The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

[Cajun1997]

LINK TO PREDICT THE SCORE vs Kansas State

[NewsCopy]

Rickey Bustle on last week…
“We played a great team and a great game. We made some mistakes and that’s where we have to get better. I told the team that we played more together as a football team than I have seen since I got here.”

“I told the team that we’re doing the right things, and that they’ve got the right things in them. They believe in each other and trust each other and that’s a big part of this battle.”

“Moats was a guy that was just hard to stop and we didn’t tackle him well.”

“I think the momentum shift was after the blocked kick. But we didn’t get the touchdown like we really wanted to do.”

“As a total team they didn’t want to except losing that game, knowing that we could’ve won. I like what I see with this football team.”

On next week’s game…
“It’s going to be a copy of what we just saw.”

“We need to pick up were we left off and not go three plays and out, because then our defense gets tired.”

“They are going to be in a bad mood when we get there, but this is a program defining game. We are not supposed to win, but if you go in there and win you are in every newspaper in the country.”

On defense…
“Marshall Delesdernier had his best football game but our ends got swallowed up a little bit.”

“I think we are doing the right things and we are heading in the right direction.”

On Jerry Babb…
“(Last game) showed his competitive nature. He will lay his body out and stretch his body out for the team. A lot of people were impressed by that and they had nothing but good things to say after the game.”

Jerry Babb on the final drive of the game…
“We just got the first down and there was a miscommunication between the referee and Ronnie (Harvey). The referee told him to wait for his whistle before hiking the ball. I said hike four or five times, but Ronnie was waiting for him.”

“It was a learning experience, it was a non-conference game and when it comes down to the wire like that we need to learn how to get the clock stopped.”

“We knew we were going to score, we just came up one play short.”

On Kansas State…
“They are going to be mad after their loss last week. We’ll have out hands full on Saturday.”

LOUISIANA SI

[RaginFan2]

Originally posted by Chuck
Who was the last great return man for UL?

I know Clarence Verdin was awesome, but that was a long time ago (early 80s). I don't remember anyone great after him. We've had a few decent ones, but great??? I'm not too sure. Maybe someone remembers some more recent ones.

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Rickey Bustle now knows how Jim Mora felt in 1986.

Mora guided the NFL’s New Orleans Saints to a 7-9 record in his first year with the club, competitive enough but not much for someone who had made a habit of coaching in the USFL title game.

So Mora was stunned when grateful Saints fans heaped high praise on him. He promptly let them know that 7-9 wasn’t good enough.

Bustle, whose UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns came achingly close to upsetting old rival Louisiana Tech in a 24-20 road loss last Saturday, was getting some appreciative pats on the back from fans on Monday.

“I know they meant well,” Bustle said, “but playing well is not where our expectations are.

“I had a player tell me today that he felt bad all day Sunday, and that’s progress. I was sick, too. I was fussin’ at the dog. They don’t want to accept this. It’s a total non-acceptance of losing that game.”

Bustle’s 1-1 Cajuns travel again this week, facing a Kansas State team still boiling from losing 45-21 at home to Fresno State and dropping out of the Top 25 in both college football polls. But the Wildcats are no happier than the Cajuns.

“We’re just as upset at losing as Kansas State is,” defensive end Anthony Hills said. “Losing is not acceptable any more around here. We want to win as much as anyone does.”

“I like what I see in this football team,” Bustle said. “We played more together, as a team, than at any time since I’ve been here. Everybody was hurting at the end.”

The Cajuns got a lift before halftime when Jerry Babb’s touchdown brought them within 17-7, and they gained a 20-17 lead in the third period.

“I told them at halftime that I wasn’t worried about our team,” Bustle said. “I told them 20 points would not be enough for Tech. And, we were able to hold them and outscore them in the second half. It hurt when we blocked a field goal and couldn’t take it in and score.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — An enduring image of last Saturday’s 24-20 University of Louisiana loss at Louisiana Tech is sophomore Cajun quarterback Jerry Babb.

Babb, in the final moments of a dramatic 18-play march at game’s end, had just run for a first down at the Tech 13-yard line with 24 seconds remaining.

For a frantic few seconds, Babb called for the snap, needing to spike the ball to stop the clock. The spike didn’t occur until :14, and the final play found Babb hitting Dwight Lindon to the LT 8-yard line.

“There was a miscommunication with the ref and Ronnie (center Ronnie Harvey),” Babb said. “He told Ronnie not to snap it until he blew the whistle.

“I called ‘hike’ four or five times, and then looked to see if I was under the guard. After the play ran, we had a conversation with the ref, and he said there was nothing he could do about it.”

“We had at least two plays called,” coach Rickey Bustle said. “We were trying to get the ball into Jordan Jackson’s hands. We had a missed communication in the blocking, where the back released and his man came, after not rushing all night.

“We didn’t need a completed short ball there, but it was a reaction to the rush to try to get something with someone coming at him. I think Jerry has learned that.”

Babb remains the unquestioned leader of the Cajun attack. He hit 32-of-54 passes for 327 yards and a 59-yard touchdown to Bill Sampy, and also ran for a score just before halftime to breathe life into the Cajuns after a 17-0 deficit.

“Jerry competes for every inch,” Bustle said. “He was taking licks out there for the team. That’s the guy you want calling the shots out there.”

The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

Befuddled by Saturday's 45-21 loss to Fresno State, Kansas State's coaches promised to address personnel. They backed up those words before the Wildcats even practiced Monday, making changes to the depth chart on offense, defense and special teams.

Middle linebacker Ted Sims was removed. He has not played this season due to a foot injury and is not expected back until October at the earliest. Matt Butler is now listed as the starter at middle linebacker.

On the strong side, Brandon Archer is on top after making his first start Saturday. Listed behind Archer are Sean Lowe and Marcus Perry, a redshirt freshman who cracked the depth chart for the first time.

Maurice Thurmond started at weak-side linebacker Saturday but injured his left ankle and could barely walk. He's listed behind Marvin Simmons.

The defensive line's two-deep remains intact, but things changed at each position in the secondary. At one cornerback, junior-college transfer Maurice Porter is now listed as the backup to David Rose. At the other corner, starter Cedrick Williams is listed as even with Louis Lavender. Byron Garvin, a redshirt freshman who has played in each of the first two games, is behind those two.

Sophomore Maurice Mack is listed as even at strong safety with senior Marcus Patton, who started the first two games.

The rest of the story

BY JEFFREY PARSON

The Wichita Eagle

[cajun4ever]

Joe Redding in the late 80's was very good. I believe he has or was close to the all time return yardage record.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by Sid
p.s.- Turbine,what's your prediction?

Sorry I missed this request. Back in April, I think I had UL 8-3 with a win vs Tech.

Now I am going with 7-4

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. – Each week Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football coaching staff honors players for their individual effort in game performances by handing out its weekly Hooters/Credeur’s Awards.

This week, senior wide receiver Bill Sampy was named Hooters/Credeur’s Offensive Player of the Week. Sampy caught eight passes for 107 yards. One of his catches was a 59-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jerry Babb that put the Cajuns back in the game.

Senior defensive back Antwain Spann was named the Defensive Player of the Game. Spann had 10 tackles and broke up two passes. He also returned a blocked kick 57 yards to set up a field goal that put the Cajuns in the lead.

Junior kicker Sean Comiskey was named the Special Forces Player of the Game. Comiskey had two field goals in the second half, the first a 41-yard blast that brought the Cajuns to within a touchdown. Comiskey’s second field goal, of 33 yards, gave the Cajuns the lead.

Caleb Rubin and Joseph Hadnot were named the Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the week, respectively.

Per player vote, Chris Klock received the Hammer award for biggest hit on defense. There was no Kuhuna (Special Teams) or Thumper (Offensive) award this week.

The UL Lafayette coaching staff would like to thank Hooters and Credeur’s for sponsoring the Cajuns weekly and spring football awards.

LOUISIANA SI

[NewsCopy]

HOOTERS/CREDEUR’S WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

Week 1
Opponent: Northwestern State:
Offensive: Jerry Babb
Defensive: C.C. Brown
Special Forces: Mike Mayeaux
Offensive Scout: Caleb Rubin
Defensive Scout: Brenton Burkhalter

WEEK 2
Opponent LA Tech
Offensive Bill Sampy
Defensive Antwain Spann
Special Forces Sean Comiskey
Offensive Scout Caleb Rubin
Defensive Scout Joseph Hadnot

Up next Kansas State

Middle Tennessee
Florida International
New Mexico State
Idaho
Arkansas State
North Texas
Troy
Louisiana-Monroe

[Super 06]

THE CAJUN'S WILL BE 8-3 New Orleans Bowl

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. -- Two days after his University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns' heartbreaking 24-20 loss to Louisiana Tech, Rickey Bustle still had difficulty dealing with the one that got away.

Asked Monday at his weekly news conference if the defeat was any easier to deal with after a few days, Bustle was emphatic.

"No, it's not," he replied. "I was ill (Sunday), and I was fussing at the dog and every other thing.

"But the good thing about it is you don't get to live with it either way for very long. Getting around these players again ... they get over it a little quicker than we do."

The Cajuns, who travel to Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday to meet Kansas State, rallied from an early 17-0 deficit Saturday and nearly pulled out a victory in the final minutes. But a drive that started at the ULL 11 was thwarted -- not by the Bulldogs but instead, the clock.

The drive ended when quarterback Jerry Babb connected with Dwight Lindon at the Tech 8-yard line. But before the Cajuns could get off another snap, time expired.

Babb, who hit on 32 of 54 passes for 327 yards and a TD, completed 10 passes in the drive.

"I just left the Quarterback Club, and they've got people congratulating me (about the game). And I appreciate their enthusiasm," Bustle said. "People don't know what to say because they know you played well and came up short.

"That (losing close) is not what our expectations are as a team, though. We wanted to win that game."

Bustle said he could tell by his players' reactions after the game that the team is maturing.

"They were hurting," he said. "I had a football player in my office this morning, and he said he felt bad all day yesterday ... and that's progress, believe it or not.

"Not that we didn't have players hurt (after a defeat) before, but I just think we're doing the right thing and headed in the right direction."

ULL players and coaches, Bustle said, felt Saturday's game was one they could have and should have won.

"I've seen us disappointed before, but they don't want to accept this today," he said. "They don't want to accept the way we played that first half, and the way that game turned out.

"This was one time where I think that time did run out on us," he said. "But I like what I see in this football team."

The Cajuns will have to quickly put the defeat behind them, however. This week, they have Big 12 power Kansas State waiting in the wings.

The rest of the story

By GLENN QUEBEDEAUX
Special to The Advocate