Cajuns Officially Wrap Up Spring Practice With Upbeat Workout

LAFAYETTE – With only his No. 1 field goal unit on the field, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns head football coach Mark Hudspeth issued one simple challenge to redshirt freshman kicker Dylan Scheurich during Tuesday's final workout of spring drills – make a field goal or everyone associated with the program would be running gassers.

With the remainder of the team, plus coaches, athletic trainers, equipment and support staff lined up on the sideline, Scheurich split the uprights on his first attempt and put an official end to spring practice for the Ragin' Cajuns.

That ended an upbeat practice that saw the Ragin' Cajuns work out in full gear while reviewing items from last Saturday's Red-White Spring Game and working on late-game situations.

"You couldn't have scripted it any better," Hudspeth said of Scheurich's kick. "I didn't want him to miss because we'd run two (gassers) if he did. He misses again, we'd run two more and we would be out here all day and ended on a negative. It could have been on a completely opposite spectrum. It would have been really negative, everybody's tired and upset … but he nailed it and that showed, to me, a little bit of confidence in him."

Lousiana used Tuesday's practice – the 15th of spring drills for the Ragin' Cajuns – as a way to clean up areas that needed to be addressed from the spring game while installing new packages before heading into off-season workouts and concentrating on academics before taking final exams in May.

With the Ragin' Cajuns looking to replace two starters on the offensive line, returning players D'Aquin Withrow and Grant Horst are set to battle for the left tackle spot with last year's starter, Mykhael Quave, slated to move inside to left guard.

"I think both of those guys are good enough to play," Hudspeth said of Withrow and Horst. "They're tall and long and we look like a Division I outfit. With Octravian (Anderson) coming back at right tackle in the fall, those guys are going to battle it out now for the left tackle spot."

Other areas that will continue to be looked at for the Ragin' Cajuns are at running back, wide receiver, cornerback and middle linebacker.

At running back, four players will look to serve as the backup to reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Elijah McGuire, with returning players Effrem Reed, Torrey Pierce, Montrel Carter and freshman Walter Williams vying for the role.

Returning letterwinners C.J. Bates and Jared Johnson will look to replace departed starter James Butler at wide receiver and line up opposite fifth-year senior Jamal Robinson. On the corner, Jevante Watson, plus newcomers Christian Goodlett and Savion Brown will be in the mix to start opposite Simeon Thomas, while Otha Peters, Tre'maine Lightfoot, T.J. Posey, Tyren Alexander and Trey Granier all vying for the starting role in the middle.

Louisiana, which posted its fourth consecutive 9-4 season that was culminated by a win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, will officially open its 2015 season on Sept. 5 when it visits SEC member Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium. The Ragin' Cajuns will open their six-game home schedule on Sept. 12 when it entertains in-state opponent Northwestern State in the 15th annual Herbert Heymann Classic at Cajun Field.

Cajuns Officially Wrap Up Spring Practice With Upbeat Workout

Players Mentioned

Tyren Alexander

James Butler

Montrel Carter

Christian Goodlett

Trey Granier

Grant Horst

Jared Johnson

Tre'maine Lightfoot

Elijah McGuire

Otha Peters

Torrey Pierce

T.J. Posey

Mykhael Quave

Effrem Reed

Jamal Robinson

Dylan Scheurich

Simeon Thomas

Jevante Watson

D'Aquin Withrow

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