The Book: 2003 Football

[LatvianCajun]

Originally posted by CajunKate
but I love the flag, LativanCajun. I wish they made one like that. I'd buy it!

Here I have a smaller one if you like it.

[LatvianCajun]

Hey you Southern Miss. people.

Here are some things to use as avatars

[CajunRebel]

I am a student and I heard nothing about about that boycott. And I saw a lot of faternity guys at the game. I was very dissapointed to see so few people at the game. After the NMSU game, I don't know why everyone wouldn't have come back for seconds. Mabye everyone had flashbacks of the downpour during the game last month and decied not to brave the weather.

[TuffGuy84]

Originally posted by CajunRebel
I am a student and I heard nothing about about that boycott. And I saw a lot of faternity guys at the game. I was very dissapointed to see so few people at the game. After the NMSU game, I don't know why everyone wouldn't have come back for seconds. Mabye everyone had flashbacks of the downpour during the game last month and decied not to brave the weather.

Pshh, are you kidden, the houston game was the most fun the student section has been all season long. it rawked that night!

Tuffguy

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns’ rushing attack surprises visiting Vandals.

LOUISIANA La. — What’s next? The wishbone?

Seriously, Louisiana stood Idaho defensive strategy on its ear Saturday at Cajun Field, rushing 54 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-20 Sun Belt Conference victory.

The Cajuns’ total nearly equalled the 243 yards gained on the season by team leader Travis Smothers entering the contest.

Coach Rickey Bustle’s team was averaging 216.9 yards passing and just 87.9 on the ground, so the Vandals prepared to defend the pass first.

Just as intriguing was Bustle’s choice of sophomore Chester Johnson to shoulder the load.

Johnson, who started the season opener at South Carolina, but suffered crucial fumbles earlier in the season, netted 153 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — This may not qualify as streaking, but Louisiana hit its stride on Saturday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns rushed for a season-best 227 yards and produced enough key plays on defense to hold off the Idaho Vandals 31-20 before 9,213 fans at Cajun Field.

It was the second win in a row for coach Rickey Bustle’s team after seven straight defeats, and in many ways was their most solid performance of the season.

Sophomore Chester Johnson led the ground game, gaining a career-high 153 yards on 31 carries and scoring on runs of 3, 1, and 1 yard.

Redshirt freshman Jerry Babb hit 14-of-20 passes for 144 yards and a score, gained 35 yards on the ground and generaled an attack that converted 10-of-16 third-down opportunities.

Also, junior college transfer C.C. Brown halted the first Idaho march with an end zone interception and ended the Vandals’ last threat with a second pickoff.

“We played hard, and with emotion,” Bustle said. “I felt we were flat during warmups, and I challenged them. That first interception gave us a shot in the arm.

“The team found a way to win. Part of this whole thing is learning to make the plays you need to win. The defense came up with some stops and some big plays in the second half.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns’ hard-luck line paves way for run in win

LOUISIANA La. — There have been too many combinations in Louisiana’s offensive line this year for coach Rickey Bustle to chronicle.

The injury bug bit the Ragin’ Cajuns’ front wall once again last Saturday, as guards Marshall Delesdernier and D’Anthony Batiste both exited the contest against Idaho.

“I don’t even know if we know who’s in the huddle,” Bustle said. “We’ve had so many injuries there, I don’t know if it affects us anymore. We’ve got them limping on the field, as well as off.”

Batiste was back in the lineup against Idaho after an earlier injury, and was able to walk off the field after re-injuring an ankle.

Delesdernier was escorted up the tunnel after his mishap.

It’s all the more remarkable, then, that Bustle’s Cajuns rushed for a season-best 227 yards against the Vandals.

Perhaps all the shuffling has actually helped the team develop playing time and depth in the trenches.

Certainly the Vandals were caught off guard by the UL rushing game, which led to 37 minutes of possession in a 31-20 Sun Belt Conference victory.

Keeping Idaho’s potent offense off the field as long as possible was a sound strategy, one that helped produce a second straight Cajun win.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. -- Just when everyone was thinking of the University of Louisiana offense as a fledgling Air Bustle, the Ragin' Cajuns' head coach changed his game plan.

Rickey Bustle, whose team had passed for 718 yards in its no-huddle offense the previous two weeks, turned to his running game and sophomore running back Chester Johnson Saturday to rush past the Idaho Vandals, 31-20, for their second straight victory.

"We felt like we were doing what we needed to do," said Bustle, whose team rushed for a season-high 214 yards while throwing for just 144. "We were trying to take a little bit off of (redshirt freshman quarterback) Jerry (Babb). We were prepared to do the no-huddle, but ...

"We just felt like we needed to take some off him and, hopefully, run the football better ... which we did. That probably helped us out as much as anything ... running the football."

Not only did the change in strategy surprise Idaho and Cajun fans, but it also allowed the Cajuns to keep the ball away from an explosive Vandals offense. The Cajuns, who had been averaging only 87.9 rushing yards a game, owned a decisive 37:01 to 22:59 advantage in time of possession to limit the Vandals' offensive opportunities.

Johnson, who saw only limited action after suffering crucial fumbles in the Cajuns' season opener at South Carolina, was as unlikely a hero as one could find Saturday.

Having rushed for only 158 yards in the Cajuns' seven previous games combined, he rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries against the Vandals. A fumble at the Idaho 1 prevented him from having a four-touchdown night.

The rest of the story

By GLENN QUEBEDEAUX
Special to The Advocate

[Turbine]

SPECIAL THANKS TO ADRIAN VEGA'S ACADIANA DODGE FOR THE BUYING THE FIRST ROOM IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX UPGRADE. $25,000

[CajunGrad94]

No I did not. That is great news! How many rooms are up for sponsorship? The old scoreboard is really hard to read.

[ljr3721]

That is indeed great news, but did anyone else notice that 'Acadiana' was misspelled in the message?

[Turbine]

Originally posted by ljr3721
That is indeed great news, but did anyone else notice that 'Acadiana' was misspelled in the message?

Blame me.

I typed the one above, and at the game.

There is no excuse for that, especially when I know how to spell the word.

I spent half-time trying to get the board working and on my way back to the box I asked Gerald if there was anything he wanted on the board. He verbalized the above to me.