The Book: 2003 Football

[TuffGuy84]

Turnovers and bad playcalling kill them from what it sounds like. Gernster acctually managed to fumble once, and throw an interception...AND HES A RUNNING BACK! This team is like NMSU, they find a way to lose, and Cable has proven to be the worst coach in the belt. We will win, but itll be close, as toward the end, idaho will find a way to lose, like ussual.

Tuffguy

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LOUISIANA La. — There was more bounce to Rickey Bustle’s step on Monday, and there’s a good reason for that.

Bustle’s Ragin’ Cajuns finally got in the win column last Thursday, edging New Mexico State 26-24 at Cajun Field before a regional TV audience.

Suddenly, all those hours of film study and all that attention to detail in practice made more sense, both for the coaches and the players.

“When you win, you forget you’re tired sometimes,” Bustle said. “Getting up Friday morning was fun for me.

“It’s no secret. When you win, you feel like getting up and going to work. I thought we (coaches) would take some time off, but I was here all three days this weekend, looking at film.

“It kind of makes you want to go a little harder.”

Another reason for improved optimism is a look at the players who produced key plays in the victory.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jerry Babb stepped in for injured senior Eric Rekieta, overcame a pair of fourth quarter interceptions and guided the winning field goal drive.

Babb ran for two scores and passed for a third, totalling 240 yards of offense in three quarters of action.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. -- Now that his University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns finally know what it feels like to win, Rickey Bustle hopes they go out and do it again. And again. And again.

The Cajuns, who had gotten off to an 0-7 start, defeated Sun Belt Conference rival New Mexico State, 26-24, last Thursday when Sean Comiskey kicked a 21-yard field goal in the final seconds. It was the Cajuns' first win since Nov. 9, 2002.

"I want to take the last game and build on it," Bustle said Monday at his weekly news conference. "I don't want this to be a flash in the pan for the season.

"I told the team the other night in the locker room: 'I want you to close your eyes for a second and really feel what this feels like. Hearts are pounding; mine's about to bust out of my shirt.'

"It was exciting and I didn't want them to forget that feeling because we haven't had it very much around here. And I want them to have it again."

The rest of the story

By GLENN QUEBEDEAUX
Special to The Advocate

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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, redshirt freshman quarterback and Lafayette native Jerry Babb was named Hooters Offensive Player of the Game. Babb finished Thursday night’s game 17-of-29 for 177 yards with one touchdown. Babb also rushed for 63 yards with two touchdowns.

Terryl Fenton was selected Hooters Defensive Player of the Game. Fenton finished with two tackles, four assisted tackles, one pass break-up, an interception and went the extra mile once for the Cajuns.

For the fourth time this season, Sean Comiskey was named Hooters Special Forces Player of the Game. Comiskey kicked the 21-yard game-winning field goal to give the Cajuns a 26-24 victory Thursday night. For his efforts, Comiskey was named Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Ronald Vaughn and Johnny Felders were named Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the Week, respectively. It was the first time both players were selected.

Per player vote, Eric Rekieta received the Thumper Award for the biggest hit on offense. James Roberts and Lamar Morgan shared Hammer Award honors for the biggest hit on defense. James Roberts also received the Kuhuna Award for the biggest hit on special teams.

Ronnie Harvey and Kemmie Lewis will serve as offensive captains for the Cajuns next week, while Daniel Taylor and C.C. Brown will serve as defensive captains.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football team hosts Idaho at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Cajun Field.

LOUISIANA SI

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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

[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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com