LAFAYETTE - There's not a great deal of difference between finishing 3-9 and 4-8, unless you happen to be Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns.
This is a program that has not had a winning season since 1995, posting since 1996 records of 1-10, 2-9, 2-9, 1-10, 3-8 and 3-9.
Last year, Rickey Bustle's Cajuns started the season 0-7 and were staring at loss No. 8, trailing New Mexico State, 24-23, in the waning moments.
But Terryl Fenton intercepted a pass, Jerry Babb engineered a dramatic drive and Sean Comiskey kicked a field goal for a 26-24 victory with 8 seconds remaining.
With the victory, ULL won three more games, losing only to Southern Mississippi, and 4-8 looked remarkably good considering the Cajuns' starting point.
The Cajuns are still lightly regarded, ranking among the bottom 10 among the nation¹s 117 Division 1-A programs by almost every preseason publication. But that's standard operating procedure for teams in the Sun Belt Conference, where North Texas is dominant and no other member managed a winning record in 2003.
Undaunted, the Cajuns march into the 2004 campaign thinking about a winning record, challenging UNT for Sun Belt supremacy and earning a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.
Based on that 2003 finish and a more reasonable schedule, the Cajuns have a right to ponder a break-even finish.
"We can't rely on last year," Bustle said. "We've got to build on the way we finished the season. The players came back focused and excited about starting practice.
"What I've been pleased about is the enthusiasm. Guys get to jawing at each other, and they're flying around, making plays. I like the intensity we've shown."
Sophomore quarterback Jerry Babb is back to lead the Cajun attack after accumulating 1,734 yards of total offense a year ago.
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