The Book: 2007 Football

[Damon]

Sugar-crusted or not, almost all Cajun fans are eating alot of crow this year. I hope we can beat a few teams and not be the doormat of the SBC.

[ULBaby!]

_

LAFAYETTE -- Lafayette continues to receive props for its business-friendly climate and high-tech innovation.
Leading all Louisiana cities, Lafayette ranked 68th in the country for doing business in the latest edition of Inc. Magazine.

Inc., which gave Lafayette high marks for its information technology development, based its rankings on job growth and balance among different sectors of the economy.

Lafayette ranked 126 last year.

Inc. considered 274 metro areas. New Orleans ranked second in the state at 123, Lake Charles 131, Baton Rouge 134, Shreveport 144, Monroe 176, Alexandria 209 and Houma-Thibodaux 231.

Lafayette showed the highest growth in Louisiana for information technology jobs, which grew 21.5 percent in the last three years.

The only other city in Louisiana with growth in that sector was Baton Rouge, which grew 1.3 percent.

Inc. concluded in its study that high-paying technology jobs have declined in areas like Silicon Valley and Boston and popped up in smaller towns, where the cost of living and doing business is lower and quality of life is high.

City-Parish President Joey Durel said in a statement Friday he's glad Lafayette is being recognized as a "business-friendly" community.

"Lafayette continues to be a progressive city, and when you combine that with a business-friendly climate, the reputation we are garnering as a technologically savvy city and the excellent quality of life that we enjoy, it can only help in our efforts to bring business and jobs to this area," Durel said.

In October, Entrepreneur magazine named Lafayette as one of the four most attractive areas in the country for high-tech business.

The rest of the story

By KEVIN BLANCHARD
kblanchard@theadvocate.com
Acadiana bureau _

Heck Yeah! What'd you think?

Let us get down to the nitty gritty here... Baton Rouge has one H-E-double toothpicks of a football team. But that is really about all there is...well that and our progressive legislative bodies...OK, belay that last part. BUT...the bottom line here is that Lafayette is a nice city, and yes, it does contribute wonderfully to the "making" of UL... and that's how we like it! It is so nice to see at least one city in Louisiana appearing at the top of a "good" list for a change.

Reading earlier, I noticed someone say they knew why Lafayette was better. I'd like to know what you see. I have lived in small town LA and in Lake Charles as well as a couple of other states and Lafayette IS different and in many ways better than most places. Give us the scoop.

[ULBaby!]

What Damon said is pretty close - He(?) has a little more optimism regarding an at-large bowl bid, but otherwise, what Damon said...

[CajunCharlie]

_ I believe it was from the dive into the endzone...... I wonder why Troy got away with it twice...... _

Because this is the SBC and a great example of the low degree of officiating!

[RaginFan2]

Great comeback post, I agree. Might want to edit the D-1aa part. Louisiana is D1A!!!

DaddyCajun


ps We as a conference are moving up(getting a few wins here and there and posting more close games).

pss We need more positive post like yours!

Oops! My finger got a little heavy on the "A" button! I went back and corrected it it. Thanks, DC!

[NewsCopy]

The Cajuns enjoyed a nine-period practice in shorts on Sunday evening before taking their usual day off on Monday. The team went back to work on Tuesday in full pads for 11 periods inside the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility. Wednesday’s 11-period practice in shoulder pads was outside on the practice fields. Up next, the Cajuns will work a light practice on Thursday before traveling to Orlando, Fla. on Friday. Once there, the Cajuns will have a walk-through on Friday afternoon at the new 45,000-seat Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF is averaging 43,888 in two home games this season. RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

Q: How did practice go this week? Jenkins : "We are practicing well. The guys are not going to quit. We’ve been in this situation before. Everyone is holding on tight and fighting. We will fight our way back.” Q: What does Central Florida do well? Jenkins : "What don’t they do well is the question. They are a well coached team that’s big, fast and aggressive. Offensively, they move the ball well behind a stud running back. Their quarterback makes things happen and they have electrifying wide receivers. Their defense loves to run and hit.” Q: How is the team’s mindset going back on the road? Jenkins : "We travel well. I don’t think it affects us to go on the road. We’ve played in big stadiums before, so it shouldn’t be any different. Sometimes it’s a relief to go on the road. Hopefully, we relax a little bit and play better.” Q: The game plan doesn’t change with Tyrell Fenroy out of the game? Jenkins : "I believe that we have a group of running backs, not just one. We’ve always prepared this way in case something happens so as to not miss a beat. Make no doubt, Tyrell Fenroy is good and he brings a little something extra to our offense. Deon Wallace and Abdule Levier are both getting the chance to carry the ball a little more and both are making plays. Not having Fenroy in the rotation affects us in a sense, but the group is capable and willing to get the job done.” Q: What does it mean to the running game to have such a versatile and mobile quarterback? Jenkins : “It creates problems for the defense and makes our offense that much harder to defend. In the long run, defenses start to pay attention to the quarterback and it opens up the game for the running backs. RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

  As of Wednesday, September 26, 2007:
Lanier Coleman, DL (shoulder – probable)
Matt Desormeaux, FB (ankle – out for season)
Tyrell Fenroy, RB (ankle – out, downgraded from doubtful)
Chris Fisher, OL (knee – out)
Eric Jones, TE (knee – out)
Jarrett Jones, CB (shoulder/ankle – questionable, upgraded from doubtful)
Torres Kingsby, DB (hamstring – out)
Zach Leger, OL (knee – probable)
Jesse Newman, OL (shoulder – probable)
Korey Raymond, DL (neck – probable)
Mark Risher, LB (shoulder– out)
Michael Schultz, DB (elbow – out)
Phillip Walker, LB (shoulder – out)
Kyle Ward, CB (shoulder – probable)

RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

On top of star running back Tyrell Fenroy, UL will also be without the services of four other players who would be starters or regular contributors on Saturday. Starting center Chris Fisher, who injured a knee in pregame warmups before the Troy game last Saturday, and starting linebacker Mark Risher, with a recurring shoulder injury, will not make the trip to Orlando. Ditto rotating tight end Erik Jones with a knee injury, while safety Torres Kingsby will miss his fourth straight game with a pulled hamstring. Freshman backup fullback Matt Desormeaux, younger brother of starting quarterback Michael Desormeaux, had surgery on his injured ankle this week and will be sidelined the remainder of the season. The rest of the story Dan McDonald

[NewsCopy]

UL running back Tyrell Fenroy was officially listed as "out" for Saturday's game at Central Florida, meaning the Cajuns' career yardage leader among running backs will in effect be sidelined a second straight week. Fenroy, who injured his right ankle late in the McNeese State game two weeks ago, played one series against Troy last weekend and carried one time for one yard. "He won't be on the trip," Cajun coach Rickey Bustle said Wednesday after UL's two-hour practice. "He hasn't been able to practice any this week, so we're going to let him heal up another week and try to have him ready for next week." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Two years ago when Central Florida came to Cajun Field, the Golden Knights had won a grand total of one out of 14 games under coach George O'Leary. They'd never won a road game since O'Leary took over in time for a winless 2004 season. But everything changed when John Brown made a 28-yard field goal with three seconds left, giving UCF a rain-soaked 24-21 win over the Ragin' Cajuns. The Knights only lost one game the rest of the season, advancing to the Conference USA championship game and making the program's first bowl appearance in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Things come full circle Saturday when the Cajuns travel to Orlando to face a Knight team that has bounced back strong from a 4-8 disappointment last year. UCF already has a season-opening win over North Carolina State and a close call with Texas before pounding C-USA foe Memphis 56-20 last Saturday. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[AstroCajun]

Ah, the 'ol "wait 'til next year." They've been selling us that bill of goods for awhile now. The problem is, "next' year has always been a disappointment under Bustle.

If you think my post was a "wait until next year" post, you've got it wrong.

What I'm saying is that you cannot evaluate this team in a vacuum. There are other teams in this conference whose talent level ebbs and flows just like ours. Right now our defense is at its ebb and unfortunately, it comes at a time while the other schools' offenses are flowing. That situation does reverse itself.

There's just too much parity in this conference now for any one team to dominate for any longer than a year or two.