Getting Ready for 2004 Football is it Spring yet

[RickYoung12]

Didn't tease Rafael! Hell, we could make him miss PAT in practice with a little ribbing! Never thought he had the mental side to make it in the NFL, but he sure fooled me. He was an awesome kicker, with both legs. We did fool around in warmups sometimes, practicing his accuracy from the sideline, 5 yards deep in the end zone! Also, he would kick a few from 60 yards out with his right foot, then I would switch around and he would kick a few with his left! The opposing team always had a few coaches and a handful of players watching him kick in pre-game. It was cool!

Roveto was just a Soph. when I held for him. I needed to calm him down at times. So I would talk about something funny that happened at the dorm or about the number of Copenhagen tins he would go thru during the week...anything to keep his mind off of the kick. Then we I saw him relax, I would call for the snap. Tamariello grabbed me after one kick that was almost flagged for delay of game. He wanted to know what we were talking about! I told him I was just getting John to relax. He kicked 3 FG's in the final game of 77 against McNeese, on ESPN! That was one, cold __'n night! The McNeese kiker missed the PAT with a few seconds on the clock to win the game (score 9-9). I think that was the best game I had being a holder. Every snap was off target due to the cold and wind! Also, Tam had demoted me to 3rd string the week before the game, the last of my career. It was payback for several incidents that happened over my time there, some were my fault, some I got blamed for. I was soooo ____ed on at him for that! Carl Smith asked me to be a grad Asst. coach the next spring, but I was still mad at Tam. He and I made up a long time ago. He's a very good person, though he didn't manage the team that well (Roy Henry issues). I still wonder today what may have been if I had started coaching, with Carl going to the Saints and all. Carl took over from Zeno as O.C. and leaned on me heavily to pick up the offense my senior year. He and I got on great and I beleive he could have opened some doors for me if I had tunred out to be a decent coach. Regrets, I've had few....

[RickYoung12]

Are Tubine and Snote the same person?

[Turbine]

Originally posted by RickYoung12
Are Tubine and Snote the same person?

No, but I do post the research (in your case pictures) under the name of the era in which the player played (in your case USL)

Snote was a WR in College and if I am not mistaken you went 1-1-1 against his team while at UL.

I on the other hand do call his radio show and listen for "Sports of Note"

ps I never went 1-1-1, though I did just notice it was 2:22 (Cen. time)

[RickYoung12]

Snote....hmmm. I think I know you...drop me a line on my regular email address Rick.Young@NQL.com

Thanks!

[NewsCopy]

Transition to ‘4-3’ defense ongoing for defensive unit

LOUISIANA La. — UL’s football squad hits the halfway point of spring drills today, and head coach Rickey Bustle is looking for answers.

He’s hoping to get questions put to rest when the Ragin’ Cajuns hold their first full-scale scrimmage at approximately 1 p.m. at Cajun Field.

“This is really the first time we’ll have an opportunity to evaluate some guys,” Bustle said Friday. “We’ve done some spurts last Saturday and on Wednesday, but we’ll be much more ready to dictate where we head the next two weeks after Saturday.”

The Cajun practice will begin at 12:30 p.m. today and are scheduled for live kicking after stretching and group drills. The squad is scheduled to go through 96 total plays — 40 with the Red (first-unit) offense, 40 with the White (second-unit) and 16 in the kicking game.

The squad held a 25-play scrimmage session last Saturday and on Wednesday, and today’s scrimmage will be the eighth of the maximum 15 practice days for the squad in spring drills.

The Cajuns completed their seventh practice Friday afternoon with a session that Bustle hoped would prepare his team for today’s workout.

“I feel pretty good about where we are,” he said, “but I’ll feel a lot better if I see a lot of improvement tomorrow. After that, we’ll be able to take a good look and make sure we’re doing things right, especially since we’re doing so many different things.”

The biggest adjustment has been for the defensive unit, which is moving from a five-man front to the radically-different 4-3 scheme.

“We’re still teaching the 4-3,” Bustle said, “and it’s a learning process but our guys are getting better with it. We haven’t had enough plays with it yet, but the good thing is that the kids like it. It’s easier to learn and easier to play, and they like what we’re doing. They’ve had some really good intensity there.”

The defensive goal is to cut down on big plays allowed. During the Cajuns’ 4-8 season, opponents averaged 5.1 yards per rush and 6.2 yards per play overall because of big-yardage plays.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Cajun Express]

As usual UL is its own worst enemy, gates locked on west side, probably some folks just went on over to the baseball game sooner than later. The team looked good and played well. can't list all the players cause there was not a roster sheet, but Babb and Jackson looked good. 11 our California quaterback looked very good as well. Lavileur ran well as did no 33.

Great to see Big Z and little z at the game. Babbs grandmother was there and very pround of him.

[NewsCopy]

Cajuns’ defense rules scrimmage

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's Ragin’ Cajun football squad reached the halfway point of spring drills Saturday with a two-hour practice, one made up mostly of a 95-play scrimmage.

And to no surprise, it was the Cajuns’ defensive unit that controlled play in the spring’s first full scrimmage action.

“You expect the defense to be a little ahead at this point,” said head coach Rickey Bustle, “but they’ve been really solid in picking up a new system.”

The Cajun defense, undergoing a change to a 4-3 scheme this year, got a strong showing from its number one unit and kept pressure on junior college quarterback signee Luke Sniewski for most of the session. The top unit had multiple sacks and tackles for losses in its 40 plays.

“We didn’t make as many mental errors as we’ve had,” Bustle said. “We had a lot more consistency, and that was good to see. We have low numbers in our defensive line, but the guys we have stepped in really nice.”

The number one offense’s effort was highlighted by a 40-yard completion from returnee quarterback Jerry Babb to redshirt freshman Jordan Jackson.

Running backs Josh Harrison broke free for runs of 17 and 10 yards and Abdule Levier added a 17-yard burst.

The rest of the story

[bigearl]

I know there was a lot of talk in the past few months about a uniform/helmet change. With spring ball being underway, does anyone jnow if any of those changes have or will take place? Turbine, you seem to be in the know about this, any news?

[Purecajun]

I went to the scrimage last Saturday at Cajun Field, and I had a chance to talk to Mike Mayeaux, the new punter replacing Grant Autrey. He told me that the helmets will look the same, but the jerseys will look kind of like the Denver Broncos' uniforms with the stripes on the sides with straight numbers.

[CDeb]

Originally posted by Purecajun
I went to the scrimage last Saturday at Cajun Field, and I had a chance to talk to Mike Mayeaux, the new punter replacing Grant Autrey. He told me that the helmets will look the same, but the jerseys will look kind of like the Denver Broncos' uniforms with the stripes on the sides with straight numbers.

Interesting. I look forward to seeing that. While it was nice to have the font of the numbers consistent with the logos, they were a freakin bear to read from the press box.