The Book: 2003 Football

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LOUISIANA La. — Now that she’s taken the Women’s Football Clinic, Nancy Johnson hopes she’ll be better able to find her son on Cajun Field.

“He plays offense, second team, tight end. I learned where his position falls most of the times, and I think it will help me follow him on the field,” she said.

Johnson was one of about 80 women who took the clinic at Cajun Field on Saturday, which Rickey Bustle, Louisiana head football coach, started last year.

The day began with lectures from coaches at Angelle Hall on the Louisiana campus, followed by tours of the Cajuns’ locker room, weight room and training rooms, as well as Cajun Field.

The final part of the day-long event had the women running onto the field in groups while the loudspeaker proclaimed them to be different teams of the NFL. On the field, some women suited up in pads, jerseys and helmets; some tried kicking field goals; and others threw the football through a target.

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Beverly Corbell
bcorbell@theadvertiser.com

[Turner]

I'll say 2 years.

[WebWatchDog]

Originally posted by CajunsFan11
How long til the Cajuns make it to the big one in the Big Easy?

Why not! Lets go this year.

[CajunCharlie]

I am for that! If our offensive line can produce I believe we have a shot!!!!!

[NewsCopy]

Rickey Bustle focused on steady upgrade for Cajuns in 2003.

NEW ORLEANS — Rickey Bustle doesn’t throw around a lot of statistics.

He knows they’re there, but he’s a bottom line kind of football coach.

“The statistic that concerns me most is 3-and-9,” Bustle said Tuesday at Sun Belt Conference media day activities.

UL hasn’t had a winning season since 1995, and Bustle isn’t sure if his second year will provide that kind of positive reinforcement to players and fans who have gotten behind his enthusiasm.

He is certain, though, that the Cajuns will be improved in 2003.

“There’s no question we’re better,” Bustle said. “Now, does that mean over .500? Just under .500? I don’t know where that measuring stick is.”

By any measure, this fall is more settled than 2002.

“When we let the seniors go after our last game, I was looking at 46 kids on scholarship in the room,” Bustle said. “That’s not a lot of people.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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CAJUN CLIPPINGS — Defensive end Justin Venable is back after a medical redshirt in 2002. “Justin has played here about four or five years already, and somehow he got another three years,” Bustle said. “Don’t ask me how that happened. He might have his PhD before he’s through playing.” ... Bustle said it is in freshman quarterback Devin Williams’ best interest to redshirt in 2003 while he absorbs the offense.

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Bustle hopes second year pays dividends for ULL

NEW ORLEANS -- Rickey Bustle has a one-year head start on Charlie Weatherbie, but both face the same challenge.

Bustle is in his second year as coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Weatherbie is in his first at UL-Monroe. Both are trying to improve on records of 3-9 overall and 2-4 in Sun Belt Conference play last season.

"There's no question we're a better football team," Bustle said at the Sun Belt Media Day Tuesday afternoon. "Are we good enough to be .500 or better? I don't know what the measuring stick is.

"The biggest difference from last year is the players understand what the coaches' expectations of them are," Bustle said. "Whenever you're a first-year head coach the players are going to question everything that you do. They might not come out and say it, but they're going to wonder if you know what you're doing. We kept coaching the same way and our personalities didn't change."

Bustle said the Ragin' Cajuns' improvement from being the most penalized team in the Sun Belt two years ago to the least penalized last year shows improved discipline and that the players are "buying into what we're doing."

When Bustle said good-bye to his seniors after last season he was left with just 46 scholarship players.

"After our last meeting," Bustle recalled, "I told them we're getting ready to make our biggest commitment to this program. If you think you've worked hard and committed yourself, you haven't seen anything yet.

"We have a decent nucleus," Bustle said. "We had a heck of a recruiting class (including 12 junior-college players, half of which enrolled in time to participate in spring practice). We have to find out where our junior-college players fit in. We've got to find our chemistry with so many new faces."

UL has made great strides in adding quality depth and generating competition for playing time, Bustle said.

"We were a better team in the spring than we were last fall," Bustle said. "It was fun in the spring from the standpoint of the players knowing where to go to lineup. Last year we had to teach everything. I'm excited about what's getting ready to happen with this football team."

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By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate

[1stTake]

Going over my calendar I notice we have a Thursday game. Has UL ever had a Thursday game before?

[RedBug58]

We've never played on Thursday, but under coach Baldwin we've had some games where we didn't show up until the following Thursday.....

[Cajun1997]

WR Fred Stamps named to preseason 2003 SBC team at the New Orleans football media meetings. The Cajuns were picked to finish 5th in conference behind

North Texas
New Mexico St
Middle Tennessee
Arkansas State

and ahead of

Utah State
Idaho
ULM

LINK

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The Sun Belt preseason rankings selected by a voting panel of head coaches, media relations directors and media. Each line includes the team’s number of points and, in parentheses, first-place votes:

1. North Texas, 186 (20)

2. New Mexico State, 160 (2)

3. Middle Tennessee, 131 (1)

4. Arkansas State, 112

5. Louisiana, 98

6. Utah State, 75

7. Idaho [at Moscow], 59 (1)

8. UL Monroe, 43

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[NewsCopy]

NEW ORLEANS -- The University of North Texas dominated the Sun Belt Conference's preseason picks as the league concluded its Media Days on Wednesday.

Now all the Mean Green have to do is live up to the expectations when they start the season Aug. 30 at Oklahoma.

North Texas, which has won the league's first two titles, was picked to repeat as league champion. Mean Green defensive tackle Brandon Kennedy was selected Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and teammate and running back Patrick Cobbs received that honor on offense.

"Preseason is preseason," NTSU coach Darrell ____ey said. "Both these guys know what's most important is what is said at the end of the year.

. . .


Louisiana's [at Lafayette] lone pick on the all-conference team was wide receiver Fred Stamps, a senior from New Orleans who was a first-team all-Sun Belt selection last season after catching 54 passes for 1,002 yards and eight touchdowns.

"Fred Stamps could play anywhere in the country," Ragin' Cajuns' coach Rickey Bustle said. "I was at Virginia Tech and he could have been one of our tops guys. He has really been working to win. He's getting better every day."

UL is the first team to get a crack at North Texas (Sept. 27 in Denton, Texas). The Mean Green have played their best football after the start of conference play the last two seasons, winning their last 11 league games after losing their Sun Belt debut against ULM two years ago.

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By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate