The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

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On last week’s game and crowd support…
“I am very excited about the fans that have come to our games. It’s been a high turnout.”

“Our players were very excited about playing at home. And to know these folks haven’t given up on us is exciting. The student body was great with their thunder sticks. At the end of the game it was loud.”

“It was an electrifying place to be. That’s what we want. We want ‘The Swamp ’ to be a tough place to play. It really helps our players and they appreciate having so many people here.”

“Looking at the game film it was like two different games. We played really well in the first half, but didn’t execute well before half. The thing I wanted to get across to these players is that we have to finish games. I thought overall that our defense played better.”

On long run…
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my 27 years. I do think the momentum stopped, but that knee didn’t touch and that elbow didn’t touch.”

“It was one of those fluke things that happen and I’m just glad it didn’t decide the game.

On fourth down call at end of the game…
“I did not want to kickoff into the wind and our kickoff team has given up big runs the past couple of weeks.”

“There was a lot of thoughts going on but knowing that they had a long way to go with no timeouts. They were playing for the field goal. But it turned out ok.”

On final drive by ASU…
“I think on that last drive we really only made one big mistake, when (Terryl) Fenton went for the interception. We did a nice job of keeping them in bounds when we could. They weren’t just running through us all night. I felt like our defense showed patience. We got the one big sack form Travis Bass. The kids got excited and jumped off the pile and I would have liked them to stay on the pile.”

On special teams…
“We did a sky kick one time and we had three people let him break contain. We just have to get people who aren’t afraid to make a mistake. We need to just let them cut loose and go tackle somebody.”

“Our other special teams had a big play with Mike (Adams) blocking that kick. When we block from one side there is another guy running across the line looking for the blocked ball.”

“You change the momentum on special teams a lot quicker than you can offensively or defensively.”

“They were about to go up three nothing and we get that block and are up 7-0”

On the week off…
“I don’t think it could have come at a better time. Hopefully we’ll give some guys a rest. It comes at a great time for us.”

“We are excited about our week off. We are going to get some people healed up. I’m going to practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday instead of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. We’ll come in on Sunday and treat it like a Monday.”

On North Texas televised game…
“They bring a championship attitude and a championship football team. We’re excited we play them here on national TV. Everybody is going to have to play well to win this football game.”

“We’re playing a team that knows how to win. We are going to have to get ready to play a great football game”

“When you get your University or football team out to the rest of the country it is worth so much money just for people recognizing the Ragin’ Cajuns name. Any time you put that in front of 36 million homes you can’t buy that kind of exposure.”

“We’ll be the only game on. If anybody wants to watch a college game they are going to watch us.”

“I want to do some things better against the looks we are going to see.”

On home win streak…
“I think playing at home does it for us. When you take care of business these streaks happen. The players wanted to win it for our people and our students.”

“I think that there is an excitement about or football team. It is catching. We still have to promote it and push it, but there is a fever that is catching.”

LOUISIANA SI

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LAFAYETTE — This week’s open date comes at a good time for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

The Cajuns squared their record at 4-4 with last Saturday’s 27-24 homecoming win over Arkansas State, and now have extra time to prepare for a nationally-televised Nov. 5 home date with three-time Sun Belt Conference champion North Texas.

With starting quarterback Jerry Babb and senior safety Antwain Spann both hurt in the ASU game, the extra time will be beneficial.

“We’re excited about having a week off,” coach Rickey Bustle said on Monday. “Antwain is sore, and Jerry is very sore. And (defensive back) Michael Adams was in the training room yesterday.”

Spann injured his shoulder in the first half on Saturday and did not return to action, although he could have played if needed.

Babb suffered a bruised back on a scramble three plays into the fourth quarter and did not finish the game.

Adams, whose first quarter blocked field goal led to Terryl Fenton’s 80-yard return and a 7-0 UL lead, remained in action.

“We’ve been a little beat up the last couple of weeks, so this comes at a good time,” Bustle said. “We may be able to get (defensive lineman) Curtis Isaac (broken hand) back, and (linebacker) Stanley Smith can get a rest with his (broken) hand.”

When Babb went out, junior Luke Sniewski ran the Cajun offense. Twice he was backed up near his own goal and told to hand the ball off, but when he got some room to operate he hit Bill Sampy with a crucial 42-yard pass play to help seal the win.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[Pup]

I never meant to get you upset. You are supposed to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

[BirdofParadise]

While I understand your frustration, you cannot suggest that Schexnayder is getting preferential treatment because of who is father is and then in the same breath say that you aren't questioning the integrity of the coaching staff.

[ATXCajun]

Man, that Brandon Stokley guy probably got to play because of his dad. He was awful. :-)

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - The University of Louisiana has a chance to make a big splash this week.

When the Ragin’ Cajuns host North Texas at 9 p.m. Friday at Cajun Field, the game will be shown in 80 million homes on ESPN2.

Now, all coach Rickey Bustle and his staff have to do in order to really catch the nation’s attention is knock off a team that is the only football champion the Sun Belt Conference has ever had.

“Any time you can get your program out in the country, it’s worth so much money,” Bustle said. “People recognize the Ragin’ Cajun name. You can’t buy that.

“We’re going to be the only game on at that time on Friday. The first game Friday is Marshall at Akron, and we follow that one.”

There are two ways to make an impression on TV, as we all know. It can be very good, or pretty bad.

In 1977, with Augie Tammariello the coach and Roy Henry at quarterback, the Cajuns were able to land regional ABC TV coverage for their season finale against McNeese State.

One of the stipulations was that the school increase the candle power of its lights at Cajun Field to accomodate TV. When we walked in that night, it was as bright as day. The game, however, was less than dazzling.

For one thing, the scoreboard at the south end of the stadium wouldn’t work, leaving Athletic Director Toby Warren to explain the malfunction on the air with a smile painted on his face.

Then there were the Cajuns themselves, who after a 4-0 season start had pretty much regressed after a losing midseason trip to Hawaii.

They managed three field goals from John Roveto and led 9-3 late in the game when the Cowboys staged a late drive for a touchdown. But McNeese missed the extra point, leaving a 9-9 deadlock that satisfied no one and was about as intriguing as “Golden Girls” re-runs.

Happily enough, the majority of the country saw Southern California nip UCLA 29-27, so UL was spared nationwide exposure.

It’s much better to get the kind of attention the Cajuns got in 1996 when they stunned No. 25 Texas A&M 29-22 before a Cajun Field record 38,783 delirious fans, some of whom removed the goal posts and proceeded to second-line their way out of the stadium.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme engineered a crucial 93-yard touchdown drive, but it was a swarming Cajun secondary that grabbed the spotlight with timely thefts and scores of its own. The night was something no UL fan will ever forget.

Flash forward 8 years, and the Cajuns are hosting their most significant TV event since the A&M game.

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Once again, candle power is an issue for the hosts, as both ESPN and ESPN2 require heightened lighting for their games.

“We’ve been replacing and cleaning the lens on the lights this week,” said Matt Hebert of the UL Sports Information Department. “If it was ESPN regional, it wouldn’t be necessary, but it is for ESPN and ESPN2.”

“Lights were an issue last year at New Mexico State, as well,” said Chris Jackson, the Sun Belt’s assistant commissioner in charge of broadcasting. “They want a certain level from the end of the end zone to the end of the (other) end zone.”

Volunteers have already done much to improve the look of Cajun Field this season, and homecoming was last weekend, so there was less maintenance necessary beyond improved lightning.

Unless you count the press box elevator, which was not functional for homecoming. That’s supposed to be fixed in time for the UNT visit. If not, the impression would be less than favorable.

Hebert and other SID personnel will be working with on-air “talent” — Dr. Jerry Punch, play-by-play; Jim Donnan, color; Stacy Dales-Schuman, sideline — in preparation for the broadcast.

“They’ll get in on Thursday, and we’ll work with them to line up stories on different players,” Hebert said. “We’ll find out if they need PSA’s (public service announcements) about the university, or videos of people like Brian Mitchell and Jake Delhomme.

“And, I’m sure we’ll need extra statistics people to help them out.”

When New Mexico State hosted North Texas last year in a crucial Sun Belt game, the ratings opened eyes at ESPN.

“They had such great ratings for that game last year,” Jackson said. “It was about comparable to some of the games they had in the Big 12 or Big Ten last year. They were shocked when they told me.

“It enhanced any type of negotiating advantage we had.”

The Sun Belt’s TV contract in all sports runs through 2008, a deal made stronger by the league’s stability.

“We’ve re-negotiated, and we will again,” said Jackson, who added that television revenues for this week’s game are distributed among member schools and not specifically to UL or UNT.

So, if the candle power is up to snuff, and the elevator works, and 20,000-plus fans drop in after their high school games, all the Cajuns have to do is play lights-out.
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LOUISIANA La. — Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns returned to work on Sunday, and they’re going to need all the fine-tuning they can get this week.

Coach Rickey Bustle’s team, which had Friday and Saturday off with an open date, is gearing up to host three-time Sun Belt Conference champion North Texas on Friday at Cajun Field in front of a national TV audience at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

The Mean Green won its 22nd straight game in league play last Saturday, outscoring visiting UL Monroe 45-30 in Denton behind remarkable freshman running back Jamario Thomas.

Thomas, who was thrust into a starting role this season when 2003 national rushing leader Patrick Cobbs went out with an injury, chalked up an NCAA record-tying fourth 200-yard game of the season with 218 yards on a workhorse 41 carries.

It was the third straight contest over 200 for Thomas, who tied the NCAA freshman mark of four 200-yard outings set by Herschel Walker of Georgia in 1980 and later tied by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne.

Also, he went over 1,000 yards for the season with a 10-yard run on the first snap of the game and has 1,215 yards in just seven games. That eclipses the record of 1,157 achieved by San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk in 1991.

Touchdown runs of 17, 2 and 4 yards, the last putting UNT ahead 28-7 at halftime, added spice to Thomas’s latest performance as he increased his nation-leading rushing average to 173.6 yards per game.

But North Texas (4-4, 4-0 in Sun Belt play) also has other standouts.

Senior quarterback Scott Hall had two touchdown passes in a span of 2:17 — 53 yards to Andy Blount and 2 yards to Johnny Quinn — and is currently 25th in the country in passing efficiency with a 138.4-point rating.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

UL prepares for nationally televised game with North Texas

LOUISIANA La. — Until he takes his Ragin´ Cajuns to a bowl game, Friday´s nationally-televised home game against North Texas is about as big as it gets for Louisiana coach Rickey Bustle.

The Cajuns and Mean Green kick off at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, and the atmosphere is already building for the showcase event.

"Just talking about it gets me excited," senior center Ronnie Harvey said. "We´ve never played on national TV as long as I´ve been here. We´ve gotten that kind of attention in other sports like basketball, baseball and softball, but this is the first time we´ve been in the national spotlight.

"The student body is really excited. Just this morning, three of my professors were saying that people really need to go out and support us at home. I applaud them for that.

"That carries over to the people on the field. I hope the city of Lafayette and the surrounding area come out and support us."

"Hopefully," said cornerback Michael Adams, "we can use that atmosphere to our advantage. Everybody´s excited. They want us to win, and have a winning season."

The trick for the Cajuns (4-4, 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference) is to keep their focus on the game itself and not the surroundings. North Texas (4-4, 4-0) has won 22 straight in the league and appears to be steaming toward another Wyndham New Orleans Bowl berth.

"We´re excited about the game being here and being on national TV," Bustle said. "But it´s not something we harp on with the players. It´s still on the field. I think they understand. I think they realize. I don´t think it will change anything."

"As a team, we´re very disciplined," Harvey said. "We try not to let distractions get to you. We can´t worry about the spotlight getting to you."

"During the bye week, we talked about not being hyped up, not changing the things we do," Adams said. "The way I look at it, every game is just as important as other games. Whether we play on ESPN, or Cox Sports, it´s all the same to me."

"I fully expect a great atmosphere and crowd," Bustle said. "I hope folks who go to the high school games in the area skeedaddle over here. I´ve always believed if we would put a good product on the field, people would come. And it´s getting better and better."

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[OldBullDog]

That 53 yard TD pass scares me. I would bet my last dollar it was set up by the opponent focusing on the run.

[NewsCopy]

UL’s Harvey leads the way for improved offensive line play

LOUISIANA La. — Senior center Ronnie Harvey is the smallest member of the Louisiana offensive line, and it seems he always has been.

But the one-time Washington-Marion standout is the leader of a unit that has paved the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns to average 409.5 yards and 25.6 points per game this season.

The Cajuns (4-4 overall, 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference) are also at 160 yards per game rushing, a substantial improvement from last year’s 116.6-yard norm.

Harvey, guards Greg Hodges and Justin Ernest and tackles Brandon Cox and Jesse Newman will again shoulder the load this Friday when the Cajuns host North Texas at Cajun Field in a game televised nationally on ESPN2.

“We will have to play well up front,” Harvey said. “If the five guys up front take care of our business, we’ll be all right. We need to protect Jerry Babb and open up holes for our backs.”

Babb, who leads UL in both rushing (376 yards) and passing (1,834 yards, 10 touchdown passes) needs a bit more protection than usual after re-aggravating an old back injury in the 27-24 homecoming victory over Arkansas State on Oct. 23.

“Jerry is still tender,” Cajun coach Rickey Bustle said. “He didn’t do anything last week with the open date. He is able to move around, and he’s getting better every day.”

That’s a positive sign for the Cajuns, but the story really begins in the trenches with Harvey and his group.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com