Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Managing Being Ready vs Being Rested

Friday marked the halfway point of camp for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team and Head Coach Mike Desormeaux and the coaching staff have been pleased with his team's effort.  They'll practice under the lights tonight and then have the second scrimmage of the camp Saturday afternoon before wrapping up the weekend with the annual Ragin' Cajuns Fan Fest Sunday, Noon-2 PM at the Cajundome.

Read what Coach Desormeaux, O-Lineman Jax Harrington and Caleb Anderson had to say at Friday's press conference with a quick video below.

MICHAEL DESORMEAUX - HEAD COACH

We’re at the halfway point from the first day of practice to the game. We’ve been in camp for 15 days and we’ve got 15 to go before the first game.

The thing we’re talking to our team about, the thing we’re stressing, is the urgency to continue to get better.  A lot of progress has been made from Day 1 to Day 15, that’s how it’s supposed to be.  There still is a long way to go to be exactly where we want to be and be game ready for Week 1.

It’s kind of never enough.  It’s a constantly ongoing process that we’ve talked about.  We have a group that’s worked extremely hard up to this point.  The level of effort at every practice is something that as a coach that’s all you can really ask for.  You’re really proud of. Some days are better than others, like everywhere.

The focus, like we’ve talked from the beginning with this group has been really good. And the leadership has been on point.  For these next 15 days getting ready, it’s one day at a time.   Making little improvements day after day.  Hopefully we’ll be at a point where we feel really about going out there Week 1.

READY VS RESTED

It’s a fine line.  I’ve talked quite a bit about the data and analytics that we use with our training staff. And the metrics that we have.  The time to give them some time is coming up in a little bit. We’re starting to wear a little bit thin.  That’s something we are constantly monitoring.  Once school starts we’ll be able to set the schedule a little bit where you start to get back to a normal schedule.

After the scrimmage tomorrow (Saturday), Sunday we’ll be a really quick short deal.  Monday they’ll be completely off.  Tuesday & Wednesday we’ll go pretty hard.  Thursday will be a walk-thru type of day.   So we’ve got that stuff coming up and we tell them that.  Empty the tank now because it’s coming.

I think that’s something you’re constantly trying to manage and juggle.  I do think there have been times in the past we’ve gone out there and not been very fresh to start the season.   When you play Week 1 you want to go out there with those guys ready to play. That’s definitely something we’re always looking at. 

I think it’s probably easier now than it used to be cause you actually have data at your fingertips that you can tell the level of fatigue and the level of output they are putting out there.  That it is something we are managing.

The time is coming where they’ll get some time off and some days off.  We built the camp schedule with more days off this time than there have been in the past. It’s done us well, but we have to continue to mange it as a coaching staff.