The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

[El Sidonio]

Like I said and like the article in the advertiser said, we have this game to grab people, and I hope they win and I hope we do grab people. With our track record, people won't invest their time past the first game if we don't win, that's why it's so crucial. I expect 34,823! (hey, who know?!?)

[Oldman]

is there anyone who know how to get the crowd loud when our team is on defense? especially in the red zone, we don't make enough noise i think, we have got to get people participate. think,think,think.........

[CajunFanatic91]

I recieved the following two replys:

www.ragincajuns.com click on the KPEL/ESPN logo.

All Cajun football, basketball and baseball games can be found there.

Enjoy the game.

Jay

&:
The stream is running fine right now. I set it up early because tomorrow we
at KRVS are broadcasting the zydeco festival live during the day and at
night is live broadcasting from the bluegrass performances at Acadian
Village.

The football game will be streaming at www.ragincajuns.com in the mp3
format.

Karl Fontenot, chief engineer
KRVS-FM 88.7 Lafayette, LA
PO Box 42171, Lafayette, LA 70504
337-482-5892 voice 337-482-6101 fax
337-295-2304 pager
kmf1035@louisiana.edu
www.krvs.org

[RaginRash]

Good job to snote & CajunFanatic91!! I will be there with family in tow!

[TuffGuy84]

I dont know about you, but we get pretty loud as the game goes along down there in the red zone. I know the other team doesnt like us to much.

Tuffguy

[NewsCopy]

Rickey Bustle enters his third year as the head coach of Ragin’ Cajun football at Louisiana today, taking on Division IAA Northwestern. The Cajuns finished 3-9 in 2002 and 4-8 last season, winning four of their last five games after a discouraging 0-7 start. Today, the coach takes a look at where his program has been and where the Cajuns are headed.

Q What is your biggest accomplishment since taking over the program?

A I really feel like there’s a stronger commitment to the program, both from the (UL Lafayette) administration and the community, and I think our players feel that.

You know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and you can look at the new training room, new locker room and the new equipment room and see some of the changes we’ve made.

I think the community wants us to win.

Q Did you have concerns about that level of commitment when you took over?

A At the time, I didn’t know enough about it. I felt it was a situation that had great potential. I talked to several people about it, and they all felt the same way. I think the sky’s the limit on how high we can take this thing.

The university has so many pluses academically, and athletics is showing signs of life. We’re starting to look the part by getting better student athletes in here.

Q Is today’s student athlete prepared for college?

A We’re recruiting better students to be athletes. I don’t think you can build with instability in the academic area. There are some good players out there that we don’t make offers to because they can’t cut it in class. When I go into a recruit’s home, I actually talk very little about football. We talk more about academics and what we expect them to do.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

UL strives to follow up strong finish

LOUISIANA La. — UL scored 100 points in the last two games of the 2003 season and won four of its last five games.

While that finish provided substantial momentum for recruiting, spring practice and offseason conditioning, it becomes ancient history at 7 p.m. today.

Coach Rickey Bustle’s Ragin’ Cajuns open the 2004 season at 31,000-seat Cajun Field against Division 1-AA member Northwestern State with high hopes for the school’s first winning campaign since 1995.

NSU was 6-6 last year under coach Scott Stoker, and the Demons are eager to atone for a four-game losing streak that produced the .500 finish. The Demons have had only one losing season in their last nine.

“Every game is important to us,” said Bustle, whose team finished tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference a year ago. “I think it’s very important to start with a win.”

Quarterback Jerry Babb caught fire in that 2003 stretch run for the Cajuns, hitting over 60 percent of his passes and sparking the UL attack. He threw for 435 yards and four touchdowns in the 57-51, four-overtime season finale at Middle Tennessee.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Running back trio lead Northwestern State against UL

LOUISIANA La. - The best current college running back threesome from Baton Rouge won't be in Tiger Stadium today.

If you're looking for Shelton Sampson, Derrick Johnese and Greg Skidmore, the three Northwestern State tailbacks will be at Cajun Field, testing a new University of Louisiana at Lafayette defense.

In the Demons' four-tailback rotation, Sampson, Johnese and Skidmore -- all from Baton Rouge -- are a major part of the Demons' run-oriented offense.

Northwestern State running backs coach John Nagle, who played on LSU's 1969 Southeastern Conference championship team, said Sampson and Johnese are most effective when pounding the ball inside.

Then for a change of pace, Northwestern uses Skidmore, a 165-pound sophomore, whose speed opens things on the outside.

The Demons running game will be matched against the unveiling of UL's 4-3 defensive scheme, as both teams open the season at 7:05 p.m.

Johnese said he knew Sampson and Skidmore when the three played high school football, but they really didn't become friends until they arrived in Natchitoches.

"We knew about each other's careers, but weren't close friends or anything like that," said Sampson.

Since reaching the Natchitoches campus, Skidmore said the relationship has changed, as they now hang out together off the field.

"I think it's pretty special that we're all playing the same position and that we come from the same town," Skidmore said.

''We've got a special bond because of that. I don't think you will find this type of situation at many college."

The rest of the story

By BOBBY ARDOIN

[EVCajun12]

I am pumped today, and I can't wait to get to the field today.

feeling pretty good about the Cajuns chances today.

[gridiron]

I am so jacked today is a day I have been waiting for for 8 years. The start of a winning season