LOUISIANA La. — Rickey Bustle took a look at turning points on Wednesday.

Louisiana's football coach was three weeks away from the Feb. 4 national signing day that will signal an influx of new talent into the Ragin’ Cajun program, and he liked the look of this year’s campaign.

“I think the corner in recruiting is being turned,” Bustle said. “One of the reasons for that is the money that has been donated to help us with recruiting — money that we don’t have in our budget. That has made a big difference.

“We’re getting a lot for our dollar. Doors have opened for us. It’s about being able to come back to that school the next week to show our interest. That’s how you get better.

“This class will excite me more than last year did.”

There have been other key moments for the Cajuns, who began the 2003 season with a 0-7 record before winning four of their last five and finishing second in the Sun Belt Conference.

“The turning point to the season was the UL Monroe game (loss No. 7, 45-42),” Bustle said. “The players felt we should have won that game, and that next Monday was a pivotal practice day for us.

“We just hung in there. The players always believed in what we were doing. They trusted us, and the way we handled things in the down times. In Monday morning film work, we’d show them the things they had done right. Then we’d show them what happened when they didn’t do it.

“I believe you try to be the same every day. You don’t get too up or too down. I think that consistency helped us through there, whether we won or lost. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned in this business.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com