They weren’t all the same names and faces that recruited them to Lafayette.

They introduced themselves with wacky offseason workouts, barely having a chance to say hello.

They worked right away to alter the perception of a program many preseason publications had ranked among the nation’s weakest.

For UL’s senior class — 16 of whom will be in uniform for their final game at Cajun Field when UL Monroe visits today — it was all new when head coach Mark Hudspeth and his assistants replaced the fired Rickey Bustle and members of his ex-staff.

Even off a 3-9 team from 2010, Hudspeth knew he had to win over the elders.

They, however, didn’t have to play along.

They could have tuned him out, could have bucked the unfamiliar system and increased demands. They could have looked out only for No. 1.

But that didn’t happen, and why not is a study not so much in turning slackers into doers but more so self-doubters into believers.

"Those of us that wanted to change, really wanted to get this program to the next level and take it to where it could be — I think we all bought into it and hopped on board," H-back Brad McGuire said.

"When Coach Hud first came in, the first thing he talked about was winning — winning a (Sun Belt Conference) championship," linebacker Devon-Lewis Buchanan added. "That hit home with us, because we haven’t gotten one since we’ve been here."

Now, with two Sun Belt games still to go, this afternoon’s against the Warhawks and next Saturday’s visit to conference leader Arkansas State, a title, or at least a share of one, very much remains a possibility.

A postseason bowl appearance, their first since 1970, seems a virtual certainty.

An undefeated home season is but one win, today, away.

No wonder Hudspeth’s message was so warmly received.

"It’s easy to buy into what he’s saying, when he’s talking about winning championships and the rings that we don’t have," Lewis-Buchanan said. "It was simple to buy into winning this conference, winning games, helping the fans get these Ws, being a part of this, getting the community behind us.

"We bought into all of that, because it’s something we really haven’t had."

Recipe for success

When Hudspeth and friends arrived, it was apparent right away that things would be different.

Arguably unconventional training methods. Obsessive attention to detail. Decidedly higher expectations.

Combine it, and it’s evidently a recipe for success — or at least something the seniors were willing to try making work.

"I hope that maybe they saw that we had a plan — we weren’t just fly-by-the-seat — in the offseason, with the way we prepared and conditioned," Hudspeth said. "And I think a lot of it was that our staff was very involved from the get-go — from the workouts to running with our kids."

Cajun coaches immediately tried pulling everyone together, and didn’t afford anyone much time to head another direction.

"We didn’t give them a choice early. And it was tough," first-year UL defensive coordinator Greg Stewart said. "But we kept working and working and working."

And working some more.

"People who work hard, good things are going to happen to them," Stewart said.

Proof in this case is a 7-2 overall record, one achieved despite few predicting UL would win more than a few games this season.

"They want to do it so bad, and you can tell by everything they do, from lifting weights to running on the practice field," Stewart said. "They’ve got ‘want-to,’ and when you get a lot of guys wanting something really, really bad, it’s tough to (deny them).

"They’ve poured their heart and soul into this whole thing. It still proves a fact today, and it will a hundred years from now: Work hard and act right, good things happen to you."

Worth a smile

There’s been plenty of good for the Cajuns in 2011, and it’s not just players savoring it.

Hudspeth sees a senior laughing while addressing a group of media members, or mugging for a photographer’s camera, and he smiles himself.

He watches a senior orchestrate the team’s postgame performance of the school fight song, and listens to straining voices of those who not long ago faced trying times, and he can’t help but beam even wider.

"To me, that’s what is rewarding about this business," Hudspeth said.

"My greatest reward is to see smiles on these players’ faces after games, and you see these seniors almost crying, they’re cheering so loud and so excited, because they haven’t been in too many winning lockerrooms."

Stewart feels similarly.

"It really is one of the reasons you do what you do — one of the reasons you coach," the defensive coordinator said. "Because you want to see good kids have success."

To their ears, nothing beats the sound of victory.

"Seeing them singing the fight song, with passion, is very rewarding," Hudspeth said. "That’s what coaching’s all about. We forget that these kids are kids."

Blind faith

The oldest of the so-called kids, though, didn’t have to play along.

But they did, a case for the power of blind faith.

"It shows you the character of our senior class," linebacker Lance Kelley said. "I mean, everybody is willing to put in the work and jump on board for the cause.

"Nobody was selfish, nobody wanted to just do their own thing, nobody gave up because they had only one year left. Everybody’s character came out, and it was an immediate, positive response."

At times, what was asked of them — physically and mentally — might have seemed insane.

"I think we’ve all said that at one point or another, especially in the spring, when they first got there," McGuire said. "It was a rude awakening for a lot of us, and it was just different. It was either adapt and get on board, or get out."

Sure, Cajun seniors had studied plenty of video and trained hard previously.

But under the new regime, the approach is different.

"It was just an attitude — the mentality going into workouts, and attacking each workout and each film session," McGuire said. "I think that’s really all that changed — that mindset."

How new Cajun coaches promoted it all had to help, because there never was even the notion of mass revolt from seniors who knew nothing but the former staff’s ways during their days at UL.

"It’s because of the way they treated us," McGuire said.

"Sometimes you hear when new coaching staffs come in they don’t really give a dang about the senior class, and they’re trying to build for the future, so they’ll play a younger guy over a more-experienced senior who’s not going to be with them.

"The way they came in, it really said, ‘Look, this isn’t a four-year plan, a five-year plan; we’re preparing to win now.’ "

Winning and losing

Winning, it seems, really is all that Cajun seniors wanted.

Before this one, there had been no above-.500 seasons for any of them at UL.

"We all felt like we had the talent to win, and that had always been the case since I’ve been here," Lewis-Buchanan said. "We’ve always had the talent to win."

They just hadn’t won nearly enough.

"Coming in," Stewart said, "that’s one of the first things we’ve talked about: Winners or losers, and winning championships."

Talk of winning sure sounded better than talk of more losing, especially with the price being paid.

"When you put all that effort into a season and you don’t have success, it makes it awfully hard," Hudspeth said. "That’s probably why it’s that much-more rewarding for all of these kids this year."

It is, especially for those seniors who’ll bid Cajun Field adieu today.

Because without them, there’s no telling where UL would be today.

Consider:

McGuire, tight end Ladarius Green and lineman Kyle Plouhar are the only seniors atop UL’s offensive depth chart

But the Cajun defense is loaded with those whose game against Monroe will be their last at home, including not only Kelley and Lewis-Buchanan, but also notable contributors Bernard Smith, Chris Tucker, Tyrell Gaddies, Derreck Dean, Le’Marcus Gibson, Bill Bentley and Lionel Stokes.

Without them all believing, Kelley said, "It couldn’t have been near as positive as it is now."

In fact, McGuire added, it probably would be "similar to where we’ve been in previous years.’

The thought alone is good for a Hudspeth grin too.

"Without the way the seniors have bought in, and the way they have played, we’re not nearly as successful as we would have been," he said. "It’s not even close.

"Even though we’re playing a lot of young kids, the seniors are very vital. They’re the heartbeat right now of this team. And they’ve gone through some tough times. But they’ve stuck it out, and they’ve stayed the course. Normally good things happen to you when you do that.

"It’s very rewarding for me," Hudspeth added, "to be able to help them achieve what they’ve always wanted.’