University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns One-Third Through Spring
3/19/2011 12:34:00 AM | Football
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns practiced on Friday afternoon, marking the team's fifth spring football practice. UL is now one-third of the way through spring ball.
"It's moving fast," head coach Mark Hudspeth stated. "Everything is moving fast. We have to make sure that every practice counts and we use every second to its fullest. We only have 10 more and that includes the spring game."
The Cajuns made the most of their work on Friday. The team battled on the practice fields for over two hours under superb weather conditions.
"We have to continue to practice at a high level," Hudspeth told his team following Friday's workout. "Our execution needs to be as sharp as it can and we need to play extremely hard."
The final 30 minutes of Friday's practice pitted the offense against the defense in first and third down situations. The coaches kept score - as they do in every competitive scenario - with the defense winning 11-7.
"The defense did some good things," Hudspeth explained. "Offensively, we got off to a good start with the first team. The second team defense had a better day than the first team.
"We are getting better, but still learning how to prepare and how to practice. I think we are starting to see some guys turn the corner."
Practice continues on Sunday with the first scrimmage of the Hudspeth-era. The team will warm-up and then begin the scrimmage on the practice field at approximately 3:15pm.
Sunday's scrimmage is open to the media, RCAF members, current UL students and former football lettermen. If rain or lightning forces the team inside the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility, then the scrimmage will be closed to everyone except the media. The media is limited to shooting photos or video in the first 30 minutes of the scrimmage.
"This will be the first time we've turned the guys loose for that long a period of time," Hudspeth added. "I want to see how tough some guys are, how well we execute and if we can play fundamental football. I want us to block and tackle and give great effort."
With position battles all over the field, Hudspeth expects Sunday's scrimmage to go a long way in establishing a depth chart.
"I think it will be a chance for some guys to separate themselves," Hudspeth said. "Some guys have already stepped up at certain positions and some guys are still battling. The scrimmage is going to expose some people.
"It'll be a big day for us on Sunday."
The team will continue to work every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday until the Annual Spring Game at Cajun Field on Saturday, April 9 at 5 p.m.
A new feature to this year's spring game will be the addition of regular season game activities and atmosphere. All reserved tailgating spaces will be held until 10 a.m. Saturday morning for those who purchased their tailgating space during the 2010 season. All unused spaces will open on a first-come, first-serve basis shortly after 10 a.m. The athletic department is sponsoring a pre-game band which will start at 3 p.m. The team will take the Cajun Walk led by the band and cheerleaders. There will also be a 'Kid Zone' inside Cajun Field.
Admission for the 2011 Spring Game is $5. All proceeds will be invested in the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation. Current UL students (with a valid ID) and fans under 12 are free.
Upcoming Spring Practice Schedule
Sunday, March 20 - 3 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23 - 3 p.m.
Friday, March 25 - 3 p.m.
