Louisiana Football Holds First Spring Scrimmage

 David Collins, Athletics Communications Assistant

LAFAYETTE – Three weeks into spring practice the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team held their first true scrimmage on what was the eighth practice of the spring to wrap up their third week of practice on Cajun Field.

SCRIMMAGE TO IMPROVE: The scrimmage, which lasted roughly one and a half hours and saw at least 150 plays ran, was a chance for the players and the coaches to get on the field and really play some football. For the staff they got to put their hard work and preparation into action, while the players got a chance to see how the new system under head coach Billy Napier plays out in a true game situation.

PRO DAY IS ON ITS WAY: On April 5, starting at 1 p.m., the Cajuns will host their Pro Day for ex-Cajuns players to get a chance to showcase their talents in front of professional scouts. 17 players will be attending the event with the day starting in the weight room and wrapping up in the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility.

THE GAME IS THAT MUCH CLOSER: Louisiana’s Vermilion-White Spring Game is getting closer with each day, and on Saturday, Apr. 21 the game will kick-off at 12:30 p.m. and it’s free for all fans to attend. The game is also live on Cox Sports TV, so anyone who can’t make it out to Cajun Field can tune into CST to watch the game.

QUOTEWORTHY:
(Head Coach Billy Napier)
General
"It’s important for us to realize that this was the first opportunity for our guys to play in a scrimmage and we as a coaching staff got off the field and let them play. I talked to the players earlier in the day and told them that this is a chance for them to establish their own identity as an individual football player and it’s a chance for each unit to do the same. We asked them how hard they can play, and we told them that it was going to get difficult out there and we wanted our guys to respond the right way. We’ve still got room to improve in their execution and fundamentals. We’re going to give them the week off for spring break and bring them back next week ready to go. We’re a lot further along than we were when we started, about three months ago and I’m excited about the potential we have and where we’re going to go."
On If Anyone Stood Out:
"I think our receiving corps has impressed me with the quality of depth that we have there, and we’ve got a lot of guys that can do their job all over the field. So that give us some options and we’re going to be able to keep those players fresh throughout the season. Having some depth on the perimeter is going to give us an opportunity to play fast at times in games, which is what we want to do."
On Size of Roster:
"We’re under the roster limit of 85 that we get during the spring and I think that our walk-on roster is above average when it’s compared to other teams and that’s helping us get through the spring. We want to have 130 football players come the fall, with 85 solid players on scholarship and 45 quality walk-ons. So, we’re going recruit with that goal in mind."
On Amount of Plays Run During Scrimmage:
"We started the practice with some individuals and 7-on-7’s before transitioning into the actual game portion of the practice. We tried to get the first and second unit about 30-35 plays while we put the third unit out there about 10-12 plays. We then worked on the situational plays, red zone, two-minute drill and things like. The total play count we had today was somewhere in-between 135-150 plays. It’s a work day and it’s one of three times that we’ll tackle to the ground this spring."
On Offense Changing Depending on Quarterback:
"Once you identify who the quarterback is you have to do what he does well by putting him in a comfortable position. His job is to protect the ball and distribute the ball to put the skill players in great positions. We’ve got some athletes who can play back there as well, so we’ll be able to run the quarterback as well."
On What Qualities the Starting Quarterback Needs:
"I’m looking for a player who can impact the other 10 players on offense in a lot of ways. Execution is important, but we want composure and leadership from the position. They also need to be a great communicator since they’ll be running our no-huddle system. Overall we need to be accurate with the ball and take care of the ball as well."

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS: Follow the Cajuns on twitter (@RaginCajunsFB), Facebook (RaginCajunsFootball) and Instagram (ragincajunsFB) to stay up to date with all things Cajuns football as they roll through the spring season.