JONESBORO, Ark. - If you're a mid-level college football program struggling for recognition and a foot in the door in recruiting wars, you usually listen when television wants to put one of your games on the air.

Even if you have to move some things around to get it done.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will be on TV seven times this season, counting tonight's 6:30 p.m. Sun Belt Conference battle against Arkansas State on ESPN Regional (Cox Sports, cable channel 27 locally).

The last two games have been on Thursday night, which means coach Rickey Bustle's team is playing its third game in 12 days.

ASU, on the other hand, hasn't played since an Oct. 1 road loss at UL Monroe, so the Indians have had plenty of time to sit and stew over that one.

"I can see both positives and negatives to playing on Thursday," ASU coach Steve Roberts said. "You get an opportunity to expose your program and the Sun Belt Conference with televised games, and that's beneficial to each university and the league.

"The negative is, it calls for creative planning. Coaches are creatures of habit, and it causes you to have to do some different things in your practice and planning."

But Roberts got an open date with extra time to scout the Cajuns. He then gets nine days to prepare for a home game with Florida Atlantic, then another open date before traveling to Middle Tennessee.

Bustle, on the other hand, had to get freshman quarterback Michael Desormeaux ready for his first career start in a short week (Saturday to Thursday) between the Central Florida and Florida Atlantic games. At least this time he had a full week between contests.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com