Hudspeth in no hurry to name a starting quarterback

[Ragin' Caleb]

---spoke to a guy that knows---Off line is young and gonna be good but how quickly will that happen---Just can't help thinking about the N'Side kid and the center that left to play at Tech---he would have started this past year and coming year !!!

I forget who said it but an old saying was you win football games in the trenches and with tackles

[alum81]

I think we need to be more physically talented on both lines this year and the rest will work itself out.

It all starts with recruiting. Everything else is a result of it. GEAUX CAJUNS

[CajunEXPRESS]

---spoke to a guy that knows---Off line is young and gonna be good but how quickly will that happen---Just can't help thinking about the N'Side kid and the center that left to play at Tech---he would have started this past year and coming year !!!

One important reason we didn't get this outstanding talent was poor evaluation. Late to persue means too damed bad.

[zephyr]

But on 3rd and 4, they only gave up 5 yards. 3rd and 15 they gave up 16.

The issue last year was on both sides of the ball. Yall are exactly correct. The offense did the D no favors by going 3 and out so often. The D did the offense no favors by needing them to score in the 30s and 40s to win a game. We need to see improvement in all phases this year or it will be another ugly one.

At this level, and our numbers over the last 5 years suggest this, is that we will have to score in the 30's to win games on average. Our best defensive numbers over the last X number of years has been an OPG of 26 PPG. In the last 5 years where we've had our most consistent success, we've averaged 30+ PPG in just about every year except last year. At the G5 level, I think its safe to say that we just aren't going to recruit the high profile defensive players that will cater to a shutdown defense. Its easier to recruit offense at our level rather than defense.

[Boomer]

One important reason we didn't get this outstanding talent was poor evaluation. Late to persue means too damed bad.

----Brunson was here and left to go back to Ruston ----Dugas was Cajun T's fault (lol) from N'Side HS---He has the scoop, but 6'5" 330 and State Champ Wrestler who started for them as a true Freshman!!

[zephyr]

I'm not too sure about that. I remember them playing tough to pitch the shutout.

Haack did great in mop up duty or spot duty when called upon. Its a different animal to have to lead a team and allow a defense a week to prepare for you.

[Ragin4U]

At this level, and our numbers over the last 5 years suggest this, is that we will have to score in the 30's to win games on average. Our best defensive numbers over the last X number of years has been an OPG of 26 PPG. In the last 5 years where we've had our most consistent success, we've averaged 30+ PPG in just about every year except last year. At the G5 level, I think its safe to say that we just aren't going to recruit the high profile defensive players that will cater to a shutdown defense. Its easier to recruit offense at our level rather than defense.

Tough sledding to have to outscore teams every week. With our difficulties on recruiting in the Belt, do you think it is easier to recruit for a high-scoring offense and hope the defense can make a stop every soon often. Or try to balance it out?

[CrappDaddy]

---spoke to a guy that knows---Off line is young and gonna be good but how quickly will that happen---Just can't help thinking about the N'Side kid and the center that left to play at Tech---he would have started this past year and coming year !!!

I brought this up last year. We had a big gap in o line talent bc of the loss of Brunson, sparks, and another that I can't think of at the moment. Both would have started last year.

[zephyr]

Tough sledding to have to outscore teams every week. With our difficulties on recruiting in the Belt, do you think it is easier to recruit for a high-scoring offense and hope the defense can make a stop every soon often. Or try to balance it out?

I think you are taking what I'm saying to extremes. I'm not saying that we can't have a defense that makes plays and is effective but what I am suggesting is that it is not necessarily logical to expect a defense to shut opponents down, especially in today's spread offense world and rules that cater to promoting offense in the game. During Bustle's tenure, our defensive numbers were horrible as we often allowed 35+ PPG routinely which meant we had to outscore opponents.

With HUD, he has brought in enough athletes to where our defense has routinely given up less than 30 PPG. To me, if you can hold opponents in the 25-26PPG range, you can be successful but our offense barely put up enough points last year to make that matter. Scoring in the 30's is not necessarily outscoring people, its actually the norm these days.

[Just1More]

I think we need to be more physically talented on both lines this year and the rest will work itself out.

Those are some easy words to say, but some very difficult expectations to realize. It isn't that "you think" we need... "you know" we need... more physical talent on the lines. I do not think that solves everything... but without it... we kind of know we aren't going to do much better than last year.

There is no substitute for talent. But let us not forget the pathetic coaching on offense last year. Player personnel decisions alone were atrocious. I hope we're healed up and stay that way, we picked up the right JUCO help, we are conditioned better, our studs are used properly this year, and we have no more "distractions".

I was expecting better things in years 5-8 than in years 1-4... if we kept Hud. Now I think most of us have recalibrated our expectations to a return to years 1-4. So much has to be better than last year... it boggles my mind.

[CrappDaddy]

Those are some easy words to say, but some very difficult expectations to realize. It isn't that "you think" we need... "you know" we need... more physical talent on the lines. I do not think that solves everything... but without it... we kind of know we aren't going to do much better than last year.

There is no substitute for talent. But let us not forget the pathetic coaching on offense last year. Player personnel decisions alone were atrocious. I hope we're healed up and stay that way, we picked up the right JUCO help, we are conditioned better, our studs are used properly this year, and we have no more "distractions".

I was expecting better things in years 5-8 than in years 1-4... if we kept Hud. Now I think most of us have recalibrated our expectations to a return to years 1-4. So much has to be better than last year... it boggles my mind.

I understand what your saying and it's easy to have low expectations after a bad year just like expectations are high after a good year. History tells me that a team can dramatically improve from one year to the next. See 2007-2008 and 2010-2011. A lot has to happen but I don't think it's as tough a feat as what most are expecting. I think we have the players to do it.

[Just1More]

I understand what your saying and it's easy to have low expectations after a bad year just like expectations are high after a good year. History tells me that a team can dramatically improve from one year to the next. See 2007-2008 and 2010-2011. A lot has to happen but I don't think it's as tough a feat as what most are expecting. I think we have the players to do it.

I absolutely agree with you (about turning around seasons on a dime). I don't know about the talent - just because I simply do not know. But good talent can be coached into a ball of crap. I don't actually have a definable expectation. I know we are somewhere between a 9-3 and a 3-9 football program. "Expectation" takes a big back seat to "Realization" once the first game is underway.

I do hope our players stay healthy this year and our coaches give them every chance to win.