Football: The wow factor – “It’s so big” – Baer honored – Lagniappe 12/15/11

Football: The wow factor – "It’s so big" – Baer honored – Lagniappe 12/15/11

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Dec. 15, 2011

The UL football team arrives Wednesday for practice in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for their New Orleans Bowl game against San Diego State on Saturday. / Photo by Brad Kemp/bkemp@theadvertiser.com

NEW ORLEANS — They looked up. They looked down. They looked all around.

Mostly, though, they just kept looking up.

With coach Mark Hudspeth out in front, the Ragin’ Cajuns — decked out in all-black warmups — walked into the Superdome as a team for the first time Wednesday and soaked it all in.

And when they finally walked out a couple hours later, they looked, well, a bit overwhelmed.

"They (were) like, ‘Wow, I grew up sitting in the stands watching the (NFL’s New Orleans) Saints — and now I’m actually out here in the middle of the Superdome," Hudspeth said. "I think the reality sort of hit in — that this is big-time."

"It’s a lot different," kicker Brett Baer added, "being on the field than in the stands."

After arriving in town Tuesday, UL practiced inside the massive stadium Wednesday to prepare for their upcoming New Orleans Bowl appearance against San Diego State.

"It’s a blessing to be on this field practicing, just going all out, last week with my team, just having fun," senior cornerback Bill Bentley said.

"It’s my first time being here," Bentley added. "It’s amazing, man. I always hear about it, talk about it, staying in Lafayette for four years. But I’ve never been here. It’s just a blessing, man, to come in here with my team and have my last game be in the Dome."

By the time Saturday night’s game against the Aztecs rolls around, one end zone in the Superdome will be painted with the words "Ragin’ Cajuns" — not ULL, Lafayette or Louisiana-Lafayette, as feared by some Cajun fans who want their school to be known as University of Louisiana.

And by the time kickoff comes Saturday, the Cajuns will be decked out in black helmets, red jerseys and black pants — not the shorts, shoulder pads and practice shirts they wore for Wednesday’s workout.

For the first of three practices in New Orleans, however, the routine was much the same as during a regular game week — replete with overly loud music piped in from the team’s so-called "juice box" and simulated crowd noise as well.

"It was a normal practice for us, a normal Wednesday," Hudspeth said. "The same practice we would have done if we were in Lafayette."

Only this time there’s a bowl game to be played at the end of the week.

"The feeling," defensive end Bernard Smith said, "is unbelievable — just knowing we’ve got the opportunity to play on a stage that’s set so high lots of people will never reach it."

‘It’s so big’

He’s never kicked inside a dome before, let alone one that can accommodate 73,000-plus fans.

But kicker/punter Baer likes the idea of being able to kick indoors Saturday, especially being that it is now mid-December.

"Definitely, being in a dome, you don’t have to worry about weather factor or wind factor," he said. "I’m looking forward it."

He is, even if the Superdome can play tricks with one’s mind.

"It’s so big," Baer said, "that it looks like you’re not kicking it very far — but, in actuality, on the field, it might be going far."

Hudspeth’s biggest concern being indoors is not for his kicker, but instead for his kickoff- and punt-return specialists.

"The one thing we tried to concentrate was catching the balls indoors "» and just getting used to the depth perception," he said. "I didn’t see any problems."

Baer honored

Baer this week earned honorable mention All-America honors from Sports Illustrated.

"It’s pretty exciting," he said.

Texas A&M senior Randy Bullock was named first-team All-America kicker by the magazine, and Florida junior Caleb Sturgis was named to the second team.

Nine kickers received honor able, with Baer being joined by Acadiana High product Drew Alleman of LSU, Tulsa’s Kevin Fitzpatrick, Florida International’s Jack Griffin, Southern Cal’s Andrew Heidari, Florida State’s Dustin Hopkins, Nebraska’s Brett Maher, Oklahoma State’s Quinn Sharp and Justin Tucker of Texas.

Lagniappe

After he fractured a non-weight-bearing leg bone in UL’s Nov. 12 loss at Arkansas State, the Cajuns held out some hope that outside linebacker Le’Marcus Gibson might return in time to play in the bowl. Gibson made the trip, but he definitely will be out Saturday. "» According to Scout.com, UL received an oral commitment last weekend from Patterson High linebacker Tremaine Lightfoot. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder is UL’s 16th known 2012 recruiting-class commitment. "» San Diego State arrived in New Orleans late Tuesday night and practiced in the Superdome on Wednesday afternoon, after the Cajuns.