Quarterback Club, FIU & FAU

[CajunFun]

Notes are up: http://ultoday.com/node/893

[Turbine]

Thanks Joe

"It was amazing how many times we were right there with the right play, and people weren't making plays. We busted a coverage on that first touchdown. We missed one-on-ones several times."

I didn't have game film at the time but I pretty much asked him about this after the game. I wanted to know if the attempt to spear instead of wrap up was a lack of confidence thing.

[CajunCharlie]

_ Thanks Joe

"It was amazing how many times we were right there with the right play, and people weren't making plays. We busted a coverage on that first touchdown. We missed one-on-ones several times."

I didn't have game film at the time but I pretty much asked him about this after the game. I wanted to know if the attempt to spear instead of wrap up was a lack of confidence thing. _

I believe that knowing how to tackle is beginning to be a "lost art". Too many players are watching too many pro games, and picking up too many bad habits, IMO.

[ULGrad@HOU]

_ Notes are up: http://ultoday.com/node/893 _

Thanks CajunFun for the notes. I like to read what the coaches are saying when good questions are asked and I think there were some very good ones. Now, I don't really like the answers that much. Not because of the Coaches themselves, because of what they are having to deal with trying to put a winning team on the field. As far as winning goes, we all know that it all starts with recruiting and having talented players (more than a couple), in addition to good coaching. To hear them (or read what they say, and read between the lines) talk about trying to compete with other schools with our limited resources gives me the same feeling if we were to send a soldier out to war with just a knife. We are just not providing the tools needed to compete at a D1 level. On one hand, I want to blame the coaches for not doing a good job of recruiting some of these guys, but on the other, I can see why they are having trouble getting them to come to UL. It all starts at the top, and we need a committment to bring about a dynamic change in our football program.

If we don't somehow get to a bowl (still hoping we do) and we end up looking for new coaches, then the new guys will be butting their heads against the wall too. Where we are......is just so frustrating. Yet, I still think our guys can play better than what they have shown in the last few games. Coaches fault? I don't know.

[Jo Cajun Momma]

Notes are up: http://ultoday.com/node/893

I read the Quarterback Club notes and I thought the following was strange:
Question: Do we need more money for recruiting?
Bustle: No, we have enough money.

Did anyone else think this was a strange answer?

I don't really understand the recruiting process, but it seems to me that more money would always be a good thing. I have a friend that plans to play baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks next year. When he went on an official visit there, his parents were amazed at how they were treated. Uhh, one could say that Arkansas went hog wild (bad pun)...for the recruits and their families…fabulous restaurants etc.
I would think that the more money that is available, the easier it is to entertain and attract visitors.

Maybe someone can explain it to me.

[Hammer58]

_ I read the Quarterback Club notes and I thought the following was strange:
Question: Do we need more money for recruiting?
Bustle: No, we have enough money.

Did anyone else think this was a strange answer?

I don't really understand the recruiting process, but it seems to me that more money would always be a good thing. I have a friend that plans to play baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks next year. When he went on an official visit there, his parents were amazed at how they were treated. Uhh, one could say that Arkansas went hog wild (bad pun)...for the recruits and their families…fabulous restaurants etc.
I would think that the more money that is available, the easier it is to entertain and attract visitors.

Maybe someone can explain it to me. _

LOL! I was sitting right in front of Bustle when he answered that and immediately thought "Wrong answer, Coach". When in a room with anyone, especially boosters, and asked if yo need more money the answer is always "YES". I don't care if you drive up in a university supplied Mercedes and are wearing a university supplied Roles the answer is "Yes we need more money".

However, I think he responded "No" in the context that the question made it sound as if money alone was the reason FAU was getting their athletes. Not trying to be a Bustle apologist but I think he was trying to say there were other things that accounted for FAU's recruiting success. But again, he should have it drilled into his brain that anytime the question of the need for more money comes up the answer is an unqualified, enthusiastic "Yes" follwed by "I can take you check right now". That is especially true here.

BTW, Nice to have met you at the Eauxk Saturday. Don't be a stranger.

[Jo Cajun Momma]

LOL! ...

BTW, Nice to have met you at the Eauxk Saturday. Don't be a stranger.

Excellent response! I agree that it is never good to tell your financial supporters that you have plenty of money. Heck, I never tell my hubby that I don't need money. Duh...
The chicken/sausage gumbo was fantastic. Yall have a great place to tailgate and tons of wonderful people around. I loved the wide variety of people that were there...kids, college students, old folks...everyone having fun! Thanks for making us feel so welcome.

[ljr3721]

_ I read the Quarterback Club notes and I thought the following was strange:
Question: Do we need more money for recruiting?
Bustle: No, we have enough money.

Did anyone else think this was a strange answer?

I gave hime the benefit of the doubt and assumed he meant something along the lines of, "If we had more money to work with it would be better spent in other areas". Still very much the wrong answer, though.

[CajunFun]

_ Thanks CajunFun for the notes. I like to read what the coaches are saying when good questions are asked and I think there were some very good ones. Now, I don't really like the answers that much. Not because of the Coaches themselves, because of what they are having to deal with trying to put a winning team on the field. As far as winning goes, we all know that it all starts with recruiting and having talented players (more than a couple), in addition to good coaching. To hear them (or read what they say, and read between the lines) talk about trying to compete with other schools with our limited resources gives me the same feeling if we were to send a soldier out to war with just a knife. We are just not providing the tools needed to compete at a D1 level. On one hand, I want to blame the coaches for not doing a good job of recruiting some of these guys, but on the other, I can see why they are having trouble getting them to come to UL. It all starts at the top, and we need a committment to bring about a dynamic change in our football program.

If we don't somehow get to a bowl (still hoping we do) and we end up looking for new coaches, then the new guys will be butting their heads against the wall too. Where we are......is just so frustrating. Yet, I still think our guys can play better than what they have shown in the last few games. Coaches fault? I don't know. _

People always want to second guess the coaches, but no coach is perfect.

People criticize Rickey for not wearing a headset; from this article it turns out he does, but he leaves the playcaller alone during the series, so he can think.

I would like to see Rickey personally get out and recruit, but he has his reasons for not doing so; obviously, it's not laziness or lack of desire. As I've said here before, for any successful coach, you can find one who does anything one way, another one who does it the other way.

I like what our coaches are saying about recruiting quality kids, and about not paying too much attention to the rating services. But as in any great venture, there is a lot of risk and luck involved. Think about it: if we don't see an incredible string of injuries last year, we go to a bowl.

This week against FAU, the stronger part of the team, the defense, lets us down while the offense was pretty good.

A lot of people here are calling for Rickey's head. But a lot of those people aren't really rational people; they think we can get perfection. You never do; no coach is perfect. So they don't want a football coach, they want the Second Coming.

I've watched a lot of coaches come & go here at UL. They all have their shortcomings. Rickey's strengths-- quality kids, good students, ignoring the rating services-- are things I don't want to lose.

There are a lot of coaches out there who are winning. Most of them do it by sacrificing character, scholarship, and teamwork; they recruit thugs.

Schnellenberger is like that. He won a NC at Miami, about 4 years after Miami almost shut down their program. He did it with swagger, with trash-talking kids who were always in trouble. And that culture & reputation lasted for a couple of decades after he was gone.

And from what I heard, FAU is the same way. Their kids talk trash, and they were playing the jackass in front of the TV cameras after the win. And I would guess there is very little interest in scholarship on the team.

I don't want that here.

[wcd35]

I love reading/listening to Coach Wingerter. You can see the love he has for this school