Bouncing back

[NewsCopy]

  In a blowout that morphed into a shootout in the fourth quarter, UL needed a late defensive stand to survive its Sun Belt Conference opener.

Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin nearly erased a 24-point deficit in the final quarter, but an interception by Maurice Rolle Jr. with 1:59 left sealed a 31-24 win for the Ragin' Cajuns on a toasty Saturday afternoon.

The rest of the story

Joshua Parrott
jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[CajunRed]

WAIT....turns out the season ISN'T over! Who woulda thought?

igeaux.mobi

[tdncz]

I have been saying "glass half full" for 5+ years, but the bottom line: I am skeptical that the season is NOT lost....we still have Bustle as coach. The Cajuns won on Saturday IN SPITE OF the terrible coaching...particularly in the 4th quarter.

[BirdofParadise]

_ I have been saying "glass half full" for 5+ years, but the bottom line: I am skeptical that the season is NOT lost....we still have Bustle as coach. The Cajuns won on Saturday IN SPITE OF the terrible coaching...particularly in the 4th quarter. _

Sorry. BUt that's just a dumb comment.

You're up 31-7. One of your goals is to run clock. The Cajuns had over 9 minutes of possession time.

You'd like to score again. Cajuns got into field goal range twice and missed both.

Now, there were two big plays. One was a breakdown in coverage. The other was an 11 yard play where there were two missed tackles that turned it into a 50 yard gain.

ARkansas State, other than the two big plays, had 49 yards passing in the fourth quarter.

Please explain bad coaching in the fourth quarter. And if you can make a case (and it'll be a stretch), then will you please give the coaching staff credit for the total domination of that ASU team for three quarters.

[RaginDave]

_ Sorry. BUt that's just a dumb comment.

You're up 31-7. One of your goals is to run clock. The Cajuns had over 9 minutes of possession time.

You'd like to score again. Cajuns got into field goal range twice and missed both.

Now, there were two big plays. One was a breakdown in coverage. The other was an 11 yard play where there were two missed tackles that turned it into a 50 yard gain.

ARkansas State, other than the two big plays, had 49 yards passing in the fourth quarter.

Please explain bad coaching in the fourth quarter. And if you can make a case (and it'll be a stretch), then will you please give the coaching staff credit for the total domination of that ASU team for three quarters. _

In a much more eloquent way, you took the words right out of my mouth.....

[rhineaux]

_ Sorry. BUt that's just a dumb comment.

You're up 31-7. One of your goals is to run clock. The Cajuns had over 9 minutes of possession time.

You'd like to score again. Cajuns got into field goal range twice and missed both.

Now, there were two big plays. One was a breakdown in coverage. The other was an 11 yard play where there were two missed tackles that turned it into a 50 yard gain.

ARkansas State, other than the two big plays, had 49 yards passing in the fourth quarter.

Please explain bad coaching in the fourth quarter. And if you can make a case (and it'll be a stretch), then will you please give the coaching staff credit for the total domination of that ASU team for three quarters. _

If one of my goals is to run time off of the clock, I'm probably not throwing the ball on 3rd down on each of my last 3 drives (not counting the one after the INT). I'm damn sure not throwing on 3rd & 4 on my last drive with 2:30 on the clock, when my opponent has no timeouts left. Funny that Bustle keeps saying that the players lost focus out there because it doesn't look like they were the only ones.

[BirdofParadise]

_ If one of my goals is to run time off of the clock, I'm probably not throwing the ball on 3rd down on each of my last 3 drives (not counting the one after the INT). I'm damn sure not throwing on 3rd & 4 on my last drive with 2:30 on the clock, when my opponent has no timeouts left. Funny that Bustle keeps saying that the players lost focus out there because it doesn't look like they were the only ones. _

That's a second guess. If they get a first down the game is over and you're calling it a good call.

[rhineaux]

_ That's a second guess. If they get a first down the game is over and you're calling it a good call. _

IF? Really? IF? I knew you were going to try to spin it somehow, but this is a really weak attempt.

IF they would have managed a first down, I still would have said it was the wrong call...because it was the wrong call.

If. As if, maybe.

[RaginWaldo]

Yes IF, I back every word Bird is saying.

It is so obvious a majority of the posters here dont know much about football. Playcalling is a chess match and there are many IF moments that make you either a ______ or a genious.

IF the colts would have recovered that onside kick in the superbowl to open up half time. are you telling me Sean Peyton still would have been looked at as a genious or would that have gone down as the dumbest play calls in super bowl history.

Coaches often have to make huge judgement calls, and yes you want to acheive a first down to continue to run time off of the clock. and if it is 3rd down with about 6-8 minutes left, the only way to do that is to throw for it and hope you get it. Its out of the coaches hands if they actually convert it or not but that is not a horrible play call. The players just didnt execute.

The bad play calls are when you run up the gut for 1 or 2 yards with 3rd and long
not passing for first down when 3rd and long. The offense should have been conservative and the Defense should have stayed aggressive. Saturday, both sides of the ball became conservative once it was 31-7. If we make those 2 field goals the final score would be 37-24. If we dont miss tackles the final score would be 37-17.

We still have room to improve. If we do improve and Beat MTSU next week, things will shape up nicely for the rest of the season as long as we stay healthy

[rhineaux]

_ Yes IF, I back every word Bird is saying...

...Coaches often have to make huge judgement calls, and yes you want to acheive a first down to continue to run time off of the clock. and if it is 3rd down with about 6-8 minutes left, the only way to do that is to throw for it and hope you get it. Its out of the coaches hands if they actually convert it or not but that is not a horrible play call. The players just didnt execute.

In this discussion, I'm not AS concerned with what was happening on 3rd down with 6-8 minutes left. That's why, in my original comments, I said I'm PROBABLY not passing. You're right, those plays are definitely more situational, and if you see something that gives you confidence that you can pick up those yards in the air, then whatever.

My main gripe relates to the decision to pass on the final 3rd down.

[wcd35]

My main gripe relates to the decision to pass on the final 3rd down.

igeaux.mobi
I had more of a problem with our QB not understanding that situation and just taking the sack to keep the clock running when he was flushed and had 0 chance to convert the 3rd down. That was a little bit of a bonehead play