1) Jerome Coleman and Ricky Calais are likely to apply for an additional year. Both were Prop 48's their first year here

2) Eric Reiketa had surgery today and will miss spring practice. I believe the surgery was on the shoulder.

3) Ross Brubacher has applied for a medical reshirt in hopes of being granted an additional year. No word if Justin Venable will do the same.

4) Recruiting-lifeblood of program. Several guys visiting this weekend and next. I believe several of these will be JC's. Don't expect to see any more commitments announced until these two weekends pass.

Improved facilities will be needed to be successful long term in recruiting-indoor practice facility is only part of this process.

5) Schedule-Expect to see slight adjustments after 2003. We will generally play 2 BCS schools for revenue in a given year. In 2002 we played 4 BCS schools and will play 3 in 2003. Other than the conference games, the schedule will be rounded out with opponents from the WAC, CUSA, and the MAC. We have a chance for some home and home series with MAC schools.

6) We will definitely incorporate more option into our offense. We tried to this past year without success. At the end of the year, Coach believes our offense had become two basic. We may not add too many additional plays. We want to add formations out of which to run those plays to keep opposing defenses off balance.

7) QB play was too inconsistent this past year-from both guys who played the position-It is a wide open competition for the starting job at QB (and all positions in fact) from this point on out. Babb will get a fair shot and his mobility may be an advantage for him. In fact, Van Cleave needs to pick up his game if Babb delivers on potential (potential just means you have not done anything yet).

8) Matt Lane has asked to move to another position. Wide receiver and more special teams play is a possibility for Matt. Coach was impressed with this request as it indicates Matt is interested in getting on the field in order to help the team.

9) He was made sicker by the loss to ULM than any of the fans. He said to get to where we want to be, we need to regularly beat the Indians. However this is over and we must put it behind us in order to move the program forward.

10) Off season program-His first year and the associated grace period is over. Everyone must prove himself again. There will be more demanded -much more-from the guys in the upcoming offseason than in the past.

The rest of the story

[Turbine]

Coach Bustle on recruiting, and facility improvements.

"We can go as far with this program as we want to take it, but we can't just do it by staying the same."

"I know that recruiting is the #1 thing. Recruiting makes coaches better coaches."

"I know what has to be done about bringing these recruits on."

"I've talked to the head coaches of other universities as we played, in our conference, and the biggest thing they tell me, is that they've been able to upgrade some facilities. That enables them every year to get a handful of players that they might not have gotten if they weren't showing strides. That's kind of where the discussions are right now of being able to do some things here..."