The Book: 2007 Football

[VObserver]

Ever since Babb's injury in 2005, teams have been putting 8 and 9 in the box to stop our running game. So far, no one has. I don't think Ohio will, either.

So many of you guys want to go to the pass WAY too much. Make them stop the run first.

[4LSU]

"...but there are times when they can hold their heads high in a losing cause..."

College and high school kids can almost always hold their head high no matter the outcome of any game. They might get whipped, but it's not cause they didn't try. I never knew a kid to say, "to hell with it, I'm gonna let the guy abuse in front of my family or friends." Might happen, but not due to lack of effort.

I don't buy into the "they gave up" thought. What happened is they got beat up to the point where the effort dropped off cause they were so dang tired.

When that whistle blows you gonna give it all you have, most of these guys know no other way.

[Just1More]

_ Ever since Babb's injury in 2005, teams have been putting 8 and 9 in the box to stop our running game. So far, no one has. I don't think Ohio will, either.

So many of you guys want to go to the pass WAY too much. Make them stop the run first. _

I don't find that too many people post on here that they "want us to pass". It is simply ridiculous to take that element out of an offense. You cannot always run, run, run and succeed. What do you do, start passing only when you're down by 2 touchdowns with 6 minutes left in the game? Or, do you run for 1 yard, run again for 2 yards, and now run another play to pick up 7 that you could not total in your prior 2 run attempts. You have to have a passing game worked into your offensive arsenal. The good news is (for me) that our coaching staff does not listen to us and they are going to do just that.

You have to have some level of passing attack to assist the success of a running attack. Now, are we more gifted as runners... aaaaaa.... yes. So, we are going to make you stop our run before we drop back and chunk the ball. But, don't get too content with focusing on Fenroy/Wallace or MD's feet... oops... there went a toss to a streaking Smith/Chery.

I will not be complaining when we are 1st and 5 (due to a aggressive defense anticipating that fast snap) and we decide to pull the trigger on a deep ball to scare Mr. Opponent's DC out of his panties. You have to keep the defense guessing (and guessing wrong).

[NewsCopy]

It would have been easy for Frank Solich to turn his back on college football. After giving the University of Nebraska a quarter-century of his life, the Cornhuskers dumped him as head coach after the 2003 season - one in which his team improved from 7-7 to 9-3 and was ranked every week in a Top 25 poll. All the former Husker fullback and All-Big Eight pick did was win over 75 percent of his games in six years (58-19). He won more games in his first five years than either of Nebraska's coaching legends, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, and after going 9-3 the Huskers didn't even let him coach in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. He didn't need the game financially. Then 59 years old, Solich was under contract through June of 2006, a buyout that eventually cost Nebraska a reported $1.8 million. But he did need the game. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[DestinCajun]

_ I don't find that too many people post on here that they "want us to pass". It is simply ridiculous to take that element out of an offense. You cannot always run, run, run and succeed. What do you do, start passing only when you're down by 2 touchdowns with 6 minutes left in the game? Or, do you run for 1 yard, run again for 2 yards, and now run another play to pick up 7 that you could not total in your prior 2 run attempts. You have to have a passing game worked into your offensive arsenal. The good news is (for me) that our coaching staff does not listen to us and they are going to do just that.

You have to have some level of passing attack to assist the success of a running attack. Now, are we more gifted as runners... aaaaaa.... yes. So, we are going to make you stop our run before we drop back and chunk the ball. But, don't get too content with focusing on Fenroy/Wallace or MD's feet... oops... there went a toss to a streaking Smith/Chery.

I will not be complaining when we are 1st and 5 (due to a aggressive defense anticipating that fast snap) and we decide to pull the trigger on a deep ball to scare Mr. Opponent's DC out of his panties. You have to keep the defense guessing (and guessing wrong). _

It's about having a full arsenal of weapons. We don't need to be a passing team ala Latex but we need competence in the pass/catch/run dept.

[ULGrad@HOU]

Our problem is that we have not proven that we can be effective passing the ball. Our strength is running and that's a good strength to have but it will only take us so far. We MUST start passing and balance our offense if we are to be a very good team. I'm not sure where the problem lies, whether it's QB, WR or OL but until we put up some numbers passing, we are one-dimensional. Running teams are great if you one, have a very good defense, and two, you don't get behind. This game with Ohio should give us a good gage of where we stand. They are a decent team and we need to show we can win games against a quality opponent at home. Looking forward to a great Cajun game!

Geaux UL!

[CharlieK]

_ Our problem is that we have not proven that we can be effective passing the ball. Our strength is running and that's a good strength to have but it will only take us so far. We MUST start passing and balance our offense if we are to be a very good team. I'm not sure where the problem lies, whether it's QB, WR or OL but until we put up some numbers passing, we are one-dimensional. Running teams are great if you one, have a very good defense, and two, you don't get behind. This game with Ohio should give us a good gage of where we stand. They are a decent team and we need to show we can win games against a quality opponent at home. Looking forward to a great Cajun game!

Geaux UL! _

What "problem"? We put up 315 yards of offense against an SEC team. Would it have been a better 315 if MD had passed for 215 and Fenroy had rushed for 100? If we can't manage to throw at all against the Sun Belt teams, then we have a problem.

Last year we had a problem, dropped passes. One game against an SEC team in which we had a legitimate chance for most of the game does not make me worry yet.

[ULGrad@HOU]

I'm certainly not worried at this point. I'm strictly speaking about a "problem" passing not overall performance for one game. I'm for doing whatever it takes to WIN the game. However, eventually you must have some balance to be a very good team. There are other aspects of the game we can dissect. Like stopping the run. We will need to do that this weekend or we won't win.

[CharlieK]

_ I'm certainly not worried at this point. I'm strictly speaking about a "problem" passing not overall performance for one game. I'm for doing whatever it takes to WIN the game. However, eventually you must have some balance to be a very good team. There are other aspects of the game we can dissect. Like stopping the run. We will need to do that this weekend or we won't win. _

Don't think we have enough evidence yet to diagnose a problem passing yet. Completion percentage was high, yards were low. I would guess those same passes would have went for 150+ against a lesser team.

From watching the Middle Tenn v Louisville basketball game last night, I think we better be able to stop the pass also. ;-)

I think we will be more balanced....but don't look for us to be Hawaii, think UL at the end of 2005, that worked pretty well I think......

[NewsCopy]

The similarities between the football programs at UL and Ohio University over the past generation are striking, and that's not necessarily a good thing for either one. But both have made recent strides, maybe even giant steps toward respectability, and tonight's 6 p.m. contest at Cajun Field is a huge one for both teams to maintain their improvement pace. Especially for the Cajuns, who have only grazed the surface of success over the past couple of seasons. Ohio delved much more deeply into those sweet waters last year, but the last two decades have not been a walk in the park for either program. Between 1997 and 2004, the Ragin' Cajuns' combined football record was 20-70. UL has had one winning season since 1995. Prior to last season, Ohio's Bobcats had a 15-42 record since 2001. Ohio has had a total of three winning seasons in the last quarter-century. "We're both trying to establish something," said UL coach Rickey Bustle, "and then maintain it. That's the hard part." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Damon]

Might as well start it early.

Like my new icon?

Go Cajuns!

[Turbine]

Nice icon.

I want to see the live version.