Just by looking at the facts, coach Rickey Bustle understood why UL's football team was picked sixth out of nine teams in this year's Sun Belt Conference preseason poll.

Gone are three of the league's most dynamic offensive players in running back Tyrell Fenroy, quarterback Michael Desormeaux and wide receiver Jason Chery. Last season that senior trio helped the Ragin' Cajuns (6-6) win six games for the third time in four years and finish second in the league with a 5-2 mark, although they missed out on a bowl bid.

Those personnel losses led voters - the league's eight head coaches and select media members - to peg UL as an underdog in the race for the conference title in 2009.

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Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • July 21, 2009