The Book: 2002-03 Louisiana Football season

[EVCajun12]

I know, the pop up ads stink. I know the editor was working on doing something about that. The conference as a whole should be well noticed this year in basketball. I am sure we will be one of them.

[NewsCopy]

Advertisers-Bruce Brown

LAFAYETTE - Until someone proves differently, North Texas is the Sun Belt Conference football champion.

The Mean Green cleared an unexpected hurdle last week with a 13-10 victory at surprising Arkansas State in its league opener, so there's no reason to think coach Darrell Dickey's team doesn't have the strength to repeat as the host team in the New Orleans Bowl.

North Texas is 2-5 on the year entering Saturday's 4 p.m. game with UL at Cajun Field, but that's largely due to a rugged early-season schedule. The Mean Green was 5-6 heading into the bowl in 2001, so records can be deceiving.

What is known is that North Texas remains a solid defensive team, ranking 14th in the nation in total defense at 295.3 yards per game allowed and a lofty seventh in passing yards per game (151.1) by UNT opposition.

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[NewsCopy]

Bruce Brown
Posted on October 26, 2002
LAFAYETTE - Remember these people?

UL hasn't played at home since a 34-0 rout of Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 21, so fans may need to get reacquainted with the Ragin' Cajuns before today's 4 p.m. Sun Belt Conference game with North Texas at Cajun Field.

Today's contest will be the first of three in a row at home for coach Rickey Bustle's team, which is 1-6 on the season after last Saturday's 48-35 loss at Middle Tennessee.

"This has been a long five weeks that we haven't played at home," Bustle said. "We really feel like road warriors.

"Our players are excited to be back at home and I believe that our fans will stick with us because they are in it with us, too. I expect to have a good crowd for this game. We look forward to it."

Since their last home game, the Cajuns were hammered 48-0 by LSU and lost close Sun Belt games at New Mexico State (31-28) and Middle Tennessee to fall out of title contention in the conference race.

The 63 points the last two weeks has been fueled by the Cajuns' passing game, led by junior quarterback Jon Van Cleave (118-215-11, 1,424 yards, 6 touchdowns) and wide receivers Fred Stamps (31-576-5) and Andre' George (24-281-1).

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[Turbine]

Well while watching the game I was struck with how this is the wettest season I can ever remember and the conditions out there today are the conditiions the Cajuns have had to practice in all year.

Not condusive to winning. . . more later.

[Turbine]

I think these kids have become accustomed to losing over the past few years.

While Bustle's efforts to get them ready to bust down the doors prior to a game seemed to be successful, one or two bad plays into the game, and some only go through the motions.

5 dropped passes by Coleman? No completions.

Bustle can only work on one thing at a time, this off season it will be attitude.

[NewsCopy]

Advertisers-Bruce Brown

LAFAYETTE - Will the real Ragin' Cajuns please stand up?

UL took another swoop on a season-long roller coaster Saturday, falling 27-0 to the North Texas Mean Green before 8,413 soggy fans at Cajun Field.

The shutout was the second of the season for the Cajuns, who had scored 63 points in two games since their last blanking in a pair of Sun Belt Conference road losses at New Mexico State and Middle Tennessee.

This time, the offense was no match for a solid UNT defensive unit, totalling just 241 yards and 12 first downs including 110 yards in the fourth quarter after the outcome was decided.

"We've played the three best (Sun Belt) teams in a row, and we were not able to match up with them," said coach Rickey Bustle, whose team fell to 1-7 on the season.

"I appreciate the players' emotion before the game. I told them there weren't going to be many people here, and that they would have to find that emotion within themselves.

"And, I thought we played pretty well defensively in the first half. Offensively, we didn't give them any help. I don't know which part of the team will show up from one week to the next."

The North Texas team played like a defending Sun Belt champion, pounding the weary Cajun defense for 213 yards rushing and controlling the clock for 35:33 to improve to 3-5 and a spotless 2-0 in SBC play.

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[NewsCopy]

UNT uses offense and defense in win over Cajuns
Advertisers-Dan McDonald

LAFAYETTE - Darrell Dickey gave a lot of well-deserved credit to the North Texas defense here Saturday, but the Mean Green head coach better not slight his team's offense in the 27-0 win over UL Lafayette.

Time and again, the host Ragin' Cajuns had UNT backed up in third-and-long, and that's apparently right where the Mean Green wanted to be.

Seven times in the first three quarters, North Texas had third-down situations of eight yards or more, and six times they picked up a drive-sustaining first down.

"Last week in third-and-long we were pretty predictable," said Dickey after his team remained unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference play. "But we've been bringing our quarterback along, and we were able this week to put him in a position to make some plays and he did the job."

That quarterback was freshman Andrew Smith, who has subbed in for injured veteran Scott Hall much of the season. Smith finished the muddy night 7-of-12 passing, but those seven completions went for 147 yards - an average of 21 yards per hookup.

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[Cajun1997]

I finally saw a game in person, we are severely undersized at most backup positions, we no depth especially at certain positions. None of our "stars" did anything to impress me, only Charles Tillman and Fred Stamps impressed me out of that group. Others I noticed, Sampy, Lindon and Chester Johnson. Did not really evaluate the O-line or D-line as I was sitting on the upper level and cannot see as good as I used to. I did see we could not run the ball and that on just about every third down running play that the defense parted like the Red Sea. I was disappointed in the weather (I was stuck on the Basin coming from BR Friday night for 2 hours, it rained from the time I left Oxford until I finally got to Lafayette) and the outcome of the game, but supporting a sports team is kinda like being a parent, even when their bad you still have to look for the good in them and love them just the same.

P.S. For you out-of-towners, never stay at the Red Roof Inn on University Aveneue, it is now a dump and in horrible shape. I reserved a room there but refused to stay there. Sleep Inn is a good place. Also, do not bother looking for Ragin' Cajun gear at Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Target since they do not seem to feel that UL gear is important enough to carry. Also, do not bother to try and go to the University Book Store or Follet's on gameday since they are closed. Academy has a good selection of UL gear and I hear that Bell's does also. I will be back next year with hopefully better weather and game results.

[Turbine]

The team came up short and so did I.

I was hoping to meet you.

I did drive by the tent at about 3:25 and was blowing my horn in a big white bobtail truck.

[Cajun1997]

I think I missed you by about 10 minutes, I was there around 3:35 or 3:40

[Turbine]

Not that we had a runing game to begin with but these tree trunks of legs made sure we didn't get one on Satuday.

They also insured that Jon Van Cleave had to throw on the run for an inordinate amount of plays.

[cajuntbob]

WE couldnot stop them on third down, no matter what
aligment we played or who we had in the game.

This virtually killed the defense!!!!!!!!!

We could not convert any third downs, when we still
had an opportunity to be in the ball game.

Got to do a better job on these crucial plays!!!!!!

Enough said;

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!! BEAT THE VANDALS !!!!!!!!!!!