2006: UL-6 FAU-0

[SlappyCajun]

Wow. We blow up on offense the past couple of weeks. Then, we go to FAU, a team that smoked us at home last year. And win.

Was it pretty, no. Do I wish we would have scored 70 on national tv? Sure.

However, we already were missing a projected preseason starter on the offensive line. Then our best lineman gets injured. Our defense forces six turnovers. We pitch a shutout and win.

A win is a win is a win. Especially on the road, especially after another big win the week before. If we had 4 total yards and had a fourth string walk on drop kick the ball to win the game. I wouldn't care if FAU put up 800 yards total offense as long as they had zero points on the board. We are 4-2, going into Homecoming. When was the last time we had that record.

Shocker, I understand you are a fan, and I was slightly disappointed too, but lets take the W and move on. We had an emotional letdown, after a big game. (Like Houston did). We found a way to win (Houston did not, we beat them). Its cliche, but true, the sign of a good team is to play bad and win.

[RaginFan2]

A win is a win is a win...I'm disappointed in the wya our offense played but I am excited by the way our defense played.

We all need to remember this same FAU team came to Cajun field last year and stuff our offense...maybe just maybe they have guys that play very well against the option and maybe their coaches have a solid game plan against us. All of our bad play is not from bad play calling or from unemotional players it was from a FAU team that came to play. Give some credit to the other guy sometimes for bad play...we critize Houston fans for talking bad about their coaches for losing last week but when we play a tough game our fans do the same thing so like I said give some credit to FAU.

I said before the season we would go 9-3 and a possible 10-2 and ya'll can change ya'll minds about how good you thought the team would do but I'm not. Conference games are suppose to be tough because these are the teams that know us the best and will give us their best shot every week. Sure we could have done things differently and put up more points this week but we didn't...Bustle didn't sound to happy in his post game interview so I am sure he will light a fire and have them ready for homecoming.

Lets be happy we are 4-2 and be there at Cajun Field to give this team what they need to be 5-2. GEAUX CAJUNS

Thank you, Clutch, for a very well-stated assessment of tonight's game. Like everyone, I was disappointed in the offense. I thought the play-calling lacked imagination. I thought Babb had a pretty bad night. The O-line also had a pretty bad night. But I do think you have to credit Schnellenberger and the FAU defense to a large degree. Their defensive line seemed to play very well tonight. Our losing Cox didn't help in that department. I was very proud of our defense the whole night. FAU only seemed to have 2 drives the whole game. The first resulted in the blocked FG attempt and the second, of course, was the end of the game. They only had 150 yards passing for the game, so they got about a third of that on the last drive. The finished with 10 first downs and about 3 or 4 were on the last drive. We seemed to control the game for the most part, but lacked the scoring to truly put this one away. I really felt the play-calling was subpar, but then again so was the execution. Babb had Chery open for a probable TD but underthrew him. The special teams scored on a punt return but were flagged for an illegal block to nullify the TD. Babb has never been a very good long ball thrower (IMHO), but he didn't really come close tonight on his long attempts. He needs to air it out some to keep the DB's honest, but I think (if I were the OC) I'd try that more in the first half and not on third down. Where he disappointed more tonight was his decision-making on the option. Several times I thought he should kept the ball and taken it outside. That might have helped loosen up the inside game a bit more for Fenroy. Well, it wasn't pretty, but it counts the same as a masterpiece.

[TuffGuy84]

I understand the frustration, we won a very ugly game. VERY ugly game, we left roughly 35 points on the field, but its time for some sort of celebrating. Our guys pitched a shutout, and the least talked about unit we have (defense...yes even talked about less than our Special Teams in a positive light) won us a game. Here is a fact that most seem to not think about. If the cajuns won tonite 45-43 in a shootout, we WOULD NOT be harping on the defense like we are harping on the offense. There were 6 turnovers, but we also held them to about 250 yards total offense, 0 points, and 6 turnovers...thats what you call a butt whippen! Those 6 turnovers werent just flukes either, for instance, that pop we had on their running back could be the hardest hit I've seen all year long! They were deep in our territory, and legitimately, that took points off the board for them!

With that said, we need Brandon Cox healthy for our offense to run right, I was dissapointed at the end of the game as it seemed like we were gonna try to run out the clock when I thought we needed to get a first or 2 to insure the win. I do have to give some credit to FAU, they are NOT as bas as their 2-5 record, and I think that its possible that they win out, or win 5 of the last 6 for a 6-6/7-5 type record. Very good team defense and coached VERY well. They did beat ULM on the road , and we beat them on the road and road wins are just not easy to come by.

The bright side of all this is this...we have the best overall record in conference, we're one of 4 teams that are undefeated in conference, and we knocked off a team that was, we have the longest conference winning streat (6 games), and a decent sized non-bcs win streak (which is who we need to compare ourselves to) at 9 games now. We've won our last 4 conference road games, and only go on the road in conference 2 more times (Troy and FIU).

Final summation, we didnt show our our offense on the national scale...but we sure as hell showcased our Defense to the whole world by making FAU look like a junior high offense.

Like rex grossman said after Chicago beat Arizona, "Lets celebrate the win for right now...we'll have all week (for us, 10 days) to talk about how bad our offense played"

Tuffguy

[USLJim]

yeah thats a good idea..lets tell the players they suck..tell them they have no emotion and played with no effort...be a fan and support.i know your upset we might not of played well but we won..lets just focus on next game.

Cajun Shocker is right. I have been a Cajun Fan for 40 years and if we can't be critical of something that stunk, then we are fooling ourselves.
The Defense won the game the offense and the punter stunk. ENOUGH SAID. This was a total TV failure for our sports foundation. And don"t you dare call me a wanna be fan. There is no one more loyal to his University than I and one has to be both ways or it won't get fixed around here. One has to be honest when we stink and that is just what we did , from the coaches to the offense and punting game. ONCE AGAIN THE DEFENSE WON THIS GAME. THEY PLAYED LIKE THEY WANTED TO WIN NOT THE OFFENSIVE COORIDINATOR. FACE UP TO IT CAJUN FANS. OH, I WAS AT HOUSTON AND EASTERN MICHIGAN AND THIS WAS NOT THE SAME TEAMS.

GEAUX CAJUNS

[USLJim]

Jim, we all agonized over the game tonight. The offense was pure "vanilla". Calling for a coaching change is a bit extreme. I'm certain Bustle will have some advice for the Offensive Coordinator. He might remind him of some misdirection plays to keep the defense honest.

I will be at HC, and you will be there also, albeit a little late because you have a family obligation to attend to. We will cheer for the good plays and moan for the ones not so good. In the end we will celebrate and enjoy another step towards the N.O. Bowl.

My loyalty will always be to the Cajuns, but this is not the only time we have not be able to produce in KEY games. TOO inconsistant for me.

Our offensive coordinator did nothing to counter their defense, that is what I should have stated. I still am not impressed with our offensive coordinator. SORRY.

Geaux Cajuns

[USLJim]

time to make coaching changes...are you out of your mind??? just enjoy the win and let the coaches go work on what they need to..be a true fan and support

I have bleed Vermilion and Red since 1966 so can you really doubt me as a true fan. I tell it like it is. THIS NIGHT AND DAY STUFF IS NOT GONNA HACK , WOULDN'T YOU SAY. I HAVE BEEN THERE OVER THE YEARS WIN OR LOSE. I'VE NEVER JUMPED ON THE BANDWAGON.

GEAUX CAJUNS.

[CajunKate]

Let's be honest here. The Offense stunk except for Fenroy. The Offensive Coordinator's play calling was pony football, no imagination, we the TV viewers knew what he was gonna call. Time to make some coaching changes.

Unless they have some great talks and practices, I don't think we are going to New Orleans. Faith has nothing to do with reality. If we play like this anymore, we are going to get our butts beat alot.

THIS WAS EMBARRASSING AND ON NATIONAL TV. WE DIDN'T IMPRESS ANYONE. OUR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DIDN'T HELP HIS CHANCES OF MOVING ON TO ANOTHER COLLEGE EITHER.

I don't know one person in our group watching this game tonight was proud of our coaching staff. The defense on the other hand, was awesome.

Thank you defense.

GEAUX CAJUNS

Just a question... and this really is an honest question. I do want to hear your hard-hitting opinion. How would you explain our other wins, which were based on big offense? I, too, have been very frustrated with our offense in the past, and I thought those problems were gone. Tonight did remind me of days of old, although the difference is we won. And that is a huge difference.

BTW, someone please tell Mike Adams he is my hero.

[NewsCopy]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Michael Adams almost had a game-winning play early in the fourth quarter here Wednesday night. But maybe the University of Louisiana's senior defensive back had a flair for the dramatic. With a national television audience watching, Adams came up with the biggest defensive play in a game loaded with Cajun defensive highlights - all of which they needed to take a win in their Sun Belt Conference opener. Adams knocked away quarterback Rusty Smith's over-the-middle pass in the end zone at the final horn, preserving the Cajuns' 6-0 victory over Florida Atlantic. That play, one in which FAU wide receiver Frantz Simeon appeared to be open before Adams came from the side and batted the ball away, earned Adams a big hug and a one-on-one word from UL coach Rickey Bustle after the game. "He told me I saved his butt," Adams said, "and that he loved me. I told him I loved him, too." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — This time it was the defense’s turn. One week after the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offense saved its defense in a win over Houston, the Ragin’ Cajuns defense returned the favor Wednesday night as ULL defenders pitched a 6-0 shutout of Florida Atlantic at Lockhart Stadium. Thanks to two Drew Edmiston field goals the Cajuns were able to survive. “Sometimes it’s not pretty, but this one goes in the win column,” UL coach Rickey Bustle said. In a taut, physical defensive struggle, the Cajuns defense held the Owls to 237 total yards and forced four FAU turnovers. “Wow, I’m pretty exhausted,” UL defensive end Anthony Hills said. “Our offense brought us back in the Houston game and now it was our turn to win the game.” A dormant Owls offense staged a late rally with less than two minutes to play driving to the ULL 8 with two seconds left. The rest of the story PETE PELEGRIN The Advocate

[NewsCopy]

FORT LAUDERDALE ? The Ragin' Cajuns didn't have to look far to get a scouting report on Lockhart Stadium. An assistant coach and two players graduated from Dillard, which uses Lockhart as its home field, so Wednesday night was a homecoming for the trio. "Oh, yeah, I remember a lot of big games there," said Louisiana-Lafayette assistant coach Brian Jenkins, who is from Fort Lauderdale. "The Soul Bowl against Ely, St. Thomas. Every game Dillard played was a big one." Jenkins has used is local connections to create a pipeline to Lafayette, and there are now eight players from Broward and Palm Beach on the roster, including the Cajuns' two leading receivers, Jason Chery and Derrick Smith. Smith is another Dillard alum from Fort Lauderdale and had about 60 family and friends in the stands. "We started something now," Smith said about the players from South Florida that Jenkins has recruited. The rest of the story Ted Hutton South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[USLJim]

Just a question... and this really is an honest question. I do want to hear your hard-hitting opinion. How would you explain our other wins, which were based on big offense? I, too, have been very frustrated with our offense in the past, and I thought those problems were gone. Tonight did remind me of days of old, although the difference is we won. And that is a huge difference.

BTW, someone please tell Mike Adams he is my hero.

Ms CajunKate, The point I was trying to convey, and which it seems I did not do a good job of, was the inconsistant play calling of the offensive coordinator. As you notice the QB does not call the plays, The OC does. Against Houston, we used a tight end to score the winning touchdown, did you see the tight end catch a ball last night. We are a obvious play calling team. We knew what the OC was gonna call and so did FAU. No imagination to overcome the defense. Against Houston I saw HEART and GUTTS playing. Those guys played with intensity. We run the same plays over and over and the defense knows how to defend us. NO end around this time for a big play like in Houston. When our Offensive line can open up holes for the running backs we do have some good runs, but when they are stopped, it is time to do something else. FENROY is the guttest back I have seen in decades. He ran on HEART LAST, breaking tackles to get more, if it had not been for him the offense would have not been in a position to score a field goal.
Maybe the Offensive coordinator learned something this game cause I am sure Troy, Middle, ULM , and ASU did. WE are gonna have to bust our butts to beat these guys now cause play calling like last night won't WIN.

If I offend the cajun loyal by being critical it is because it was a terrible game on national TV. You should have heard the sportscaster on KPLC in Lake Charles, he said" it was the worst game he had ever seen on TV. They hate us but we gave them fuel to blow their hatred UP for our University. He was a boozoo anyway, he had us playing FIU in his annoucements and scoreboard. WHAT A PUTZ. Yes some of us are critical , but 40 years of mediocrity and losing seasons is trying my patience. Not that I will give up on our Team ever. But there is a time when a change is needed and i don't think this guy is the right guy. The Defensive Coordinator who is a friend has really come around. He has made our defense respectible in the conference and the way the held up in Houston was incredible.
SO, if I get critical, it is because I won't stand for MEDIOCRITY anymore. It is time to put up or shut up, no more excuses on the type of players we sign, it is their job to get the best players they can and give them something to work with(meaning good offensive play calling). You can't blame the players for that, only execution of the play, but if the play calling stinks, it is the OC's fault, and not the players, if the players don't execute, then get a player who can and will execute.
Thank you and good night all you DIE-HARDS

GEAUX CAJUNS.

[snote]

the victory party did seem to be interrupted by the fog last night..

last i heard busses were to pick up team and others at the houston airport sometime around 6 this morning.. and getting back to lafayette around 10..

hope they remember we won.. or better yet.. hope they remember such trips from h_ll after a loss.. much better now-a-days..

a win is a win.. no matter if you don't make a 4th and 3 (smiles)

congratulations.. and of course.. "do it again!"