The Book 2008 Football

[NewsCopy]

  Since the inception of the Sun Belt Conference seven years ago, this is the week UL's football program has been waiting for.

The Cajuns are unbeaten two games into league play for the first time and playing from the top of the standings - not the middle of the pack or lower - in the championship chase.

And outside of the obvious hype from the fan base after winning three of the last four games, UL (3-3) is creating a stir nationally with a PlayStation offense that's operating at a dizzying level.

Life, in that regard, is good for UL, which hasn't been this healthy as a program in a long time heading into Saturday's 6 p.m. showdown against Arkansas State (4-2, 2-0) at Cajun Field.

The injury report, though, is a completely different story.

The rest of the story

Bob Heist • bheist@theadvertiser.com • October 14, 2008

Joshua Parrott contributed to this story.

[J-Town Cajun]

Don't forget LB Fred Davis was kicked off the team over the summer, he may have been our starting MLB.

[CajunZ1]

So i gather everyone's gut feeling is that Dez starts? I hear "sprained knee" and think that at least puts him at limited playing time this weekend.

Anybody venture to compare Brad and Desormeaux? How big of a drop off are we gonna get here? Also, in ya'lls opinion, is the bigger concern Dez being injured, or our LB's being injured/kicked off team?

IMO, I'm more worried about Desormeaux being out because it's not like our defense was ever great even with those LB's, whereas there's no doubt that the Dez-Fenroy-Chery combo is truly exceptional.

[Crackleton]

_ Desmo is a warrior and it will take a lot to keep him off the field Saturday! _

Can we get this dude a hyperbaric chamber or something?

[Crackleton]

_ THB, not mentally ready. Hurricane Gustav bearing down. If you recall lsu changed their game to 10 am.

S Miss refused to change the game time. Lots of uncertainty amongst our guys about how long to get back. I believe contra flow had been started by the time the game had ended. Lots of uncertainty about safety of family members in the path of the storm.

Not an excuse, just a fact. USM got to show off their shiny new palace, not one USM fan inconvenienced....everything peachy for them.... we got blown out.

Anyone got a different take on what happened?

Z _

Q: What is the most overused word that wasn't even in my vocabulary 10 years ago?

A: contraflow


contraflow, contraflow, contraflow, contraflow... I want to say it until your ears bleed.

[CajunZ1]

_ Q: What is the most overused phrase that wasn't even in my vocabulary 10 years ago?

A: Main Street vs. Wall Street

Main Street vs. Wall StreetMain Street vs. Wall StreetMain Street vs. Wall Street

[billbeck451]

I preach it to every usm fan that I know - their new coach and administration was chicken____ not to move the game start time when a hurricane was bearing down on the central la. coast. Also that this would have been a very different game otherwise, I don't know what the outcome would have been, but distracted players make for poor players.
Also, most of the usm fans that I know agree that this would have been a different game otherwise.

[cajun4life]

_ So i gather everyone's gut feeling is that Dez starts? I hear "sprained knee" and think that at least puts him at limited playing time this weekend.

Anybody venture to compare Brad and Desormeaux? How big of a drop off are we gonna get here? Also, in ya'lls opinion, is the bigger concern Dez being injured, or our LB's being injured/kicked off team?

IMO, I'm more worried about Desormeaux being out because it's not like our defense was ever great even with those LB's, whereas there's no doubt that the Dez-Fenroy-Chery combo is truly exceptional. _

It will hurt more to lose three of your top four LB'ers over losing Des, McGuire is not quite as explosive when he runs the ball as Des is, but he has a better arm and a little more accurate. He is also a leader and fiery competitor much like Jake was. The guys will play for him.

Losing what was considered the strength of your defense hurts. We play bend but don't break against UNT. We dominated ULM forcing 9 punts. We handled and explosive Illinois very well and Kansas State we were hosed with 5 ____ poor calls that led to 3 TD's. Kent State we dominated on defense again, the QB rushed for some yards but the RB's did not.

We will see truly how deep we are and how good we will be the rest of the year this weekend. The next three game are the most importent games for the Cajuns in over a decade. We win all three we become bowl eligible with three games remaining.

[rhineaux]

_ Q: What is the most overused word that wasn't even in my vocabulary 10 years ago?

A: contraflow


contraflow, contraflow, contraflow, contraflow... I want to say it until your ears bleed. _

Not 'Crackleton'?

[Crackleton]

_ Not 'Crackleton'? _

Know the name, bi*ch.

[CajunCherokee]

He'll be ready to go. Mike is a soldier (sorry Winslow) and wouldn't miss one of the biggest games of his career as a Cajun unless absolutely necessary.

[CDeb]