Through the tough losses - two by last-play field goals in the last three weeks - Rickey Bustle has maintained that his University of Louisiana squad is nothing if not resilient.
He's also maintained that the Ragin' Cajuns still have a chance in the Sun Belt Conference race, and he didn't back off from either feeling Monday.
"If you have an ounce of pride, that's how you are," Bustle said. "I have felt right from the start that this is a very resilient group. They know if you lose your pride, you have nothing.
"They know they've been close ... legitimately close, not just saying that. But you have to win to get over that hill. Maybe the problem is not knowing because that hasn't happened much to us."
It hasn't happened in the last three weeks in losses to Central Florida (24-21), Florida Atlantic (28-10) and at Arkansas State (39-36), the last one coming last Thursday.
The first and third of those losses came on those two field goals, and the latter two put the Cajuns (1-5, 0-2) in a big hole in the Sun Belt race.
But Bustle said Monday that 5-2 can still be in the hunt in what he called a much more balanced league, and insisted that his team can run the table in its last five conference games beginning Saturday at Middle Tennessee (2-3, 1-1).
"There's always that chance," Bustle said. "It's like Larry (Troy coach Larry Blakeney) said, there's still a lot of corn to be shucked."
Blakeney made that comment during Monday's Sun Belt coaches teleconference, but his Trojan team only has one league loss. The Cajuns have two, and they play three of their last five on the road.
"If we have guys step up," he said, "there's no reason we can't win five games. We have a lot of talented guys still trying to find their way, and it breaks my heart to see how hard those guys have worked and to have things go the way they have."
The Cajuns have led entering the fourth quarter in each of their last two losses, including a 15-point 29-14 advantage at ASU Thursday.
"We're getting past it, but it was very difficult," said senior defensive end Eugene Kwarteng, who had his second sack at ASU. "We have to let it go as a team or it'll wedge itself down and make it worse."
"We've got to get over that fourth-quarter deal," Bustle said. "That's when we have to be mentally tougher. The players have to make the plays. At the end of a close game, somebody has to step up and make a play."
UL's offense produced a season-high 554-yard offensive total Thursday including 457 on the ground, and it didn't seem to matter that the running back corps became a revolving door due to injuries.
Tyrell Fenroy had 62 rush yards before leaving in the second quarter with a concussion and Caleb Rubin saw limited action after pulling a muscle.
"Our running backs are really deep," said junior Josh Harrison, who came on to rush for 87 yards and a pair of scores. "Our offensive line did a great job ... they've had injuries since two-a-days and they've fought through them. No matter what back is in there, we're getting yards."
Cajun notebook
OTHER INJURIES: Senior defensive tackle Mike Moore reinjured an ankle against ASU and missed the entire second half, an absence Bustle said was a key.
"He had done a good job of handling the center-guard combo that ASU put in there," he said. "That was a big loss."
Cornerback Michael Adams saw limited action with a sprained knee, and cornerback Jarrett Jones is also expected back by Saturday with a sore knee. Running back Tyrell Fenroy was examined Monday after his concussion and is also expected back at full speed Saturday.
MIND GAMES: Bustle said the two last-second losses and a disappointing performance in between may be affecting him more than his team.
"I'm pretty numb right now," he said. "When the ball goes off a helmet and into a guy's hands for a touchdown (ASU's score just before halftime), that's for the football gods to figure out. I haven't yet.
"I'm looking at my life right now, trying to see what I've done and what I haven't done."
DEFENSIVE CHANGES: In an effort to bolster the defense, tackle Marshall Delesdernier will move to more of a nose-guard alignment this week and tackles Curtis Isaac and Joe Bradley will play more of a three-technique at that slot. Kyle Ward will also get a start at cornerback.
"We're going to make changes in people and change the way we go about practice and in our drills," Bustle said, "because it's all correctable."
He's also maintained that the Ragin' Cajuns still have a chance in the Sun Belt Conference race, and he didn't back off from either feeling Monday.
"If you have an ounce of pride, that's how you are," Bustle said. "I have felt right from the start that this is a very resilient group. They know if you lose your pride, you have nothing.
"They know they've been close ... legitimately close, not just saying that. But you have to win to get over that hill. Maybe the problem is not knowing because that hasn't happened much to us."
It hasn't happened in the last three weeks in losses to Central Florida (24-21), Florida Atlantic (28-10) and at Arkansas State (39-36), the last one coming last Thursday.
The first and third of those losses came on those two field goals, and the latter two put the Cajuns (1-5, 0-2) in a big hole in the Sun Belt race.
But Bustle said Monday that 5-2 can still be in the hunt in what he called a much more balanced league, and insisted that his team can run the table in its last five conference games beginning Saturday at Middle Tennessee (2-3, 1-1).
"There's always that chance," Bustle said. "It's like Larry (Troy coach Larry Blakeney) said, there's still a lot of corn to be shucked."
Blakeney made that comment during Monday's Sun Belt coaches teleconference, but his Trojan team only has one league loss. The Cajuns have two, and they play three of their last five on the road.
"If we have guys step up," he said, "there's no reason we can't win five games. We have a lot of talented guys still trying to find their way, and it breaks my heart to see how hard those guys have worked and to have things go the way they have."
The Cajuns have led entering the fourth quarter in each of their last two losses, including a 15-point 29-14 advantage at ASU Thursday.
"We're getting past it, but it was very difficult," said senior defensive end Eugene Kwarteng, who had his second sack at ASU. "We have to let it go as a team or it'll wedge itself down and make it worse."
"We've got to get over that fourth-quarter deal," Bustle said. "That's when we have to be mentally tougher. The players have to make the plays. At the end of a close game, somebody has to step up and make a play."
UL's offense produced a season-high 554-yard offensive total Thursday including 457 on the ground, and it didn't seem to matter that the running back corps became a revolving door due to injuries.
Tyrell Fenroy had 62 rush yards before leaving in the second quarter with a concussion and Caleb Rubin saw limited action after pulling a muscle.
"Our running backs are really deep," said junior Josh Harrison, who came on to rush for 87 yards and a pair of scores. "Our offensive line did a great job ... they've had injuries since two-a-days and they've fought through them. No matter what back is in there, we're getting yards."
Cajun notebook
OTHER INJURIES: Senior defensive tackle Mike Moore reinjured an ankle against ASU and missed the entire second half, an absence Bustle said was a key.
"He had done a good job of handling the center-guard combo that ASU put in there," he said. "That was a big loss."
Cornerback Michael Adams saw limited action with a sprained knee, and cornerback Jarrett Jones is also expected back by Saturday with a sore knee. Running back Tyrell Fenroy was examined Monday after his concussion and is also expected back at full speed Saturday.
MIND GAMES: Bustle said the two last-second losses and a disappointing performance in between may be affecting him more than his team.
"I'm pretty numb right now," he said. "When the ball goes off a helmet and into a guy's hands for a touchdown (ASU's score just before halftime), that's for the football gods to figure out. I haven't yet.
"I'm looking at my life right now, trying to see what I've done and what I haven't done."
DEFENSIVE CHANGES: In an effort to bolster the defense, tackle Marshall Delesdernier will move to more of a nose-guard alignment this week and tackles Curtis Isaac and Joe Bradley will play more of a three-technique at that slot. Kyle Ward will also get a start at cornerback.
"We're going to make changes in people and change the way we go about practice and in our drills," Bustle said, "because it's all correctable."
