The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns picked fourth
Defending champ North Texas expected to win again

NEW ORLEANS — It’s hard to imagine a more exciting end to a football season than a 57-51, quadruple overtime victory on the road.

That’s what UL Lafayette executed last year at Middle Tennessee, a feat amplified by the fact that it gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a fourth win in their last five games of 2003.

“That definitely gave us a little pep in our step in the spring,” said sophomore quarterback Jerry Babb, who engineered that wild finish and was one of the featured players at Sun Belt Conference media day activities on Monday.

But, while it did provide a spark for offseason training that carried over into spring drills, Monday’s release of the preseason Sun Belt poll showed that the Cajuns still have work to do.

The Cajuns and Middle Tennessee tied for second in the 2003 SBC race with 4-3 records, yet UL is picked to finish fourth this season and MT fifth.

“It really doesn’t matter where we are in the polls,” Babb said. “It’s going to be decided on the field.”

Three-time champion North Texas is once again the favorite, with newcomer Troy State No. 2 and New Mexico State at No. 3.

“The Sun Belt is really up for grabs,” Babb said. “There’s not a lot of difference between first and fourth place.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[BrilesBall]

Just wanted to come back and say hello... I changed computers and finally got back to raginpagin!...

Can't wait for another great football season and I'm gonna pay close attention to the Cajuns!... excited to see what some of those Texas and Juco kids can do for you guys!...

I noticed in most publications ULL is getting the nod for #2 in the Sunbelt behind UNT... I don't care much for UNT so you guys go ahead and take 1st w/ the NO bowl...

ULL and UH will get their game back soon in the coming years... we play Miami and OU this year..

Just wanted to say what's up to the Cajun Faithful!

[BrilesBall]

What do you guys think of the additions of Troy State, FIU and FAU?...

Should be fun to see how they do...

[El Sidonio]

Sup Briles.

Some lovely comments about UL (not ULL). Y'all played a hell of a game last season, good job. We've got our work cut out for us too. Every game is a big game, and we've got our work cut out for us too. We play Northwestern State for our first game, and we gotta worry about them, cuz they're a hot D I-AA program. The other two are UNT, and of course K-State. Good luck for UH this upcoming season.

God Bless.

[BrilesBall]

Sorry about the ULL stuff... i was unaware

Lousiana has some solid D1-AA programs headlined by McNeese State if i'm not mistaken.

I know this is asking a lot but i'd love to see a small depth chart of guys who some of you feel will have good years for the Cajuns.

I know Babb at QB but who's replacing the stud WR?

[Zeebart21]

Briles, thanks for visiting. Louisiana does have some serious 1AA programs....McNeese and NWST are 2 of the best. Nicholls St has been solid recently also.

Cany help you with a depth chart right now.

We have a redshirt freshman reciever named Jordan Jackson, he was a rivals 3 star recruit coming out of highschool. Green, but talented. We also have 2 starters returning from last year at WR....

We believe we can be above 500 this year. Its been a slow process.

We are making headway though.

best of luck,

Z.

[BrilesBall]

Here's my honest predictions...no butt kissing or bush beating


9-4-04 NORTHWESTERN STATE W
9-11-04 at Louisiana Tech W
9-18-04 at Kansas State L
9-25-04 MIDDLE TENNESSEE W
10-2-04 at Florida International W
10-9-04 at New Mexico State L
10-16-04 at Idaho W
10-23-04 ARKANSAS STATE W
11-6-04 NORTH TEXAS L
11-13-04 TROY STATE W
11-20-04 at Louisiana-Monroe W

Kansas State is pretty much the only game that I see that you guys can't win... of course any given Saturday but you guys know what I mean...

UL has to beat ULM and i dont care if it's on the road or not...

8-3 but no New Orleans bowl because UNT wins the Sun Belt unbeaten... my pre-season prediction

Bustle will land some quality Louisiana kids who realize it's okay to stay at home...also make another big splash in Texas and w/ the JUCOs

What do you guys think?

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - The 2004 college football season is rapidly approaching and to start the year off right the Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns football staff would like to invite everyone to join them for Fan Day 2004. It will be held at Cajun Field on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2004.

Fan day is free and open to the public.

Fans are asked to arrive at 6 p.m., entering the field through the tunnel located behind the athletics complex building. All festivities will take place on the playing field.

Ragin' Cajuns pennants will be handed out to fans for use in autograph opportunities.

Ragin' Cajuns football players and coaches will be on hand for autographs and photos. The volleyball and women's soccer team's players and coaches will also be in attendance.

Parking will be available in the stadium parking lot via the Gate 5 entrance (parking lot between Cajun Field and the Cajundome), which is adjacent to the practice fields off of Cajundome Blvd., and located behind the visiting team side of the football field.

LOUISIANA SI

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Univerity of Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun football program has not had a winning record since 1995, when current Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme was a junior and UL was 6-5.

Since that season, the best the Cajuns have done was 5-6 in 1996.

Not surprisingly, none of the top 15 single-game home attendance marks at Cajun Field has occurred since 1996.

Delhomme left after the 1996 campaign, and the Cajuns plunged into records of 1-10, 2-9, 2-9, 1-10 and 3-8 before Rickey Bustle took over the program as head coach.

The Cajuns are 7-17 in two years under Bustle.

Last year’s squad finished with a flourish, winning four of its last five games after a disheartening 0-7 start and giving Cajun fans hope that their long wait for a winner was nearing an end.

That optimism may boost attendance at 31,000-seat Cajun Field above the 15,056 and 13,995 averages so far under Bustle.

The 2004 Cajuns report back to Bustle a week from today, eyeing a Sept. 4 season home opener against Northwestern State and a schedule that appears more reasonable than guarantee-loaded slates in years past.

“The schedule is very fair,” Bustle said. “We’ll always have one or two of those kind of (guarantee) games, but that’s better than having six or seven.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. -- Admittedly, Rickey Bustle has extended himself a time or two over the past two years beyond his realm as football coach in order to give his program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette a voice.

His agenda has been as conventional as Kiwanis and Rotary speaking engagements, tapering off dramatically to more unorthodox methods.

Bustle attended his first Bishop's Charity Ball dressed as a ... well, a Bishop.

"I had to study up on which one I was going to be," he said.

Bustle's even crossed over into the world of reality television. He's cut his share of local commercials that trumpet the arrival of a new season, urging students and fans alike to purchase season tickets and pledge their support for the team.

Unlike some pitch men, Bustle acknowledges being unpolished and uncomfortable in front of the bright lights. But he refuses to accept a dime for his appearances, instead relishing the time to get a message across about the program and university that provided him with his first head coaching position.

"Whatever I can do to help the program," Bustle said of his sole motivation. "My players give me a hard time about the commercials I do. I'm the worst actor there is in the world. But I do it for exposing our program, to let people know we're willing to help ourselves."

UL-Lafayette President Ray Authement may be arguably the only other person outside of Bustle who yearns with such passion to see the Ragin' Cajuns win again in football.

It's been eight straight years since UL-Lafayette, including two on Bustle's watch, put a winning product on the field. The last time the Cajuns went to a bowl game, the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, current Athletic Director Nelson Schexnayder was a starting wide receiver on the team.

Never in the 102-year history of the school's program have the Cajuns experienced eight straight losing seasons. Yet there isn't a hint of the apathy and eroding fan base that reached epidemic proportions under former coach Jerry Baldwin.

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By WILLIAM WEATHERS
wweathers@theadvocate.com
Advocate sports writer