Advertisers-Bruce Brown
LAFAYETTE - Somehow, some way, UL's Ragin' Cajuns need to win a football game.
Any game.
Sometime soon.
Sooner would be better, and it doesn't matter how they achieve it.
It's been a long time since the Cajuns' 34-0 win over Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 21, and after going 0-for-October they are 1-7 entering today's 4 p.m. homecoming game against Idaho at Cajun Field.
Through the losses and injuries, coach Rickey Bustle has kept his squad focused on a season that has had diminishing returns.
"My approach is that this is about more than football," Bustle said. "How you prepare and how you compete, along with the commitment and dedication, will say a lot about the kind of person you are.
"With anything in life, there are going to be trying times. How you handle it and how you bounce back will stay with you for the rest of your life."
Still, a little positive reinforcement on the scoreboard couldn't hurt.
"We all want to feel good when we walk off the field on Saturday," Bustle said. "If we play hard and win, then we will all feel good. At that time our record will be forgotten and we can celebrate a win."
Idaho enters the game with a 2-6 record and a 1-1 mark in the Sun Belt Conference after last Saturday's uplifting 21-18 upset of Middle Tennessee.
"For us, any kind of win is a confidence builder," UI coach Tom Cable said. "We thought we had a chance to do that with our win over San Diego State, but we had to turn around and play Washington.
"Sticking it out the the end (last week) was a big help to us. (Defensive tackle) Brian Howard was sensational, just the entire front seven. The four down guys had big games."
The Vandals held MT to 341 total yards, after entering the game with a weekly defensive allowance of 515 yards. Blue Raiders star Dwone Hicks gained 202 yards, but the stunting Vandals battered a variety of MT quarterbacks in the win.