The Book: 2003 Football

[NewsCopy]

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

[Turbine]

Date: 11/01/2003
Location: M.M. Roberts Stadium (tailgating)
Cost: $65 per person
Time: Bus departs at 8 a.m.; Game at 2 p.m.

Join the Louisiana's Alumni Association in supporting the Ragin' Cajuns as they help spoil Homecoming Day for the Golden Eagles of the University of Southern Mississippi.

The bus will depart from the Alumni Center at 8:00 a.m. and return immediately after the game.

$65 per person fee includes travel on a chartered bus, game ticket and refreshments.

Contact: Lana Rodriguez 337-482-0900

Register Online

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — If you’re a defensive back, you can’t get too excited over success, or too dejected by failure.

Louisiana’s secondary members know all too well how quickly things can change.

They went from disappointment to delight in a few days’ time last week, bouncing back from a 45-42 homecoming loss to UL Monroe to play a key role in last Thursday’s 26-24 victory over New Mexico State.

ULM connected on big passes, often because Cajun defensive backs failed to challenge for the ball in the air, and assistant coach Clay Jennings took due note.

“This past Monday, coach Jennings had us doing ball drills all practice,” sophomore cornerback Terryl Fenton said. “We weren’t even covering receivers. We just worked on playing the ball and taking it at its highest point.

“So, yeah, we did concentrate on that.”

Fenton was Exhibit A in the success of that focus, stepping in front of a third-down NMSU pass with 2:21 to play and darting 21 yards to the Aggies’ 44-yard line to position the Cajuns for a game-winning field goal march.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana QB focuses on learning from mistakes.

LOUISIANA La. — Last Saturday was something new for Jerry Babb.

The redshirt freshman from St. Thomas More had the day off, since UL had defeated New Mexico State 26-24 at Cajun Field on Thursday before a regional TV audience.

What to do, if you’re a college student with time on your hands?

“I took the time to just relax and get away from football,” Babb said. “I laid around and watched the games on TV — slept all day, really. I studied some, and watched LSU play that night.”

“The players really needed to get away,” UL coach Rickey Bustle said. “They needed to be away from the complex, do something else. It’s been 12 straight weeks, and no matter what we did against New Mexico State we were going to give them time off.”

Given time to reflect, Babb knew quickly what he would change from his performance against NMSU. He hit 17-of-29 passes for 177 yards and a 12-yard touchdown to Fred Stamps, and added 63 yards and a pair of touchdowns rushing.

His running helped position the Cajuns for Sean Comiskey’s game-winning 21-yard field goal in the final seconds, too.

But Babb, who stepped in when Eric Rekieta broke his collarbone, was far from satisfied.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — When New Mexico State needed a crucial third-down play to put away Louisiana last Thursday at Cajun Field, the Aggies went with a Paul Dombrowski pass.

NMSU had a 24-23 lead and the ball on the UL 49-yard line with 2 1/2 minutes to play. A running play and a punt might have pinned the Ragin’ Cajuns deep in their own territory.

But the pass was the choice, an idea that backfired when cornerback Terryl Fenton intercepted the ball and returned it to the NMSU 44 to set up a game-winning Cajun field goal drive.

If the Idaho Vandals are in a similar situation here Saturday, the Vandals would surprise no one if they went to the air.

“Idaho has made a commitment to running the ball, and they run it better than most people think,” Cajun safeties coach Gary Bartel said. “But, when it gets right down to it, I expect them to throw the ball when they need a big play.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana, Idaho both searching for season’s second win.

LOUISIANA La. — This hasn’t been the best of seasons for the Idaho Vandals.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns aren’t overly fond of the results so far, either.

Each squad is 1-7 on the year, both grateful that New Mexico State waited a couple of years to leave the Sun Belt Conference.

When they meet at 4 p.m. today at 31,000-seat Cajun Field, they’ll seek redemption and a taste of success to take into 2004.

“The character of this group is what we’ve worked on all season — about staying together and playing together,” said Idaho coach Tom Cable, whose team fell 28-21 in overtime last week at home to Middle Tennessee.

“We’ll just keep doing our thing. We’ll go out and compete and play hard and do everything we can to win these last four games.

“We know what has kept us close and got us better and improved us is we have great character. We’re really, really leaning on that right now.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[LatvianCajun]

Good job Cajuns.

[RaginFan2]

Allrriiiiiiggghhhhhhttttt!!!!!!

Way to geaux Cajuns!

[CajunKate]

It was a great game! For the first time,Jerry Babb seemed confident and in control. He even stayed in the pocket a bit more. C.C. Brown deserves defensive player of the week in my opinion. He was everywhere tonight. Congrats Cajuns!

[LatvianCajun]

So what was it, any ideas?

[CajunGrad94]

I just got back from the game. It was really fun to watch. I'm sure it was the first game of the year that we lead the whole game. My best guess is no more than 12,000. Very poor on the student side. Maybe a 1,000 students.

[CajunGrad94]

UPDATE

Offical attendence according to FOX sports 9,213.

Surely we can support this program better than this.