The Book: 2003 Football

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — There is life after football.

It may be hard to realize that, especially in the heat of battle, but some players prepare for that day.

Louisiana senior defensive end Antonio Floyd is one of several Ragin’ Cajuns who already have a degree and are taking more classes to better anticipate their future.

“I graduated in the spring,” Floyd said, “and I’m working on a second degree. I want to take football as far as I can take it, but you’ve got to have a backup plan.

“I’ve met a lot of important people while I’ve been at UL, and I want to be ready when I won’t be playing anymore.”

It is also Floyd’s hope that underclassmen will view his blueprint and learn from it.

“We (the degreed Cajuns) encourage younger players to do the same thing,” Floyd said. “I started working on (getting) my degree when I was redshirted, and other players can do the same thing.

“And, if they’re Props (Proposition 48 players), they can earn that extra prop year back.”

Floyd is one of 22 seniors who will be playing their final home game when the Cajuns host Florida International this Saturday at Cajun Field.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. – Each week Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football coaching staff honors players for their individual effort in game performances. The UL coaching staff would like to thank Hooters for sponsoring the Cajuns weekly and spring football awards.

This week, running back Dwight Lindon was named Hooters Offensive Player of the Game. Lindon had 10 carries for 61 yards and two catches for 27 yards, including a career-best 24-yard reception.

No selection was made for Hooters Defensive Player of the Game.

Senior punter Grant Autrey was named Hooters Special Forces Player of the Game. Autrey blasted 10 punts for a 38.9 average. It was the second Hooters selection for Autrey this season.

Butch Roussel and Mark Risher were named Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the Week, respectively. It marked the third time both players received the award.

The Thumper, Hammer and Kuhuna Awards were not awarded this week. Fred Stamps and Eric Bartel will serve as offensive captains for the Cajuns next week, while Daniel Taylor and Antonio Floyd will serve as defensive captains.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football team will face Florida International at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the final home game of the 2003 season at Cajun Field.

Seniors will be honored before the game in ppreciation for their dedication to the Ragin’ Cajuns football program. Also, Saturday is “Second Chance Night”. All season ticket holders can redeem any unused tickets for this weekend’s game all week at the Cajundome Box Office.

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PREVIOUS HOOTERS WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

Game 1 at South Carolina
Offensive: Travis Smothers
Defensive: Pat Lamy
Special Forces: Michael Adams
O-Scout: Butch Roussel
D-Scout: Mark Risher

Game 2 vs. Louisiana Tech
Offensive: No Award Given
Defensive: Ross Brupbacher
Special Forces: Sean Comiskey
O-Scout: Mike Moore
D-Scout: Kade Wildbur

Game 3 vs. Houston
Offensive: Ronnie Harvey
Defensive: Antonio Floyd
Special Forces: Grant Autrey
O-Scout: Bruce Taylor
D-Scout: Hershell Robinson

Game 4 at Minnesota
Offensive: Eric Rekieta
Defensive: No Award Given
Special Forces: Eric Bartel
O-Scout: Jordan Jackson
D-Scout: Jacob Junkin

Game 5 at North Texas
Offensive: Josh Joerg
Defensive: C.C. Brown
Special Forces: Sean Comiskey
O-Scout: Bruce Taylor
D-Scout: Derek Morel

Game 6 at Oklahoma State
Offensive: Fred Stamps
Defensive: Daniel Taylor
Special Forces: Sean Comiskey
O-Scout: Jordan Jackson
D-Scout: Julian Harris

Game 7 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Offensive: Eric Rekieta
Defensive: Antonio Floyd
Special Forces: David Prater
O-Scout: Butch Roussel
D-Scout: Mark Risher

Game 8 vs. New Mexico State
Offensive: Jerry Babb
Defensive: Terryl Fenton
Special Forces: Sean Comiskey
O-Scout: Ronald Vaughn
D-Scout: Johnny Felders

Game 9 vs. Idaho
Offensive: Chester Johnson
Defensive: C.C. Brown
Special Forces: Justin Venable
O-Scout: David Schexnayder
D-Scout: Julian Harris

Game 10 at Southern Mississippi
Offensive: Dwight Lindon
Defensive: No Award Given
Special Forces: Grant Autrey
O-Scout: Butch Roussel
D-Scout: Mark Risher

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — The best thing to do with last Saturday’s 48-3 loss at Southern Mississippi was to leave it in the past, and that’s what Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns have been doing this week.

Sun Belt Conference member Florida International, a Division 1-AA program intent on stepping up to Division 1-A soon, will be at Cajun Field for Saturday’s 4 p.m. home finale.

The game counts in UL’s Sun Belt standings, but just as important will be the salute to 23 seniors.

“The only thing these players are promised is 12 football games,” Cajun offensive line coach Mike Gibson said. “This is one of 12 and the guys should be just as excited as South Carolina or Louisiana Monroe. Once the ball is snapped and people get hit I believe that everyone forgets about family a little bit and concentrates more on football.”

Gibson is not fooled by FIU’s 1-AA status.

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Infection takes ULL defensive tackle down rough road

LOUISIANA LA. -- Darryl Blappert's narrow window of college eligibility almost closed prematurely several months ago when he mysteriously began losing excessive weight.

Blappert, a senior University of Louisiana at Lafayette defensive tackle, weighed almost as much as a running back at the start of his first and probably last Division I-A season.

Normally Blappert carried 275 pounds on his 6-foot-7 frame, but as preseason August practices continued, his weight dipped sometimes as low as 235.

"It got so bad that the coaches would keep me inside, away from the heat and off the field until it was absolutely necessary and then I would run out and practice a little bit," said Blappert, a junior college transfer. "Standing out in the sun and sweating so much would make the weight just drip off me."

Physicians eventually diagnosed Blappert with an intestinal infection that caused his body's metabolism to accelerate about 57 percent more than normal.

"Actually what I have isn't so abnormal and it's not life threatening," Blappert said. "What is does is make my body run faster and burns up weight at an extremely high level.

"With the medication, the infection should run its course, but it has helped turn what I hoped would be a great year into one that's been pretty tough."

Blappert, who started the past several weeks at one defensive tackle, has had what even he concedes a unique college football career.

The rest of the story

By BOBBY ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate

[RaisingCajun08]

I would like to know why I never saw any article like that in the Sadvitiser.

Good Luck Darryl.

[Turbine]

I am hoping for a win over FIU this weekend, so why do I call this Saturday "Separation Saturday"?

It's not because Bustle can match Baldwin’s best single season win total with a win on Saturday. He did that in year one. This would simply be two in a row.

Bustle's Cajuns have played twice as many top 30 teams in the country in his first 2 years, as Baldwin played in 3, so superior strength of schedule is not the reason. The Bustle Led Cajuns have this one hands down.

It’s not hinging on whether his record is 1-0 or 0-1 after two years against D1aa schools. I mean there is really no possible comparison in this regard. By this time in Baldwin’s second year he had tied 1 D1aa school in regulation, and lost to 3 others.

It has nothing to do with 2 year win totals. Bustle matched Baldwin's two year win total on November 9th 2002 when his overall record was 3-7. For comparison sake Baldwin reached his third win on November 4th 2000 with an overall record of 3-17. Bustle reached 3 wins 10 games faster than Baldwin, so obviously this year’s record is not why I call this separation Saturday.

For clarification (of the previous), it's not separation Saturday based on a win against FIU giving Bustle 6 wins or double the number of wins in Baldwin’s first 2 years. That could be used, but for this page it is not the criteria. But we are getting warmer.

For me it is separation Saturday because a win on Saturday will give UL fans a winning record at home over the last two years. A win would make Louisiana 6-5 for the games personally witnessed by fans at the Swamp and confirm that a winning tradition has been started under Bustle. It would also tie for the second year in a row the number of home wins with Jake Delhomme’s last season.

Finally and this is a big one for me. A win on Saturday will move UL to .500 in Conference play and position the Ragin' Cajuns for a winning record in the SunBelt.

Separation Saturday, is less about Baldwin vs. Bustle, and instead is a marking point of separation between the past and the future.

[ATXCajun]

Been thinking about football at all today, Turb?

[cajun tom]

This is a perfect example why we should not recruit junior college players. His tenure is already done. If we would have recruited a high school player instead, he would still be around.

[CajunKate]

Originally posted by cajun tom
This is a perfect example why we should not recruit junior college players. His tenure is already done. If we would have recruited a high school player instead, he would still be around.

I beleive the word is called rebuilding. We need guys with experience right now. If Blappert were a high school recruit, he probably would not have played as much and had the impact he did. I have faith that Coach Bustle and staff know exactly what they are doing when it comes to recruiting. Just my 2 cents.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by ATXCajun
Been thinking about football at all today, Turb?

A little.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by cajun tom
This is a perfect example why we should not recruit junior college players. His tenure is already done. If we would have recruited a high school player instead, he would still be around.

The thing is Bustle did not sacrifice high school recruits in order to sign JC kids.

[CajunCharlie]

ATX, my man Turbine is always thinking. He has got some brains

[NewsCopy]

Cajun fans wave bye to 22 seniors vs. FIU Panthers today.

LOUISIANA La. — Today is Senior Day at Cajun Field, with 22 players taking a final bow as Louisiana hosts Florida International at 4 p.m. in the last home game of the season.

But it’s more than a little symbolic that redshirt freshman Jerry Babb is the starting quarterback for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Senior Eric Rekieta will finish his two-year Cajun career on the sidelines with a broken collarbone suffered four games ago against New Mexico State.

Rekieta had hit 99-of-165 passes for 1,090 yards and 7 touchdowns before the injury, including a school-record 473 yards against UL Monroe.

He finishes just a shade outside of the career Top 10 for yardage at UL with 1,742 (No. 10 James Freeman had 1,760) and has served as a valuable bridge between Jon Van Cleave and Babb.

Babb (88-of-167, 860 yards, 2 TD; 51-146-3 rushing) stepped in to direct wins over NMSU and Idaho before faltering in last week’s 48-3 loss at Southern Mississippi.

His mistakes have mirrored the Cajuns’ growing pains in the second year under coach Rickey Bustle, a year which still has a chance to finish on a high note.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[DestinCajun]

Turb,

I'll have my collection of old Athlon mags and a few other Cajun football historical items in the trunk today. Look for me there by the Bookstore's set up at D2.

DC

[LatvianCajun]

Great job seniors.