The Book: 2007 Football

[Turbine]

If you don't look at stats you never know what to work on or how to best devote your coaching time to fixing the little things.

Just looking at a single phase of the offense, not looking at receptions, running backs, special teams, or defense, I just want to say the QB is doing great.

Passing and rushing combined Desormeaux personally accounts for 1285 yards on the season, 257 per game. Through the toughest part of the UL schedule he is on pace (12 games) to contribute 3084 yards towards the teams success.

If you were to look at his successful rushing attempts as a completed pass (sacks as incompletion) MD is in the 70% success range.

5 yards is 5 yards, and it only takes 2 of those a series to move the chains.

For me it is 1st and foremost about moving the chains, if you can't move the ball forget having the opportunity to punch it in.

Now that we have looked at some stats lets work on punching the ball in, because you KNOW we are going to have the opportunity.

jmo

[Turbine]

I can't put this kind of pressure on myself . . . or the players.

I will go this far, if you see my grades below I think the problems are elsewhere.

QB = B+
RB = B+

[Pirogue]

against UNT...

How bad are they?

[Cajunologist]

If we don't win by more than 2 touchdowns, i will be disappointed. They are pretty dang bad right now.

[anhil8tor]

If we don't win by more than 2 touchdowns, i will be disappointed. They are pretty dang bad right now.

I'll take the cajuns minus the points...

[RaginCajun77]

If we don't win by more than 2 touchdowns, i will be disappointed. They are pretty dang bad right now.

At this point I'll just let the game play itself out.

[biged05]

I'll just take a win right now! I don't care by how much, Let's just win...Winning big would just be a little lagniappe.

[VObserver]

_ Fenroy is a solid mid-major back. Desormeaux should be playing either WR or on defense. _

You guys freaking AMAZE me. If he continues at his current pace, Desormeaux will account for 3,000+ yards in total offense this year. He is completing passes at a rate only 2% below the career leader in completion percentage in UL history, and is on pace to rush for more yards in a single season than Brian Mitchell ever did; but you guys think he shouldn't be our Quarterback.

You ARE right about one thing: our problem is defense.

[Choppie29]

Conque at Central Ark. , Major Applewhite OC at Alabama and a fast riser in coaching circle, Crowton OC at LSU, and Hatcher head coach at Georgia Southern. Thats just guys I came up with off the top of my head and all or proven winners and only one doesn't have head coaching experience.

I would seriously doubt that coaches like Applewhite and Crowton would consider a head coaches position at UL. Bustle makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $194,000. Jimbo Fisher made $450,000 per year while at LSU, so, I am sure Crowton's salary is comparable to that figure. Alabama's assistant coaches are the highest paid assistant's in the SEC.

I would love to think that we are an attractive program for top BCS level coordinators to want to coach at, but I don't think that is realistic, for these reasons:

- We couldn't pay them what they are making now
- Our facilities, while getting better, are nowhere near BCS level
- We have one of the smallest athletic budgets in the country
- We have never had a head coach move on to bigger and better things after coaching here

Getting rid of Bustle is not the answer. I hate always having to say "wait until next year", but not letting Bustle finish out his contract would be a mistake. We would not get the caliber coach that you mentioned above, and we would go into rebuilding mode AGAIN. Plus, we can not afford to buy him out. It would be like setting $500,000 on fire.

[AstroCajun]

against UNT...

How bad are they?

Statistically speaking, their defense is far worse than ours.

Fenroy at 90% should still gain 150 yards on 'em.

All we have to do is outscore them.

[Choppie29]

_ You guys freaking AMAZE me. If he continues at his current pace, Desormeaux will account for 3,000+ yards in total offense this year. He is completing passes at a rate only 2% below the career leader in completion percentage in UL history, and is on pace to rush for more yards in a single season than Brian Mitchell ever did; but you guys think he shouldn't be our Quarterback.

You ARE right about one thing: our problem is defense. _

If our defense could even pretend to stop someone, we would be 3-2 and people would be mentioning Desormeaux with Delhomme and Mitchell, instead, we are 0-5 and people are saying that he should be playing wideout or DB. It's actually pretty simple, if the defense gets it together, we can win the rest of our games this year save for Tenn. If they play the way that they have been, we may not win a game.

[AstroCajun]

I'll say this. It's a good thing the coaches and players haven't quit like some of our fans.

If you went to the QB club lunch today, you saw first hand the passion the coaching staff has and how personally they are taking this 0-5 start. If I hadn't seen that passion and fire, I'd probably be signing a different tune.

Half of our 60+ scholarship players are Sophs and Froshes - nearly all of them are playing and contributing. While they aren't winning now, at least the roster has balance. And when have we been able to say that?

As painful as it is, we are talking about building a program here. Not some quick fixes with as many JUCOs who stay a season or two.

Like everyone else, I am personally tired of losing.

But I'm more tired of the complaining that comes with it.

Actions speak more than words, which is why I'll be there Saturday and for the rest of the home season.