The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

[Cajunologist]

Winning this game is huge...1)Its a conference game..2)by winning we have set ourselves up for a chance to win conference. A strong attendance at this game will be nice!!

[CajunNation]

16,500 announced

[DaddyCajun]

That might be ULM's attendance? Sunny-cool day, 22,000+, with rain here and there mid to upper teens, bunch of rain, oh hopefully not!


DaddyCajun!!!!

[CrewChief]

I have been away and can't come by here much, my life has been upside down. Here are what my my predictions would have been.

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 W
10-16-04 at Idaho W
10-23-04 ARKANSAS STATE W
11-6-04 NORTH TEXAS L
11-13-04 TROY STATE L
11-20-04 at Louisiana-Monroe W

[Turbine]

As I mentioned this morning on Stevie P's radio show Thinking out Loud "My one big worry vs Middle Tennessee is UL's untested pass defense."

Here is the deal; Middle Tennessee has the nation’s #3 passing offense. And it's not that I think UL's pass defense is suspect, it's just that it has not been tested, thus at least for me it is a worry.

Steve Peloquin pointed out -and correctly- that Middle Tennessee had a 700 yard rusher last year. So yeah they would be crazy not to test what is perceived to be UL's porous rush defense. Any effort by MT towards a rushing goal could by itself slow down their passing attack.

But hey, my pass defense worries may be unfounded, there might be a reason the opponents have focused on the run this year. . . .

[Cajun1997]

Don't know his status but he limped off the field in the first half of the FAU game and did not return.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by SwampHound
Don't know his status but he limped off the field in the first half of the FAU game and did not return.

Oh no That means they are stuck on the pass.

I have utmost confidence in CC Braown and Antwain Spann.

Its show and tell time for the rest of the defense.

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Rickey Bustle has it figured out now.

“Obviously, our philosophy of trying to let their back wear down is just not working,” Bustle said on Monday.

In the last two weeks, his UL Ragin’ Cajuns have been hit for 257 yards rushing by Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Moats and 292 by Kansas State’s Darren Sproles.

Bustle’s tongue-in-cheek response pointed to a real need to improve a rushing defense that currently 113th out of the nation’s 117 Division 1-A programs.

“We’ve got to do a better job of slowing those backs down,” Bustle admitted.

That task may shift this week, though, as Middle Tennessee will hit Cajun Field on Saturday with a passing attack averaging 351.5 yards per game — third in the nation.

“Our secondary is going to get challenged this week,” said Bustle. “Middle Tennessee likes to spread the secondary out with their short passing game, and then take some shots downtown.”

While Moats and Sproles had the spotlight in recent Cajun contests, MT wide receiver Kerry Wright wears the bull’s eye this week.

Wright has 18 catches for 240 yards and a touchdown for the 1-1 Blue Raiders, and is coming off a 73-catch, school-record 1,280-yard campaign in 2003. He has six career 100-yard games.

Sophomore quarterback Clint Marks hit 27-of-37 passes for 359 yards in last week’s 27-20 loss to Florida Atlantic.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[RaginFan2]

I'm not sure about their credentials, but for what it's worth, the Randy Mac College Football Poll ranks the Cajuns #60. We are listed ahead of #61 Clemson (1-2), #63 Ole Miss (1-2), # 65 South Carolina (2-1), #67 UCLA (2-1), #68 Penn St. (2-1), & #70 Georgia Tech (2-1), among others. Kansas St. is ranked #21, while LA Tech is #52 in this ranking system.

Other Sunbelt teams are: Troy #32, UNT #74, Middle Tennessee #79, Arkansas St. #91, NM St. #92, Utah St. #99, Idaho #112, & ULM #114.

Other LA schools: LA St. #14 and Tulane #103.

It is interesting to note that of the 11 D1-A conferences, all but 3 have winning records against OOC opponents this season. The MWC, MAC & SBC have the losing records, with the MWC having an 8-12 record. The MAC (7-29) and the Sunbelt(4-17) have far and away the most losses. The ledger doesn't show the caliber of team for each of the OOC records, so it's hard to directly compare. However, it points out the benefit of the MAC vs. SBC games. I think over time it would benefit both conferences.

[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, sophomore quarterback Jerry Babb was named Hooters/Credeur’s Offensive Player of the Week. Babb not only passed for 128 yards but also led the Cajuns in rushing with 101 yards.

An 80-yard scamper, which led to the Cajuns’ third touchdown, highlighted Babb’s impressive performance. Babb also threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to B.J. Crist and ran in a touchdown from nine yards out.

Sophomore defensive end Tony Hills was named the Defensive Player of the Game. Hills had six tackles, three of which were solo.

There was no Special Forces Player of the Game.

Tim Falter and Tony Cash were named the Offensive and Defensive Scout Team Players of the week, respectively.

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

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

Offensive: Jerry Babb
Defensive: Tony Hills
Special Forces: NA
Offensive Scout: Tim Falter
Defensive: Tony Cash

LOUISIANA SI