Bustle frustrated after loss

• By GLENN QUEBEDEAUX
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 3, 2009 - Page: 3C

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LAFAYETTE — Rickey Bustle knows University of Louisiana at Lafayette football fans are disappointed at the way the Ragin’ Cajuns have performed the last couple of weeks.

And so is he.

“I understand frustration, and we’re all frustrated here,” he said Monday at his weekly news conference.

The frustration stems from the Cajuns’ performances the past few weeks. After a 4-2 start which included an upset victory over Kansas State, the Cajuns have lost two straight to Sun Belt Conference teams that had each won only one game before playing ULL.

The most recent loss was a shocking 20-17 overtime defeat to Florida International on Saturday.

“That’s one we felt we should have won,” said Bustle.

The two deflating losses come as the Cajuns prepare to head into a tough stretch over the next four weeks. In each of those games — at Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee and at home against UL-Monroe and defending SBC champion Troy — the Cajuns likely will be underdogs.

It’s enough to generate talk of repeats of 2006, ’07 and ’08, when the Cajuns fizzled out in the second half of the schedule after promising starts. In ’06, ULL lost four of its final six to finish 6-6. In ’07, it lost four of its final six again in a 3-9 year. And in ’08, it dropped three of its final four to finish 6-6.

Those facts haven’t been lost on Bustle, who sounded more subdued than normal when answering questions Monday.

The ULL coach, who has one season remaining on his contract, said, yes, he feels the pressure — but not any more than usual.

“I feel pressure every time at this time of the year, because our records have been about the same,” he said. “I just want to do everything I can to make sure our team is ready to play. I can’t do any more than that right now. That’s my main goal.”

After facing a struggling, but competitive, Arkansas State on Saturday at Jonesboro, the Cajuns will face a Middle Tennessee team that is 5-3 with a victory at Maryland, a Troy team that is 6-2 and riding a six-game winning streak and a dangerous UL-Monroe team that is 4-4.

Victories in at least two of those would make the Cajuns bowl-eligible for the fourth time in eight years under Bustle.