The Book: 2003 Football

[Cajun1997]

Great find and great article on our team & coach

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — The walking wounded are slowly working their way back into action, and Louisiana head football coach Rickey Bustle’s glad of it.

The Ragin’ Cajuns worked out for just over two hours Thursday afternoon, nearing the end of the second week of fall drills, and several of the players who missed Wednesday’s first scrimmage saw at least limited action.

“I was looking around, and a couple of them got in a little more work,” Bustle said following the workout. “Some of them probably could have gone some yesterday, but it wouldn’t have been right for guys to have no contact for a while and then to throw them right in there.”

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

Players looking forward to end of camp

August 14, 2003
One more day of two-a-days for us all.

It is the last day of the true two-practices-a-day routine. I guess it is a little sentimental. Some of the guys that I signed with that were not redshirted like me, are going into their last season of college football.

This is the last training camp for Josh Joerg, Fred Stamps, Daniel Taylor and many others. It seems like just yesterday, we were all wide-eyed freshmen going through freshman camp. I also distinctly remember Fred and I being roommates for our official visits. I guess time flies when you are playing football.

We reviewed the scrimmage film this morning and got some weightlifting in. We lift weights during the season to maintain strength, and as a prevention from getting hurt. You always have to stay in shape to play football.

The rest Lawrence Johnson's football practice report

[1stTake]

That is good news, now he can focus on losing.

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Dwight Lindon is part of a multi-horse race, with the stakes high for the 2003 season.

The former Comeaux High star is one of the candidates to start at running back for Louisiana, each attempting to be a part of an attack that erases the memory of a substandard running game in 2002.

“The biggest part of the competition is the mental part,” said Lindon, a 5-foot-9, 210-pound junior of the ongoing battle for playing time. “We’re all different. I’m more of a power back. Chester (Johnson) can catch the ball real well. And Josh (Harrison) is a speedster. I think the coaches are confident in each one of us. We all can get it done. “I’m very comfortable. I’ve learned to gain confidence in myself. It’s very easy to know what I have to do.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - UL's’s wide receivers were strolling to a spot on the field to stretch after Friday’s practice, and junior college transfer Kemmie Lewis covered the final few feet to that point with a casual backflip.

That burst of energy supported assistant coach Brian Crist’s assessment of that group’s enthusiasm.

“They’ll probably tell you they could play tomorrow and win 50-0,” Crist said. “I’ll say we’re where we need to be two weeks away from the first game.”

That Aug. 30 opener will pit the Ragin’ Cajuns against SEC member South Carolina, and Crist is eager to gauge their progress in game action.

“Coach Bustle may disagree with me, but I think this group is better than the group we had when I was at Virginia Tech,” said Crist, who was with Cajun head coach Rickey Bustle on the Tech staff for two years in the 1990s.

“We had Antonio Freeman on that team, but top to bottom I’ll take these guys.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[Cajun1997]

Just got back from the scrimmage, surprising good crowd out today to watch the Cajuns. Here are my observations. Players who stood out on offense: Jerry Babb, Fred Stamps, Jordan Jackson. On defense: Ken Haynes, George Benson, Mack Fair, Antoine Spann, and Tyler Norman. Stamps caught a TD from Babb on a great runa after the catch. Jackson made a great catch in the endzone on a pass from Rekeita (may have been Lane) against DB Terryl Fenton. Our running game did not impress me at all today. Very few good runs. Which leads me to wonder if our running game still stinks or has our defense improved that much against the run. The players I named aboved were knocking the #### out of people. Fair played alot of reps today in place of Stanley Smith who did not play due to injury. Bill Sampy, Patrick Lamy and Ronnie Harvey were other notables that did not play. With Harvey out Fane and Hodges seemed to rotate at center. Another freshman (besides Jackson) who played well today were #92 DT Chris Cutler, he was in on several plays and even worked some with the first team defense. Overall our defense looked very good and our passing game looked pretty good. Our running game concerns me as Babb had to be the leading rusher unless somebody broke a long run after I left.

[CajunCall]

The offense lags behind the defense every cotton pickin year! Why do you think?

[Cajun1997]

Anyone that has been to practice know these freshman's numbers?

Travis Ferguson, DT
Tre' Green, LB
Jason Guidry, DE
Jarrett Jones, DB
Torres Kingsby, DB
Brandon McDonald, WR
Bruce Taylor, WR

I already have

#33 Michael Adams, DB
#56 William Chance, OL
#16 Ross Corcoran, QB
#72 Brandon Cox, OL
#92 Chris Cutler, DT
#86 Jordan Jackson, WR
#70 Zachary Leger, OL
#38 Lamar Morgan, DB
#58 Mark Risher, LB

Kingsby or Jones has been wearing number 13, I just don't know which.

[Cajun1997]

Originally posted by CajunCall
The offense lags behind the defense every cotton pickin year! Why do you think?

That is true, however the passing game is far ahead of the running game at this point. Whether it is the backs or the line or a combination it is a concern considering we have to have focused and preached this all summer after last years 61 yards a game. I am not saying it won't be fine by the time the season starts or that it has not looked ok in prior practices but today was not good overall for the running game.

[Cajun1997]

Getting closer and closer to kickoff, thought some of you may be interested in visiting a USC forum.

The Garnet Room

[Gangsta]

Scrimmage and i saw a couple of cameras out there, so.... let me have em'.....