2007 Football preview and offseason fan talk

[ShowDog]

_ I just hope that we don't live and die by Desormeaux this year.

I realize the dynamic nature of Mike and love the guy. I am just very concerned with his throwing ability and throwing decision making. I know that true athletes tend to pick up on things quickly and I have high hopes that Mike will have taken care of the fundamentals and situational things before Conference games open up. And we can't judge Mike by the 2005 campaign. He was thrown in and had not been preparing to be an every game QB. Due to his obvious lack of confidence in throwing, his instincts took over and we saw brilliance in his scrambling.

I am behind Mike 110% and I think we are a better team with him behind center IF he can throw enough for defenses to not load the box. But if he doesn't or can't, our coaches have to put Hundley in. We can work in Mike other places and he will succeed (see the past two Sun Belt All Purpose awards). I just won't people able to tolerate hard-headedness in the event of Mike struggling at the QB position. If he hasn't shown drastic improvement in his throwing ability at the end of the 2nd conference game or so, Hundley has to go in. He is plenty competent enough and will stretch the field, ultimately opening it up for our bread-and-butter, #32.

Mike is the man. But the coaches (and Hundley) better be ready to make a change if necessary. _

Well said!!

[ShowDog]

_ let me start by saying i think mike will get it done with his arm. The kid can throw the ball, he had alot of dropped passes last year. He knew what he had to work on all spring and summer if he wanted this to be his job. I'm confident he worked on that. I agree if he can't get it he needs to move to wide out/ running back and use his skills that way. However, where i disagree with you, is i think morel should get the nod. He fits our offense better, he is more mobile. Has more game experience and he just over all looked better in the spring. Let's just hope we don't see either hundley or morel b/c that will mean something went wrong. _

According to The Advocate this morning, Des only threw 9 times last year and completed only 2. I don't think a good or bad arm can be determined by 9 thows.

I hope he can throw because with his athleticism, he could be very dangerous with the threat of running or throwing.

[TheFan]

_ I have no problem with you venting. You have asked the same questions that many have asked on this forum and others. I think this coaching staff has to understand that they are now on the clock, thus the changes in staff by coach Bustle. So this staff needs to win games, and a losing season is not going to help this program in any manner.

But before you dismiss the importance of naming Walker as the Athletic Director, let me tell you a few reasons why it was a good appointment. First and formost, Walker has the support of all the coaching staffs in the Cajun Athletic program. In case you missed it, recently coach Robicheaux mentioned that one of the reasons he signed a four your extension was because of Walker and the mans' integrity. Watch closely the next year and see what other coaches might be in line for extensions. Secondly, while Walker is not the high profile personality that you or I would have prefered, he gets results. The scheduling for the football and basketball programs haven't been completed in a more timely manner in years. Negotiations and contracts are on-going for future schedules, infact the football schedule is close to being completed for next year. I can't remember when that was accomplished under the previous Athletic Director. And finally, do you really believe we were going to get anyone that had a proven track record as the athletic director of any successful Div.1A athletic program with our lack of financial funding?

You mentioned Southern Miss. as a model for our program to follow, I think that would be a great program to emulate. But, look at their athletic budget and tell me how many millions are generated from student athletic fees? You can check the other Sun Belt programs outside of Louisiana as well. Once you have done that, please tell me that those dollars are not part of the seperation and are not important. The Cajuns recent income adjustment from the state will not get us even close to the upper income programs in the Sun Belt. So how long can we sustain, or as you have stated maintain in the middle of the pack?

As for recruiting, there is no question we need to win. But I don't listen to talk radio for my recruiting information. I speak to recruits and we are getting alot of positive feedback from some really good prospects. Most of these athletes have mentioned the indoor practice facility and the weight room. We have athletes from Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky considering the Cajun program. So we are not a BCS program, but athletes are starting to look really hard at this program. Winning will take care of the rest.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but one should look at the whole picture and understand we are not close to were we need to be in the total funding picture. The rest of your questions are going to be played out on the football field and basketball court this year. We need to win, no arguements. _

Great post!!!!!

[CajunNation]

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...707250348/1006


<<< Waters said the Sun Belt has been approached by three existing bowls about establishing an automatic bid for a Sun Belt team, and one bowl is currently in negotiations with the Sun Belt.

Waters would not identify any of those prospective bowls. However, some likely candidates include the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. and the Papa Johns Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. >>>

[McNeese72]

_ Doc, I'm sure the National Guard will be out in force for crowd control and suppression of any of those "potential conflicts" you speak of as I'm certain the La. State Police will have the majority of it's resources on I-10 East that day in order to maintain an orderly flow of traffic.

The other thing we'll need is for your man Taillgate to count the attendance like he does at all our games. _

Okay, you figured it out. We aren't really bringing anybody and won't be taking up any of the usual Cajun tailgating spots. No problem. You guys can all show up after lunch on Saturday and get in your usual spots.

Doc

[rhineaux]

_ http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...707250348/1006


<<< Waters said the Sun Belt has been approached by three existing bowls about establishing an automatic bid for a Sun Belt team, and one bowl is currently in negotiations with the Sun Belt.

Waters would not identify any of those prospective bowls. However, some likely candidates include the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. and the Papa Johns Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. >>> _

That's some good news. I hope that it can work out that we team up with the #1 from another conference, instead of another #3 or #4. but you gotta crawl before you walk.

[RaginFan2]

Okay, you figured it out. We aren't really bringing anybody and won't be taking up any of the usual Cajun tailgating spots. No problem. You guys can all show up after lunch on Saturday and get in your usual spots.

Doc

Wait a minute, Doc! You're not trying to trick us, are you? I didn't think you would do such a *dastardly* thing!

[DestinCajun]

_ Okay, you figured it out. We aren't really bringing anybody and won't be taking up any of the usual Cajun tailgating spots. No problem. You guys can all show up after lunch on Saturday and get in your usual spots.

Doc _

I'm sure the earth with tip on it's axis that day as all those McNeese folks move east across the surface of the planet.

By the way, here's another pic of McNeese "tailgating". Someone said this was when y'all played at Lower Panhandle Southeastern Montana Polytechnical State U. but I can't say for sure......

[McNeese72]

_ Wait a minute, Doc! You're not trying to trick us, are you? I didn't think you would do such a *dastardly* thing! _

Nah! Not me!

I'm just conforming to the opinion of some of the Cajun fans around that the McNeese people are grossly over-estimating the amount of Cowboy fans that will be coming to the game and that there is no need to worry about any of the Cajun tailgating spots.

Doc

P.S. You don't have to worry about our little ole' FCS (or I-AA or whatever) football team. We don't have "nothing" coming back from last season.

[rhineaux]

_ I'm sure the earth with tip on it's axis that day as all those McNeese folks move east across the surface of the planet.

By the way, here's another pic of McNeese "tailgating". Someone said this was when y'all played at Lower Panhandle Southeastern Montana Polytechnical State U. but I can't say for sure...... _

I noticed the date on the bottom of the pic, and noticed that it was taken during bowl season. I thought that maybe they were on their way to watch McNeese in a bowl game, but then I remembered, they're in d-1AA, they don't get to play in any bowls.

[CajunZ1]

My question is WHERE is North Texas?

Since this ranking is over the past decade, and not just recent years, I'm guessing UNT isn't there because they never lost a sun belt game until 2(?) years ago.

[DaddyCajun]

_ Since this ranking is over the past decade, and not just recent years, I'm guessing UNT isn't there because they never lost a sun belt game until 2(?) years ago. _

Exactly it is a weak poll and no weight should be put on it. It does however remind us that we still have a whole lot of work to be done so that we do not even get considered for such a poll.

DaddyCajun