Leonard’s Louisiana roots come into play at Lafayette
Posted on Saturday, October 18, 2008
Corey Leonard could have played at Louisiana-Lafayette.
He’d still like to win a game there before his career is over.
Leonard, Arkansas State’s junior quarterback, returns today to the school that recruited him heavily out of Covington, La., today, trying to help the Red Wolves hang on to a share of first in the Sun Belt at a place where they have yet to win a conference game.
Leonard’s first scholarship offer came from Lafayette.
“It was close to home, it wasn’t far off,” Leonard. “I’m a big family guy so it was a school that was appealing to me.”
Leonard chose Arkansas State because he liked the players and coaches he met on his visit, and, most of all, he saw a better chance to win a starting job. Louisiana-Lafayette already had an accomplished starter in Jerry Babb and recruited and signed New Iberia, La. ’s Michael Desormeaux, who is now a senior and the Sun Belt’s top rushing quarterback.
“They really liked him a lot and there was only a year separating us,” Leonard said of Desormeaux. “It was a chance I couldn’t take.... They headed in one direction and I chose the ASU direction.”
Leonard got his chance at ASU as a redshirt freshman after WHEN 6 p. m. Central today WHERE Cajun Field, Lafayette, La. RECORDS Arkansas State 4-2, 2-0 Sun Belt; Louisiana-Lafayette 3-3, 2-0 COACHES Steve Roberts (35-43 in seventh year at Arkansas State, 84-76-1 in 14 th season overall ); Rickey Bustle (29-47 in seventh year at Louisiana-Lafayette ) SERIES Louisiana-Lafayette leads 18-17-1 WEBCAST JumpTV Webcasting (astateredwolves. com ) RADIO (programming subject to change ) Arkansas State Radio Network, including KFIN-FM, 107. 9, in Jonesboro, KABF-FM, 88. 3, in Little Rock, and WREC-AM, 600, in Memphis Nick Noce used up his eligibility. Leonard beat out Travis Hewitt midway through 2006 and has been the starter, and one of the Sun Belt’s most promising young quarterbacks, ever since.
Leonard has a chance to finish his career as Arkansas State’s top quarterback in multiple categories, including career yardage and touchdown passes, and is second in the Sun Belt with an average of 259. 2 total yards per game.
This will be Leonard’s third trip to Lafayette since coming to ASU. He was a redshirt freshman in 2005 when Arkansas State won the Sun Belt and played in the New Orleans Bowl, which was moved to Lafayette because of Hurricane Katrina.
Leonard said he recalled Noce telling him, after Arkansas State’s 31-19 loss to Southern Mississippi, that if he were to beat any team, it should be Memphis. Leonard did the next season, with a Hail Mary in the final seconds. But ASU and Leonard returned
to Lafayette and suffered a disappointing loss in the final game later that season. “There is still a play that sticks out in my head when we played them that season,” Leonard said. “We were on a game-winning drive and we had a touchdown that pretty much just slipped away from us.”
Louisiana-Lafayette held on for a 28-13 victory and ASU finished the season 6-6, its already slim bowl hopes dashed. Arkansas State shattered several records last season as it beat Louisiana-Lafayette 52-21 in Jonesboro continuing a trend of dominance by the home teams in the series, with the home team winning the past eight meetings. Reggie Arnold rushed for a careerhigh 225 yards, Leonard posted a career-high 359 yards of total offense and set a school record with 5 touchdown passes while the team set a school record with 681 total yards.
“We don’t expect that team to play this year,” Leonard said. “We know it’s going to be a tough game. Both teams are playing well right now.”
Each team is 2-0 in the Sun Belt, while Louisiana-Lafayette has the best scoring offense, rushing offense and total offense. Arkansas State has the best rushing defense and scoring defense, and is second in the conference in rushing offense and scoring offense.
Maybe, for Leonard, it will help that today will be something like a home game as he returns to his native state.
“I think there’s going to be 60-or 70-plus members of my family there,” he said. “It’s a game that hits home and it’s important to me.”
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