Ragin' Cajuns set to focus on Florida International
It's hard to miss the feeling on the sidelines for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns these days.
The Cajuns have rebounded from a 1-5 start with three pulsating victories - each by three points, one in overtime and two on the road - and suddenly are in the Sun Belt Conference race.
"It's been incredible," said senior place kicker Sean Comiskey, who became UL's all-time kick scoring leader in last weekend's 31-28 win at North Texas.
"Everybody's upbeat. It's probably the greatest atmosphere since I've been here."
"It's a different feeling at practice and in the locker room," tackle Jesse Newman said.
"I've said all year that this team had character," coach Rickey Bustle said. "A lot of teams would have gone South after what happened to us early in the year. It's a tribute to the players and coaches that we're playing well.
"We have the right type of young men, and the right type of coaches here. It would have been easy to turn it into punishment, to just put on full pads, knock heads and whoever's left standing will play on Saturday.
"You've got to find the right mixture at that time."
Beating North Texas was a first for Bustle, and the first for the Cajuns over the Mean Green since 1982. The Sun Belt has been UNT's own playground since the league began football, so the latest win was sweet.
"That was huge," Comiskey said. "It was absolutely incredible. I've waited four years to beat North Texas. To do it in that fashion, to come back and win, was great."
The Cajuns saw the Mean Green come back from a 21-7 deficit for a 21-21 tie, and then take a late 28-24 lead, before Jerry Babb engineered a 15-play, 88-yard drive to Tyrell Fenroy's winning touchdown with 1:10 to play.
"That was a whale of a win for us," Bustle said. "To go to Denton, with all the tradition they've had the last four years, was big."
Bustle is just glad these tight games are turning the Cajuns' way after they lost a pair of 3-pointers earlier in the campaign.
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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com
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Re: Ragin' Cajuns set to focus on Florida International
