Click here for photo gallery of the Bowl Invitation ceremony.
 
By Monday night they were partying, celebrating an invitation to play in a postseason football game — the Dec. 17 New Orleans Bowl — for the first time since losing to Tennessee State in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl.

The long-awaited and much-anticipated bid was delivered in person by bowl officials during a Monday pep rally at the team’s indoor practice facility.

But before savoring that good new for the program, it took the UL Ragin’ Cajuns most of the week that followed to get over a Nov. 12 loss at Arkansas State that cost them — for all practice purposes at the time — a piece of the Sun Belt Conference championship.

Thankfully for the Cajuns, who now can finish no better than tied for second in the conference, it was a bye week — with no opponent for whom to prepare prior to this Saturday’s regular-season finale at Arizona.

"We tried to get that game behind us, obviously, during the open week," Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth said Monday.

"The first practice (last Tuesday) you could still tell they had somewhat of a hangover from that game," Hudspeth added. "Then, as the week wore along, I think they put (it) behind them."

By Sunday night of this week, Hudspeth said during his weekly Monday gathering with reporters, "there was a little extra pep in everybody’s step."

Legs were livelier.

Arms were hotter.

Minds were refreshed too.

"Obviously that was a tough loss for us," receiver Darryl Surgent said. "We just have to move on and fight to play the next game. You know, we know we still have a lot to play for. "» That played a big part in helping us get over it."

"I tried my best to get over it. I mean, it was a big loss," defensive lineman Chris Tucker added. "I just thought about where we were at this point last year — how miserable I was for the all games we lost. And I thought about what we’ve accomplished, and what we can still accomplish. That motivated me enough to get back to work."

The 8-3 Cajuns can still tie the school record for wins in a season, and with both a victory at Arizona and a New Orleans Bowl win over a still-to-be-determined opponent they could set the record at 10.

A postseason victory would be the program’s first since its only other bowl appearance, a meeting with then-Arkansas A&M in the 1944 Oil Bowl at Houston.

All this from a team that won just three of its 12 games in 2010.

"It’s something that hasn’t happened in a long time," Tucker said of the chance to head to a bowl having notched win No. 9 with a victory at Arizona. "But it’s all going to be forgotten if we come back Saturday (and lose). "» So we can’t get caught up in all the hype (of a bowl trip).

"I know what we’ve done is basically in the past. "» Right now is what really counts," he added. "Because if we don’t win the next game, we’re gonna be ‘the Cajuns that lost two in a row.’ ‘

Athletic Network Footnote: The 1970 football team played in the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge.   
Click here for the 2010 40th Reunion and Recognition of the 1970 Championship Team photo gallery, including posters and news stories of the Cajuns season which ended with the lost to Tennessee State by a score of 26-25. (USL)

Click here for the Photo Gallery of the 1943 Oil Bowl Champions. The Cajuns avenged a 20-20 tie during the season to win the Oil Bowl in Houston by a score of 24-7. Gallery complete with season record, game story and a unique poster. (SLI)