University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Take Part In First Contact Drills of Spring Ball
3/15/2013 7:16:00 PM | Football
Contact: Brian McCann
LAFAYETTE, La. – Conditions could not have been better on Friday afternoon as the Ragin' Cajuns football team held its first spring practice in full pads.
With sunny skies, a temperature in the mid-70's and a slight breeze blowing across the Louisiana football practice field, the Cajuns took to the field for the third time in 15 practices.
And although the intensity that normally comes with game day could be found on both sides of the ball, the situations for the offense and defense couldn't be less alike.
Third year offensive coordinator Jay Johnson has a mostly veteran unit to work with as quarterback Terrance Broadway returns along with the entire offensive backfield, three starters on the offensive line and all but two of the receivers.
“We've had a lot of energy and excitement out there,” Johnson said. “We've thrown a lot at them very quickly and the defense has been giving them some new looks which has challenged them. We need to take what we are learning and apply it to the field.”
“We've got a bunch of young kids trying to work themselves into the lineup. We just need them to grow up quickly,” Johnson said.
The Cajuns defense is a work in progress as James Willis took over as defensive coordinator in January making spring ball the first opportunity for the defenders to learn and implement the system.
For Willis, the biggest obstacle that he wants the Cajuns to overcome is history.
“I've seen some steady progress this week as we teach these guys a new defense and watch them put it in action,” Willis said. “The system isn't difficult, but it is different from the one that was used the last couple of years.
“It is going to take some time for our guys to break some habits that they learned. They aren't necessarily good habits or bad habits, just habits that they learned with the old system.
“You can readily see that they believed in what they were doing last year because they practice with such intensity and passion. What we need to do now is to get them to believe in what we are doing as strongly as they did last year. It will happen. It will just take a little time,” Willis added.
The Cajuns will close their first week of practice with a Saturday morning session that will feature the first goal-line scrimmage of the year, a session that both the offense and defense look forward to.
LAFAYETTE, La. – Conditions could not have been better on Friday afternoon as the Ragin' Cajuns football team held its first spring practice in full pads.
With sunny skies, a temperature in the mid-70's and a slight breeze blowing across the Louisiana football practice field, the Cajuns took to the field for the third time in 15 practices.
And although the intensity that normally comes with game day could be found on both sides of the ball, the situations for the offense and defense couldn't be less alike.
Third year offensive coordinator Jay Johnson has a mostly veteran unit to work with as quarterback Terrance Broadway returns along with the entire offensive backfield, three starters on the offensive line and all but two of the receivers.
“We've had a lot of energy and excitement out there,” Johnson said. “We've thrown a lot at them very quickly and the defense has been giving them some new looks which has challenged them. We need to take what we are learning and apply it to the field.”
“We've got a bunch of young kids trying to work themselves into the lineup. We just need them to grow up quickly,” Johnson said.
The Cajuns defense is a work in progress as James Willis took over as defensive coordinator in January making spring ball the first opportunity for the defenders to learn and implement the system.
For Willis, the biggest obstacle that he wants the Cajuns to overcome is history.
“I've seen some steady progress this week as we teach these guys a new defense and watch them put it in action,” Willis said. “The system isn't difficult, but it is different from the one that was used the last couple of years.
“It is going to take some time for our guys to break some habits that they learned. They aren't necessarily good habits or bad habits, just habits that they learned with the old system.
“You can readily see that they believed in what they were doing last year because they practice with such intensity and passion. What we need to do now is to get them to believe in what we are doing as strongly as they did last year. It will happen. It will just take a little time,” Willis added.
The Cajuns will close their first week of practice with a Saturday morning session that will feature the first goal-line scrimmage of the year, a session that both the offense and defense look forward to.
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