Photograph by Mike Curley.
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor Consulting Writer
Louisiana head football coach Mike Desormeaux has seen how his team reacts to victory.
Now Desormeaux has the chance to see how the Cajuns respond to a defeat.
The reaction to defeat will be apparent for the Cajuns this Saturday when Louisiana travels to play Louisiana-Monroe beginning at 7 p.m.
The Cajuns lost for the first time in 15 straight games by dropping a non-conference game to Rice University last Saturday night.
Prior to the contest at Rice, the Cajuns held the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games.
Now that element of national focus has been eliminated for Louisiana and Desormeaux thinks that since the possibility of maintaining the win streak has been lifted from his team, the Cajuns might enter the Louisiana-Monroe game free of external pressure.
“Maybe now we can just relax and go out and play. I think this team is one that has more fun at practice than the game and that might seem unusual since our practices are hard. Now I think maybe they can just cut loose instead of trying to be perfect,” Desormeaux said at his weekly Monday noon press conference.
The Cajuns are 2-1 this season, while the Warhawks are 1-2. The ULM contest will be the first Sun Belt Conference game for either team.
Desormeaux noted that ULM has played two nationally-recognized teams, losing to The University of Texas and Alabama.
The caliber of the teams the Warhawks have faced this season speaks for itself, said Desormeaux.
ULM has been outscored in both games by a cumulative 118-14. Alabama led ULM 28-0 in the first quarter last Saturday.
Desormeaux said the Cajuns can’t let their first loss in two seasons affect how they play against ULM.
“You can’t let a team (Rice) beat you twice. I thought we had a good practice (Sunday night). The game (against ULM) is a conference game and it is another road game for us.
Louisiana is also the defending West Division champion, noted Desormeaux. The success the Cajuns have had previously in Sun Belt games have come against West Division teams, Desormeaux said.
“I think if anything that will be motivation enough for us to bounce back and get the taste (of a loss) out of our mouths,” Desormeaux said.
Desormeaux said the Cajuns shouldn’t expect any major changes in what Louisiana has done the previous two games.
“We’re not going to hit the panic button. I know I’m not going to throw any of our players under the bus, because the coaches that I had never did that to me. Ultimately what happens is always going to be on me,” Desormeaux pointed out.
