Hudspeth prefers to play big-name teams late in season

[NewsCopy]

In 2011, UL visited Arizona in their regular-season finale – and looked rather respectable in an eventual 45-37 loss.

In 2012, they played Florida in early November – and darn-near beat the Gators before finally falling in the last minute 27-20.

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Tim Buckley

[chauncey]

More excuses!

[CajunRage]

More excuses!

More useless bashing.

All he did was state facts. But hey, hudspeth probably asked the writer to write this story so he could give more excuses. No way a single question was asked during a press conference and this 4 sentence article was a result....

Criticism is one thing. This ____ has turned into a witch hunt.

[Turbine]

9 out of 10 times these comments are prompted by a reporters questions and just as often "he added" is in response to a follow up Q.

I promise you Hud is not running around openly lamenting the schedule.

But if asked ...

[Just1More]

I don't think Hud is using this as an excuse. He very much may prefer late in the season opportunities with the "big schools". It kind of makes sense to me. I don't think other mid majors think the same way. They tend to like to surprise a "bigger school" early in the season... before the "big school" is in their premium operation. I can understand why Hud wouldn't be in that camp. We are not an upset minded program. We don't take risks. You have to shoot a cannon to kill a bear. We like to use nets to catch fish. You don't catch bears with fish nets.

Arizona sucked the year we played them. Florida had been on a roll, but went 4-8 in the following year, to prove they were not the Florida of old.

I think we not only want to catch a "big school" late in the year, when our fish net is being executed much better, but we also hope the "big school" is in some seriously wounded state. That is a tough combination to keep hoping for. My preference would be to play a style that devastates a fish... and has the potential to kill a bear.

[Bandwagon King]

I see nothing wrong with this logic. The fact is throughout UL's history, their best games against power conference teams have all been in the later months of the season with one exception as I recall. On the other hand they've been blown out many times at the beginning of the season by bigger stronger teams who were fresher because they hadn't had to go through the meat grinder of their own schedule. I think it's always a bigger advantage to catch a power school in the middle or toward the end of their conference race and be scheduled between two conference rivals. This almost assures that the school you are playing will not overplay their hand. And if they do get out in front, they won't keep their starters in as long, for fear of getting them hurt in a meaningless game. Whereas the coach of a power team is going to be very likely to want to cover the spread at the beginning of the season to show how good & prepared his team is to play their conference schedule.

[Just1More]

That is an interesting prespective, BWK. I think Hud views it as him having our team in peak execution form later in the season... more than he sees the "big school" being preoccupied. Personally, I see the execution form of the "bigger program", later in the year, being as much of a disadvantage to us, as us being even "more prepared".

Some of our points are considerable. But, I think most "bigger programs" schedule the likes of UL early in the season, not only because they all do it and it creates open dates for OOC play, but they kind of like the idea of getting tuned up prior to meeting their toughest opponents. They are less organized and more conservative, generally, in those contests. Other mid majors recognize that tendency... and they use those games as "upset opportunities". They throw the kitchen sink at the "big school". We have never done that.

So, in going back and looking at our past as a "it makes more sense to play teams later in the year"... we are only feeding our own habit. We aren't going to get that many "big programs" late in the year. We need to reorganize our thinking around being upset-minded. And that means being innovative and unpredictable.

We too are in a conference. And I've heard over and over again that one of our goals is to win the conference championship. We never include that we also have a goal of taking down the giants. So, that makes me think that we are also conservative late in the season... when we've got a "giant" sandwiched in between two important conference opponents. I'm just not buying the "late season" giant killing mentality. You are either a giant killer... or you are not a giant killer.

[ulXrunner]

I agree with HUD. Play em late after you know who you are as a team, unlike right now where we are struggling to find an identity and getting smashed in the process.

[TuffGuy84]

Giants are one thing, but La Tech is hardly a giant.

[AstroCajun]

Ole Miss is looking Damn good against Memphis.

[ulforlife]

Ole Miss is looking Damn good against Memphis.

They play Alabama next week, they probably spent the week planning ahead

[wcd35]

All 4 teams we played looked pretty poor today