Is ULM a Rival?

[AstroCajun]

Simple question, yes or no.

Is ULM our rival right now?

Discuss.

[ULtimateCajun]

I don't feel it. From what I've heard Monroe is big into the rivalry with us. It feels forced to me, like the athletic department said "here is your rivalry game, enjoy". Maybe in a few years but I don't think it is right now.

[RedBug58]

If all things were right in the world, our rivals should be La Tech, Southern Miss, Houston, & Tulane.

[Turbine]

Ironically I think their win over Alabama . . . . is something UL fans would like to equal or surpass.

I say ironic because it's not something that directly connects the 2 schools, but it does change the competitive equation.

A Ragin' Cajun win this saturday (a week removed) trumps their advantage though.

jmo

[TexasCajun22]

I believe the big win over Alabama will be ULM's curse this Saturday. Overconfident and not counting on Desormeaux to play... ULM will come out with a swagger, and I hope we come out with a right hook.

This all paints a similar picture to me. We went into Arkansas in Nov. 2002 and lost a nail-biter to Matt Jones, Ken Hamlin and the Razorbacks by a TD. Rekieta played great, dislocated his thumb early in the 4th, Van Cleave comes in and throws a pick in the end zone to Hamlin. Bill Sampy was wide open on the hitch-n-go...but we were in the gun, bobbled the snap and paniced under pressure. As Dennis Green says, "We let em off the hook!" (hitting the podium).
*FYI: That game alone solidified Peanut's 2nd round Draft selection by the Bears. He blocked 2 punts, caused a fumble with under 3 minutes to play, and shutdown their best wideout (Birmingham?).

Regardless, the week after Arkansas...we went into Malone Stadium and got blew out in the last game of the season by ULM. Talk about a humbling way to end the year. Thanksgiving turkey tasted terrible that year.

Geaux Cajuns

[CajunCherokee]

I always want to beat ULM, but I don't feel the "rivalry atmosphere". We play better games with Middle and almost seem more like a rivalry than ULM. Truth be told, I don't think we have a true rival.

[rhineaux]

_ I always want to beat ULM, but I don't feel the "rivalry atmosphere". We play better games with Middle and almost seem more like a rivalry than ULM. Truth be told, I don't think we have a true rival. _

I agree. I always want to beat them, just because they are within the conference and we compete with them for recruits and such. But, I don't look at them like Ohio St would look at Michigan or something like that.

I voted no because the poll asked if they are our rival, and I don't thnk that they are our main, or one and only rival. But the thread asked are they A rival, and to that I would say yes, to some extent.

I also agree that if both teams continue to improve greatly, then they could end up being a great rival, only because of their proximity. They are competitive with us in football and now they've begun to have a better basketball program, but they aren't in the picture for anything else either on the field or off. I also believe that while they've ahd our number in football in recent years, that we have a better chance, if done right, to grow at a much better rate than they do because we offer a larger school, with much better programs, and a better quality of living. I think the only reason that they are kept as a 4-yr institution is because of that pharmacy school they have.

bottom line, a rivalry only happens when both sides win, we haven't done that lately.

[Clutch0364]

I dont feel its a rivalry but in order for it to be a rival you have to win every once and a while and that hasn't been happening in football so no its not a rival.

In conference i feel the biggest rivalry is Middle Tennessee...its always a battle and every year you dont know what will happen

[Cajunsmike]

Simple question, yes or no.

Is ULM our rival right now?

Discuss.

I will give a simple answer- yes.

They may not feel that way as they have had so much success. They probably do due to geography and academic comparison.

[California Cajun]

_ Simple question, yes or no.

Is ULM our rival right now?

Discuss. _

If you want to be Louisiana-Lafayette, ULL, or Lafayette forever you want them to be your rival.

If you want to seize the UL identity, you don't want them to be your rival.

If we keep losing to them like we have 4 out of the last 5 meetings during the Bustle era, they become the rival whether you like it or not.

We have to beat them, dominate them, then move to a more advantageous conference situation without them if we want to max out the potential of UL.

[California Cajun]

_ I agree. I always want to beat them, just because they are within the conference and we compete with them for recruits and such. But, I don't look at them like Ohio St would look at Michigan or something like that.

I voted no because the poll asked if they are our rival, and I don't thnk that they are our main, or one and only rival. But the thread asked are they A rival, and to that I would say yes, to some extent.

I also agree that if both teams continue to improve greatly, then they could end up being a great rival, only because of their proximity. They are competitive with us in football and now they've begun to have a better basketball program, but they aren't in the picture for anything else either on the field or off. I also believe that while they've ahd our number in football in recent years, that we have a better chance, if done right, to grow at a much better rate than they do because we offer a larger school, with much better programs, and a better quality of living. I think the only reason that they are kept as a 4-yr institution is because of that pharmacy school they have.

bottom line, a rivalry only happens when both sides win, we haven't done that lately. _

The Sun Belt Conference is trying to make them our rival by scheduling us as the last game of the football season. If we don't want this, we have to do something about it.

[California Cajun]

_ I dont feel its a rivalry but in order for it to be a rival you have to win every once and a while and that hasn't been happening in football so no its not a rival.

In conference i feel the biggest rivalry is Middle Tennessee...its always a battle and every year you dont know what will happen _

I think without any social engineering (i.e. SBC trying to make UL and ULM rivals), MT has evolved into the rival, but a friendly one thus far.

[rhineaux]

Another big factor in a rivalry is that one party has to want something that the other party has. Other than them beating us over the past few years, there is really nothing that they have that we want. OSU and Michigan is huge because the winner often goes to the Rose Bowl, and the loser wants that. Other major rivalries are based on recruiting wars and such. we don't have that with them. They might show a rivalry towards us because of the better school and town, but we don't desire their position on either of those factors. and, in this case, there's no major recruiting wars because of the fact that so many major schools ravage these lands and because of that, our two schools aren't fighting for coveted recruits, not to mention also competing with Tech, USM, etc. I think that we might offer the same recruits sometimes, but often times,if a recruit goes to the other school, it won't break the other program.

[shof]

_ If you want to be Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Là, or Lafayette forever you want them to be your rival.

If you want to seize the UL identity, you don't want them to be your rival.

If we keep losing to them like we have 4 out of the last 5 meetings during the Bustle era, they become the rival whether you like it or not.

We have to beat them, dominate them, then move to a more advantageous conference situation without them if we want to max out the potential of UL. _

I agree with you that we may not WANT them to be our rival; but given the current situation (conference affiliation, proximity, etc) they are whether we like it or not.

[MakoMaker]

_ If all things were right in the world, our rivals should be La Tech, Southern Miss, Houston, & Tulane. _

Typically, rivals play heralded, epic, classic battles b/t the two with major implications on the line...Since ULM has taken lil bro behind the woodshed and dropped our pants since God knows when...I would say the answer to your question would be no.