University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Football Practice Report No. 7
3/23/2011 11:53:00 PM | Football
Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns went back to work on Wednesday following a two-day layoff from Sunday's first scrimmage of the spring. Wednesday's practice was again on the football practice fields under ideal weather conditions.
The team began practice with corrections from the scrimmage. Heavy fundamental work followed before team periods of first down, third down and red zone. Unfortunately, the entire team is unable to practice as a whole on Wednesdays because several players arrive late and several others leave early due to class conflicts.
"We did a little bit of scrimmage correction," head coach Mark Hudspeth stated. "I thought we had a good day.
"Wednesday is a very frustrating day for us. There were a lot of guys that didn't get work today that needed it, but school is definitely the number one priority."
Coach Hudspeth stated prior to the spring that every starting position was open, as were all spots on the depth chart. He's noticed some players raising their level of play through seven spring practices.
"Running back Rob Walker has looked good and shown some flashes as a dynamic runner," Hudspeth added. "Wide receiver James Butler has made some nice catches. Ross Goodlett is a nice surprise. He does everything right and if he keeps doing that then he'll see time on the field.
"Defensively, Bernard Smith is above everyone else in effort. We are still waiting on some defensive linemen to pick it up. In the secondary, (Melvin) White, (Dwight) Bentley and (Lionel) Stokes have solidified spots and we're looking for the fourth spot to step up and take it."
With eight practices left in the spring, Coach Hudspeth and his staff are looking for something more from the players that can't be taught.
"We are still trying to clean some things up and looking for leadership," Hudspeth explained. "Right now, I don't feel like we have the leadership we need. It's one of the main concerns from the staff; we need to find leaders on both sides of the ball."
The Cajuns will hold their eighth and ninth practice of the spring this Friday and Sunday, respectively. Practices begin at 3 p.m. and are 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 practice will be closed to everyone except the media.
The team will continue to work on fundamentals Friday, before finishing practice with some live work.
In addition, the staff will host their annual Cajuns Coaches Clinic over the weekend. High school and college coaches from around the south will gather in Lafayette to watch practice, meet with the Cajuns coaches, listen to speakers and share coaching ideals and philosophy.
