The Book: 2004 FOOTBALL

[Turbine]

Originally posted by NewsCopy
The Cajuns' defense was certainly their weak point last season, ranking 100th in total defense (439.0 ypg) and 102nd in scoring (34.6 ppg).

Sounds a lot like the defence I saw last night vs NMSU

484 yards and 35 points

[NewsCopy]

Big games by Babb, Sampy, Smothers go for naught in loss.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — It’s hard to enjoy even the most exciting moments when your team loses a game it could have won.

Saturday’s 35-32 Sun Belt Conference loss to New Mexico State soured the evening for senior UL receivers Travis Smothers and Bill Sampy, who otherwise had a right to feel happy.

Smothers raced 94 yards to a touchdown with the opening kickoff, the first time a Cajun had run back a kickoff for a score since the 1998 season finale against Western Kentucky.

Sampy caught eight passes for 109 yards including touchdowns of 12 and 34 yards from Jerry Babb.

Both were disappointed, though, as the Cajuns fell to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Sun Belt action.

“We had a right return called from the sidelines,” Smothers said of his runback. “But the kicker kicked it too far to my left, and they were crashing hard to the right.

“I had some good blocking on the left, so I started that way, and then the middle opened up. I made a couple of moves and cut it back to the right and took it all the way.

“This is my first real kickoff return for a touchdown. I’ve been on the return team before, but this is my first touchdown.”

Sampy had a pair of reasons to celebrate, but two more reasons to be unhappy.

“I scored two touchdowns, but I also had two dropped passes,” Sampy said. “If I’m going to be the best receiver I can be and help the team out, I can’t be dropping passes.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns fall short Third-quarter turnovers spell doom in 35-32 loss

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Now they’re going to have to do it the hard way.

UL Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajuns had a chance to take a big step toward a Sun Belt Conference championship here on Saturday, and they scored the first time they touched the ball, but New Mexico State had the final word in a 35-32 shootout.

The loss dropped the Cajuns to 3-3 on the year and 1-1 in Sun Belt play, while the Aggies improved to 2-4 and 2-1 in league action.

It was the fourth straight tight decision between the two teams, in games decided by 3, 3, 2 and 3 points.

The game turned in the third period, when New Mexico State erased a 21-13 halftime edge with a 22-point explosion helped by a Cajun team that fumbled the ball away three times and was saved on another miscue by an inadvertent whistle.

“You can’t keep putting the football on the ground,” said Cajun coach Rickey Bustle, who lost for the first time at UL when leading at halftime. “And, sooner or later you have to stop them.”

The Aggies rolled to 484 yards of offense behind quarterback Buck Pierce, who hit 16-of-25 passes for 274 yards, and running back Muammar Ali, whose 27 carries netted a career-high 146 yards.

“I’m disappointed in the game we played,” Bustle said, “but not the spirit. But, I give credit to Tony Samuel and his bunch over there. They really came out in that third period and played physical.”

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Any time Jerry Babb has the football in his hands, Louisiana has a chance to win.

That was the case Saturday night in Las Cruces, N.M., as Babb had time to launch two late passes after gaining possession on a New Mexico State punt with 10 seconds to play.

Both fell incomplete, and the Ragin’ Cajuns were saddled with a 35-32 defeat in Sun Belt Conference play.

A better scenario would have been for Babb to take a knee to preserve a victory, but the Cajuns made too many mistakes for that to happen.

Coach Rickey Bustle’s team is now 3-3 on the year and has allowed 907 yards rushing in the three defeats.

The latest lapse saw Aggies sophomore Muammar Ali chalk up 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns, easily eclipsing the 117 yards he had gained in five previous games this season.

UL also failed to sack senior quarterback Buck Pierce, and he made them pay by hitting 16-of-25 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown.

Usually when you score 32 points on the road in conference play, including an emotionally uplifting 94-yard kickoff return by Travis Smothers to start the evening, you should win.

So a defense that allowed 484 yards and didn’t force a punt until the fourth quarter owns some of the blame.

“At some point in time, you’ve got to put a stop to their offense,” Bustle said.

But the Cajuns were also their own worst enemy with untimely offensive mistakes.

NMSU mounted a 22-0 third quarter rally to change a 21-13 deficit into a 35-21 lead, while the first three UL possessions of the second half ended in fumbles.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[El Sidonio]

Bottom line is we gave this game away. I say that because we had games that we've won this season in spite of the yardage we gave up. The only difference b/t the L and the W this season is us giving the ball away. If we stop doing that, we'll continue to win.

Geaux UL Ragin Cajuns!

God Bless.

[RaisingCajun08]

In previous games we played mistake free for the most part. Against NMST we gave up 3 fumbles and that cost us the game. Simple as that. We do not have an outstanding team but we are well disiplined. Disipline takes a team along way.

[DaddyCajun]

Yeh you are right, and I hope to never see it again! Tighten up line and linebackers! Hold onto the ball backs and lets get the win not give it away!!

DaddyCajun!!

[DaddyCajun]

Thanks!!

[RealCajun70]

Hey guys,
thought i would drop in to say dont lose hope we are gonna pull things together and give yall a great show and bring dominance back to this university keep the fans coming and we will keep winning(well we will do that regardless).
Go Cajuns

[DaddyCajun]

Are you a football player or a fan? I know you are right and hope it starts this Saturday!!

DaddyCajun!!!!!

[Turbine]

Originally posted by DaddyCajun
Are you a football player or a fan?

He is both.

You can get a snippet of 70 in the video linked here.
https://forumeus.com/sh...&threadid=5353

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — UL proved to be the cure for New Mexico State’s offensive woes last week, and if the Ragin’ Cajuns are going to stay alive in the Sun Belt Conference race they can’t let that happen again.

The Aggies had more yards in the first half than in either of their previous two games, and that was before they went on a 22-0 third quarter spree that sparked a 35-32 victory.

“We probably played as poor a defensive game as we have all year,’ UL coach Rickey Bustle said on Monday. “We’ve lived on the edge a little bit too long, and it finally got us.”

The Cajuns dropped to 3-3 on the year and 1-1 in Sun Belt play with the loss, dropping them into a third-place tie with Troy, UL Monroe and Arkansas State in the league chase.

To no one’s surprise, three-time champion North Texas has found a way to open 2-0, while NMSU is 2-1 despite a 2-4 overall mark.

Saturday’s upcoming visit to Idaho (1-5, 0-2), appears to be a chance to get back on track, but Bustle is taking no chances.

“We’ve still got goals that we can meet,” Bustle said. “This (loss) puts our backs up against the wall, sort of like New Mexico State’s were last week. One more loss and I think we’ll be out of the race.”

Idaho will be the second straight foe playing its final season in the Sun Belt before departing the league, and Bustle sees an attitude with the short-timers.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com