Football: Hudspeth: Today is “a big day” for UL football

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, August 6, 2012

UL coach Mark Hudspeth called today “a big day” for his Ragin’ Cajun football program.

But it wasn’t exactly because it happened to be Media Day at the school’s Alumni Center.

 

Rather, it was because for the first time since their spring game they were able to hit and practice wearing all pads.

 

“It was to see those pads smacking again, and just to get around that energy level and the feel of the game,” senior quarterback Blaine Gautier said during the fifth day of preseason training camp. “It was good.”

 

Beyond the hitting, though, Media Day did offer the Cajuns an opportunity to deliver a few more blows.

 

“I like the makeup of our team,” Hudspeth said. “We have a lot deeper team.”

 

Hudspeth said winning the Sun Belt Conference remains a high priority for the Cajuns, who didn’t do that in his first year as head coach in 2011 – but did go 9-4 with a New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State.

 

Arkansas State won the conference.

 

“For us to take that next stride this year,” Hudspeth said, “we’ve got to improve upon taking care of the football. It’s got to be consistently done. And we’ve got to play better defense. Special teams have got to continue to be an advantage for us.”

 

Cajun players, for their part, seemed to have no doubt Monday that a conference crown is within UL’s reach in 2012.

 

“That’s been everybody’s goal,” said starting center Andre Huval, a St. Thomas More product. “We want to surpass what we did last year, because last year we didn’t win the conference championship. We want to win it this year.”

 

“We’re very capable,” Gautier added. “With the group of guys we have coming back this year, and guys that stepped up in some positions this year, really, it’s almost like we have an unstoppable team in our eyes. We know that we can do so much. We can go so far with the experienced guys that we have on offense and on defense.”