Coach Hud – Marketing Genius? [Opinion]

If you were at yesterday's homecoming contest between Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns and the Aggies of New Mexico State you were no doubt flabbergasted by the first half. You probably asked yourself "What the (expletive) is going on?". How could a team that basically shutdown Arkansas State in the last game be giving up so many yards and so many big plays to a team that barely hung on to beat Abilene Christian?

The answer: Marketing

As I watched Coach Hud on the sidelines Saturday I noticed that he wasn't his usual volatile and explosive self when the Aggies were gashing the Cajun defense like a Halloween pumpkin. He seemed to remain unusually calm. There were no in your face episodes, no death looks, no look of real concern that the game was slipping away. Coach Hud knew what the outcome of this game was going to be because he was in total control.

Why would he get us all worked up like that?

College football is a game of passion. Coach Hud knows that his team will need the passion and energy of the home crowd Thursday night when Troy comes to Cajun Field. That is why Coach waited until late in the game to put the game to bed. He needed you, your energy and your passion in the stands so his players would be fired  up for Thursday night.

How many of you honestly said or thought this, " We'll stay until the Cajuns have the game in hand and then we're off to other homecoming activities". Don't lie to me! Even Scott Brazda said on the Cox 4 broadcast that he told his wife he thought he would be home early because the Cajuns would control the game and blow out the Aggies.  Coach Hud heard that same sentiment from Cajun fans during the week too, so he  devised a way to keep you in the game and keep his players minds in the game. How deflating would it have been for the Cajuns to win the game with only half the crowd in the stadium?

There is nothing like a roaring comeback from the jaws of defeat to the glory of victory to get a team motivated to win one more. That also works for motivating the crowd too. So I guess we will see you at Cajun Field Thursday night when you won't see the other team making big plays and you won't see large gaps in the Cajun secondary. Instead you will see a well coached football team whose leader understands sometimes you have to coach the fans on how to win the game as well.