After a tough loss to South Alabama, it was Ragin' Cajun Head Football Coach Mark Hudspeth's job to look ahead to New Mexico State.

Coach Hud is trying to stay positive. It's been a frustrating year, but he's still trying to find the silver linings. This week he gave love to the kicking game, as always, and Brooks Haack. One of the team captains, Haack lost his starting job early in the season but fought back and had a great performance against the Jags.

It must have felt good for Haack to hear these words from his head coach.

"That's the type of playmaker we need at quarterback," Hudspeth said. "That's sort of what we've been missing."

Hud went on to say Haack's numbers should have been ever better, if it weren't for a few costly drops. Add in the two missed connections on dropped deep balls, and Haack's statline looks pretty mean...just try not to look at the team rushing stats. Hud isn't exactly pleased with that department.

With backup guard Jesse Freeman put into an already ailing offensive line, it was a bit too steep of a hill to climb for Elijah McGuire and the running game.

"It was just tough sledding with some young pups in there," Hudspeth said.

With defenses keying on McGuire in the box, Hudspeth and Offensive Coordinator are looking into different ways of getting Eli the ball in some space. One of those options, putting him the slot, poses a few issues though.

"It's a little easier said than done getting him the ball on the perimeter," Hudspeth said. He cited having to take either Al Riles or Gary Haynes off the field in the slot, while wondering who would tote the rock in stead of McGuire.

There's more to it with McGuire. He's not 100 percent, and his coach admitted it.

With the beating he's been taking as the workhorse back, the coaching staff has been very careful with his practice load all throughout the season. It's one thing to participate in a limited fashion, but this sounds a little different.

"Eli [McGuire] didn't practice a snap last week," Hud said. "You can tell he's not the same right now."

The team and staff hope to have "The Prophet" back and healthy against New Mexico State on Saturday, and Haack and the improving passing game would love to have him as a healthy, effective compliment.

Take some time to catch up with Coach Hudspeth. He has a lot on his mind this season.

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