In an effort to keep a football team already hammered by injuries from any more bumps and bruises, UL head coach Rickey Bustle decided to switch up last week's practice routine. The Cajuns, instead of beating up on each other every day, did not wear full pads and rarely tackled in practice.

That change in preparation, Bustle said, was obvious in last week's 48-3 loss at Troy. UL played nickel defense (five defensive backs) most of the night as the normally pass-happy Trojans ran for 391 of their 459 yards to clinch at least a share of the Sun Belt crown.

Troy running back DuJuan Harris ran for a career-high 234 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score. A good chunk of Harris' yardage came after contact as the Cajuns lost for the third consecutive week, with defensive lapses again playing a major role.

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Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • November 26, 2008