Questions About This Cajuns’ Team? You Bet…- From the Bird’s Nest

I have a tendency to look at UL sports differently from most fans.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly a fan.  But I also have a job that requires me to look at things with as little emotion as I can muster.  And, I must admit, that has helped me not get too low after a Cajuns’ defeat or too high after a Cajuns’ win.  (Dramatic wins are exempt from that comment).

And, it is with that statement I begin my look at Ragin’ Cajuns football for the 2015 season.

I honestly believe there are more questions about this football team than at any time during the tenure of Mark Hudspeth…who has had a helluva tenure.  There’s no need to go over what this football program has accomplished over the last four years except to say the Cajuns have never had this much consistent success.  There are questions every year, but this year there are a bunch.

Most of the time when someone asks me about 2015, they are asking who the quarterback is going to be.  And, honestly, while it is a question that must be answered, it’s a question that’s way down on my list.  Either Brooks Haack or Jalen Nixon will be the quarterback.  I expect that person to play well.  I’ve seen enough to know they are capable.  And, I’ve seen the way Hudspeth, offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and the rest of the offensive staff are able to develop skill people on offense.  I’m curious.  I’m not all that concerned.  In fact, I’m not overly concerned about the offense.  As always, the offensive line is paper thin and the Cajuns have been incredibly blessed that they have kept their O-line starters relatively injury free over the last four years.  At some point in time that will end and I’m hoping it’s not this year.  The Cajuns simply haven’t been able to develop quality depth up front and this year is no exception.  And, I think the Cajuns are really going to miss Daniel Quave and Terry Johnson.  Keeping the starters healthy is paramount if this offense will have any kind of success.  Here’s the good news.  Mitch Rodrigue is one helluva coach.  His new contract and pay raise has been well earned.  He’ll get the most out of that line.

How will Elijah McGuire hold up physically?  Will the freshmen step up and become weapons at wide receiver, where the Cajuns have been hit hard by injury and attrition?  Those are legitimate questions as well.

And, all that being said, the offense isn’t my biggest cause for concern.

The kicking game will be handled by a pair of freshmen.  By all accounts, Steven Coutts and Stevie Artigue are very talented.  By all accounts, neither has ever kicked in a college football game.  They both will have moments when they shine.  But they might have some of those other moments as well.  Consistency will be the key for both and that should only get better as the season progresses.  The Cajuns weren’t very good in the return game last year and that must get better.

And, all of that being said, the kicking game isn’t my biggest cause for concern.

No….it’s the defense that gives me pause.  And there are a lot of reasons why.

Up front, the Cajuns have lost two very good football players.  One was drafted and has a good chance to stick with the Green Bay Packers.  The other was cut by Buffalo yesterday but has a chance to get picked up and perhaps wind up on someone’s practice squad.  The two listed as starters on the 2015 depth chart have a grand total of one start.  And, it’s a pretty safe bet neither will be close to as good as the guys are replacing, at least not at first.

The fact Mark Hudspeth listed five candidates at corner when camp first opened was not disconcerting.  The fact he was still saying it last week is a different matter.  The really good news was he was sure about the starter on the other side.  The really bad news is, he’s not been cleared to play and will probably miss the first two games and perhaps more.  One of the corners listed as a starter was a starter four times last year.  The other starter hasn’t played a down of Division I football.  And, while there is some experience at safety and some promise as well, the two we kind of expected to start aren’t listed as starters.

But the personnel, by itself, aren’t my biggest cause for concern.

I’ve been saying for a couple of months now, the personnel questions on defense will only be compounded by the fact there are a lot of new faces on that side of the football.  And, I’m not talking about the players.

It’s a whole new defensive coaching staff.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I think Hud has hired well.  He’s brought in a ton of experience and a couple of them have coached a long time in the SEC.  I think they are talented, solid hires.  But I’ve hypothesized throughout the summer than teams frequently take a step back before taking a step forward when they change staffs.  Defensive coordinator Melvin Smith said at Media Day before camp opened that he hoped everyone would be on the same page…by the third or fourth game.  Before he even made that statement, I remembered when James Willis was named the DC a couple of years ago.  The Cajuns’ defense was a lot better in the second half of the season than the first, when they really had trouble stopping anyone.  And, I recalled 2006 when LSU fans ripped Bo Pelini when the Tigers struggled early in the season before he helped lead them to a national championship in 2007 and parlayed that into a head coaching job at Nebraska.

Monday at his press luncheon, many of the media wanted to ask about the new OC at Kentucky and how Hud thought Kentucky’s philosophy would change.  And, they wanted to know about winning against an SEC team and what it would mean.  But my question to Hud was the new staff, the new terminology, the new schemes, the new players, the new chemistry and how much of that was a concern.  He was honest.

He said the chemistry was great.  But he admitted the defense is behind because of all they’ve had to learn with a new staff.  He lamented the lack of hard tackling in camp because of concern with injury.  But his most telling statement was that the Cajuns wouldn’t have their full defensive package in for the Wildcats.  He admitted it would take some more time to get everyone on the same page.  He said they would have a plan..and an alternate plan.  But this is a unit that will have to learn under fire as this new staff gets everyone ready to go.

And, there is my biggest cause for concern.

There are no pre season games in college football.  The Cajuns are fortunate that there are no conference games until October 10^th.  They have four non-league games plus an open date before they host Texas State to open Sun Belt play.  The unfortunate thing is those non-conference games will count in the record for the Cajuns and will have plenty to say about bowl eligibility.

I have confidence in this coaching staff.  And, I have confidence the Cajuns will have players step up and perform well enough to keep this team in the hunt for a Sun Belt title.

Until then, however, this team might struggle.  In fact, I expect them to.  But I’m going to be fair here and say I’m not going to judge this team during this stretch of non-conference games.

Neither should the fans.