2013 Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana

[lance99]

This is a very winnable game IMO. I said in another thread that, If you read their boards, they think that they are King Kong. Too bad it is the Sun Belt.

After the Michigan game, there should be no reason that this should be an easy win.

Yes I know that they scored 70 on Nicholls St. However they beat an apparently bad Western team.

Louisiana-Lafayette, or ULL, or U-La-La if you prefer, is pounding their chest at the moment, so this will be the deciding game for this season.

[Dr Z]

If you read their boards, they think that they are King Kong.

Some, but not all. When you score 70 points, that should give you confidence.

600 yards of offense against Nicholls St (I honestly have never heard of them).

53 rushes for 456 yards!?!

Our front seven will seem to be important in this one. Glad they are playing well.

Edit: Nicholls beat W. Mich in Kalamazoo?

[lance99]

I don't know if it was because their backs are that good, or their run defense was that poor.

The front 7 should be fine in this one.

[Buckzip]

If Akron plays against UL, the way they played yesterday, they win.

Yesterday the team was intense and focused. That needs to be seen in every game.

[Zipgrad01]

We are opening up as a 7 to 7.5 point dog so far.

[Cajun82]

Good afternoon Gentleman! Looking forward to the game this weekend!

[ZachTheZip]

Akron has progressed from a bad team in week one, to a mediocre team in week two, to what I would call a good team in week three. What happens in week four?

This is a pivotal point in the season. Continue progressing, or take a step back and risk losing both momentum and confidence.

[johnnyzip84]

Welcome, Cajun82!

This game has a number of story lines. The first is trivial, but interesting to me nonetheless. Many of you are probably aware who Coach Bowden replaced at North Alabama. It was none other than Mark Hudspeth, the current coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns. This game could be called the UNA Lion Bowl.

I’m a little unusual, but I’ve always rooted for UL-Lafayette, or the University of Southwestern Louisiana as they were was called. Some of the reasons are the Cajun culture, unique history, and fantastically flavorful cuisine. When they adopted the Cayenne pepper as their mascot, I was even more sold. I look forward to the return trip to Lafayette in 2015. I have to think tailgating there is top shelf. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Now back to this Saturday’s game. I’ve seen some badmouthing of Nicholls St (a team Faust’s squad once beat at UA) on other threads. No, they are not an FCS/1-AA power. But they’ve been a mid-level FCS/1-AA program for a while. They were stomped by Oregon in Eugene, 66-3. But, they did manage to bounce back and beat WMU at Waldo, 27-23. Then, ULL whipped them last week 70-7 in Lafayette.

In the other two ULL games of 2013, the Cajuns lost at Arkansas (34-14) and K-State (48-27). Terrance Broadway is a very dangerous, experienced, dual-threat QB. A lot of Michigan’s problems last week can be tied to the poor passing of Gardner. I highly doubt Broadway will make the same number of mistakes, even if the Zips get similar pressure. We’ll need to take advantage of any he does make.

I like the chances of KP16, the O-Line and the WRs building off of the momentum of the 2nd half last week. I hope the staff gets them involved early this week.

I’ll hold off my prediction until I find out who may be playing and who may not be playing. I will say that opening as 7 point dogs is about what I expected. I believe I was talking to K92 at the golf course following the UM heartbreak when I said we’d be 6 to 7 point dogs.

I have one “lock” prediction: The jambalaya will be tasty in Lot 9 this week!

[Cajun82]

Well I can't say I know much about the Zips other than that I know they've been really bad the last few years. I initially counted this game as a definite win before the season started. It looks like however, that you have a new coach that has his team playing well. And since the arrival of Mark Hudspeth, I've seen first hand how a good coach can come in and change a teams attitude seemingly overnight.

I'm expecting a close game as I expect both teams to have success moving the football. I'll hold off on a score prediction but I will say this, the Cajuns will be ready to play this game! Looking forward to it and wish I could make the trip!

[GP1]

Akron was within one play of beating the #11 team in the country. Every game from here on out is a winnable game. For those of you going to the game, this could be one of the most exciting games of the year and I hope you are looking forward to the game.

[legendofzippy]

Well I can't say I know much about the Zips other than that I know they've been really bad the last few years. I initially counted this game as a definite win before the season started. It looks like however, that you have a new coach that has his team playing well. And since the arrival of Mark Hudspeth, I've seen first hand how a good coach can come in and change a teams attitude seemingly overnight.

I'm expecting a close game as I expect both teams to have success moving the football. I'll hold off on a score prediction but I will say this, the Cajuns will be ready to play this game! Looking forward to it and wish I could make the trip!

I think you summed it up well. Bowden has us on the right path, so we'll see what happens. Still early in his tenure so not fully stocked with talent yet. Be interesting to see how the team reacts to the Michigan game.

I really don't think any Akron fan can honestly predict what team will show up Saturday. But that's better than the last few years, when we knew.

[Zips Win!]

Akron was within one play of beating the #11 team in the country. Every game from here on out is a winnable game. For those of you going to the game, this could be one of the most exciting games of the year and I hope you are looking forward to the game.

Sorry, I am not buying it nor really looking forward to the game. Not yet, anyway. Maybe by Friday.

Sunday and today still feel like a kick in the gut similiar to the feeling after the Penno shot.

Last year I thought the team would turn the corner after the Tennessee game and where did that get us...

That said, I am totally on the KP16 bandwagaon now. If we can light a fire under Chisolm, then I will be a believer.

[GP1]

Last year I thought the team would turn the corner after the Tennessee game and where did that get us...

Very different scenarios this year. Tennessee was horrible last year and a bad Zips team played well against them. The Zips still had a long way to go.

This year, Michigan is a much better team and so is Akron. Akron proved it Saturday.

The Penno shot was much worse because the Zips were such a great team that year and there was so much riding on that play.

[HoustonCajun]

Akron was within one play of beating the #11 team in the country. Every game from here on out is a winnable game. For those of you going to the game, this could be one of the most exciting games of the year and I hope you are looking forward to the game.

UL did the same thing last year losing to Florida on the last play of the game with a blocked punt. I think this will be a good game following your near win over Michigan. We beat a bad Nicholls State team who previously lost to Oregon 66-3 and beat Western Michigan.

I checked out your athletic website. Your new stadium looks really nice as does your Indoor Practice Facility. We also have an IPF and as soon as the season is over we will start on Phase I of a $125,000,000 football facility and overall athletic facility Master Plan. You can check it out on our athletic website, RaginCajuns.com.

BTW, we refer to ourselves athletically as LOUISIANA. I see your athletic website refers to us as Louisiana as well. Hope you will oblige on this forum.

I've always respected the MAC. UL has played a number of MAC teams over the years, but this is our first game vs. Akron. Our most recent game was in 2010 when we lost to Ohio 38-31. We changed coach in 2011 to Mark Hudspeth and have had back to back 9 win season and two New Orleans Bowl wins over San Diego State and East Carolina. We are 5-6 vs the MAC since 1989.

I see that ESPN3 will now be carrying the game, so I'm looking forward to watching a good game.

[Cajun Heisenberg]

I was pulling for you guys against Michigan. We've been on the losing end of games like that. It's heart breaking. I'm sure the Zips will bounce back and I'm expecting a heck of a battle. We didn't play well against Kansas State or Arkansas. Our only win thus far is against 1-AA Nicholls State. Nicholls is a small state school about an hour south of NOLA. They usually aren't much of a football power even at the 1-AA level. Stop by raginpagin.com and introduce yourself. FYI we prefer to be called UL or simply Louisiana (A real long story that started in 1984). I have a couple of questions for you guys I've always wondered about. Was the zipper invented in Akron thus the reason for the name? Also what does the Kangaroo have to do with your nickname? I wish the Zip Nation the best of luck this season after Saturday.

[Balsy]

I'm getting my "Don't Give Up The Ship" flag ready. It's time to defend the home field.

[Zipgrad01]

I do find it comical that every visitors board is the same. They all think that this is the same team that we had last year. They have no clue about the BCS talent infusion that is really starting to gel. I am throwing out that UCF game considering that we have so many new players. The improvements from game to game have been obvious. I also think they will be a little surprised by our front 7 on defense, which most on their board believes will get pushed around. Michigan thought the same thing and I highly doubt their OL is as good as Michigan's. The additions on defense of Moses McCray, CJ Mizell, CJ James, Nordly Capi and the emergence of Jamel Turner is really exciting me. The defense should only get better and better. I just hope we dont have a letdown because we will need to be at our best to win.

[Dave in Green]

@Zipgrad01, what you say has a lot of truth in it. But how can we expect fans of schools many miles away to know what some Zips fans don't yet fully appreciate about the promising potential that Coach Bowden has assembled? Granted, potential is only hypothetical until demonstrated as reality, and Zips fans are intimately familiar with unrealized potential. But we're too close now to give up the faith. Onward and upward, one step at a time.

[Blue & Gold]

I do find it comical that every visitors board is the same. They all think that this is the same team that we had last year. They have no clue about the BCS talent infusion that is really starting to gel. I am throwing out that UCF game considering that we have so many new players. The improvements from game to game have been obvious. I also think they will be a little surprised by our front 7 on defense, which most on their board believes will get pushed around. Michigan thought the same thing and I highly doubt their OL is as good as Michigan's. The additions on defense of Moses McCray, CJ Mizell, CJ James, Nordly Capi and the emergence of Jamel Turner is really exciting me. The defense should only get better and better. I just hope we dont have a letdown because we will need to be at our best to win.

^^^The emergence of Jamel Turner is something else that was beautiful to see last Saturday that hadn't been mentioned yet.

Watch Justin March's 1st interception near the end of the 1st half & watch how JT absolutely destroys Michigan's tight end. The poor guys could hardly get off the field after the play.

[johnnyzip84]

LOUISIANA to reduce level of intensity this week.

As one Cajun fan visiting here commented, the Ragin' Cajuns so NOT like to be called anything else but Louisiana. My question to them is simple. What is Louisiana-Monroe supposed to be called?

[akzipper]

LOUISIANA to reduce level of intensity this week.

As one Cajun fan visiting here commented, the Ragin' Cajuns so NOT like to be called anything else but Louisiana. My question to them is simple. What is Louisiana-Monroe supposed to be called?

Doesn't make sense, they are Louisiana–Lafayette. Should we start calling Easter Michigan, just "Michigan" from now on? Sounds like arrogance if you ask me.

[Zips Win!]

LOUISIANA to reduce level of intensity this week.

As one Cajun fan visiting here commented, the Ragin' Cajuns so NOT like to be called anything else but Louisiana. My question to them is simple. What is Louisiana-Monroe supposed to be called?

We have a hard enough time getting Akron fans to say the University of Akron. And we've had decades to learn it.

Good luck with that...

[johnnyzip84]

We have a hard enough time getting Akron fans to say the University of Akron. And we've had decades to learn it.

Good luck with that...

Exactly.

There is a post on the Ragin’ Cajun message board that quotes an “Akron University” web site description of UL with Lafayette sprinkled throughout the piece. You gotta love it.

This sort of things has been going on in several different forms in recent years. Southwest Missouri State becomes just Missouri State. Southwest Texas State becomes just Texas State. Ohio lobbies to NOT have the University tacked on, to the point where they get into a legal dispute with OSU. I understand why this has happened. Schools are trying to appeal to a broader base, as in the entire state. But when you have two universities with Louisiana at the beginning (ULL, ULM), what makes one more deserving of right to drop the “branch” designation?

[MDZip]

Hoping after this weekend, we can just refer to them as Lose-iana.

[Cajun Heisenberg]

LOUISIANA to reduce level of intensity this week.

As one Cajun fan visiting here commented, the Ragin' Cajuns so NOT like to be called anything else but Louisiana. My question to them is simple. What is Louisiana-Monroe supposed to be called?

Louisiana - Monroe is happy with ULM. In 84 we changed our name from the University of Southwestern Louisiana to the University of Louisiana. A graduating class has that on their diploma. LSU got mad and twisted the state legislature to force us to retake USL. We could only use the University of Louisiana if we got another university to go along with it and change their name. Also LSU was given "Flagship" status. In the early 1990's, Northeast Louisiana University (NLU) changed their name so now we have ULM. We are the second largest school in the state with 17,000 students. We also have the second largest campus. ULM has about 7,000 students. That's the short version of why this has come to be. It's a case of a BCS power school trying to keep the other schools down and pitting them against each other.