Playing three games in 12 days is vastly different from the normal pattern of two in 14 days, especially for a football coach like Rickey Bustle who has every practice scripted by sometime in July each summer.

That is the hand dealt to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, though.

The Cajuns opened with a 60-3 loss at Texas on Sept. 3, shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

They followed by self-destructing early in a 31-10 road loss at Eastern Michigan, then outscored Northwestern State 49-28 behind veteran quarterback Jerry Babb in the home opener.

That's where things get abnormal.

The Cajuns' open date of Sept. 24 corresponded with the arrival of Hurricane Rita in southwest Louisiana, then they lost Babb five plays into the Central Florida game on Oct. 1.

Michael Desormeaux was thrust into action and led a comeback from 21-0 behind in that game, which UCF won with a last-second field goal, and five days later he struggled in his first start in the 28-10 loss to Florida Atlantic.

That brings UL to Thursday's road date with Arkansas State - the third game in 12 days - against a team that would be a challenge under normal circumstances.

Not surprisingly, the 1-4 start has the Cajuns trying too hard.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com