Football season has officially started — at least in New Orleans.While LSU fans have another week to wait for fall practice to begin, the New Orleans Saints report to training camp today.The Saints enter the coming season following an 8-8 2008 season, in which quarterback Drew Brees fell one completion short of setting the NFL all-time record for passing yards in a season, but the team’s defense finished No. 23 in the league in total yards allowed and No. 26 in points allowed per game.”The defense, man — it’s got to get better,” said Arnold Bueso, agricultural business senior. “Sean Payton is a real good offensive guy but I don’t know about the defense.”Payton fired defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs and replaced him with former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after last season. The fourth-year head coach even took a $250,000 pay cut to secure Williams’ services.”I am expecting Gregg Williams to give good leadership to our entire ‘D’ and more importantly our secondary,” said Peter Zuppardo, English junior. “The absence of leadership was quite clear last year since we lost six games by 18 points.”Perhaps the biggest factor Williams will have to work around is the loss of starting defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith, who were suspended four games each for breaking the NFL’s banned substance policy.”We play the Lions and the Bills [in the first few weeks of the season] which may work in our favor,” Zuppardo said. “We also have a great backup [defensive end] by the name of Bobby McCray who has already come out and said that he is looking to take a starting position.”Perhaps the most divisive issue among the Black and Gold faithful is the future of running back Reggie Bush.Bush enters his fourth NFL season after an injury-plagued 2008 and continually draws mixed reviews on his ability to carry the load of an NFL back.”If he can stay healthy, I really think it is his year,” Zuppardo said. “If you look at last year, before he got hurt, he led the league in overall touchdowns.”Bush and fellow tailback Pierre Thomas will have to carry the team’s ground game in the Saints’ first full season without team touchdown leader Deuce McAllister, who was cut during the offseason.”Deuce was a great player, but it was almost a distraction — everybody wanted him to play, but he didn’t,” said Jeremy Hardy, computer information systems junior. “Now I think they can focus on Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush getting most of the time.”The schedule doesn’t necessarily work in the Saints’ favor, either. New Orleans will play five 2008 playoff teams — Miami, Philadelphia, the New York Giants, and division rivals Carolina and Atlanta — as well as home dates with perennial contenders Dallas and New England.”It works in our favor because the toughest games are in the [Super]dome,” Zuppardo said. “Black and Gold Super Bowl — 2010.”Camp begins Friday at 8:50 a.m. at the team’s Metairie training facility and continues until Sept. 1. —-Contact David Helman at [email protected]