The only way I could think of describing the 2023 Louisiana football season is just like I’d describe the 2022 season, it is mediocre and it does not look to get any better.
Under head coach Michael Desormeaux, in his second year at the position, the Cajuns finished the season going 6–7, going 6–6 in the regular season and losing the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to recently promoted Jacksonville State.
The season started off extremely promising as Louisiana took on Northwestern State in the first game of the season, beating them 38–13 in front of 18 thousand fans at Cajun Field.
That opening would propel the Cajuns to a 5–3 start where we would see the rise of freshman quarterback Zeon Chriss, taking over for senior Ben Wooldridge after he suffered a season ending injury in week three against UAB.
Zeon Chriss in his time as the quarterback for the Cajuns proved to be electric. Chriss would lead the team to 32.3 points per game and with a record of 3–2 as the starter. His ability to escape pressure and make plays with his legs was just fun to watch.
He did have some issues that came with being a freshman starting for the first time, throwing some bad passes or making bad reads that led to turnovers.
The fun did not last though as Chriss would go down in week 10 against Arkansas State, the injury he took taking him out for the season.
Following this injury the Cajuns would go on a three game losing streak, including an 34–31 overtime loss to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles who finished the season 3–9.
Despite the skid the Cajuns would manage to pull themselves together for their final game against in-state rivals ULM for Cajun Field’s final game before it was to undergo major renovations.
The Cajuns got the victory with ease as the Cajuns rolled over the Warhawks 52–21. Running backs Elijah Davis and Jacob Kibodi had a good day on the ground as they combined for over 150 yards and three touchdowns.
The offense though did not show up when the Cajuns traveled to New Orleans for the bowl game against Jacksonville State. Looking at the final score one might be fooled for a second as the Cajuns lost the game in overtime 34–31 to the Gamecocks.
The offense only put up a measly seven points the entire game the other 27 points game off of defensive scores, like Jalen Clark’s fumble recovery for a touchdown on the second play of the game.
While a performance like that by a defense would normally mean victory, that is only the case if the offense can score. Not only did the offense not score, they could not seem to stay on the field for longer than two minutes.
The amount of time the defense was on the field eventually took its toll as they began to tire in the second half which allowed the game to go into overtime where the Cajuns would end up losing.
While Louisiana was not much of a passing team, the receiving corps was a consistent help to the three different quarterbacks that saw starts for Louisiana.
Six receivers had 20 or more receptions with junior Jacob Bernard leading the team in both receptions (39) and receiving yards (476), though he did not lead in receiving touchdowns only catching one.
Senior tight end Neal Johnson would lead in that category, being the go to target in the red zone catching five passes for touchdowns and totaling 383 yards receiving. Another two receivers with four touchdowns would end the season, senior Peter LeBlanc and sophomore Robert Williams.
While the offense was scoring points, it was the defense that helped to ensure that the leads were kept and plays made when needed.
One of the most impressive parts of Louisiana’s defense was their pass rush as they ended the season tied 29th in the nation in sacks at 33, with team leader being sophomore linebacker Cameron Whitfield (9).
They were also a few ballhawks to be found in the secondary as three defenders nabbed three interceptions a piece. Two were safeties Tyree Skipper and Tyrone Lewis Jr. and the third was corner Jalen Clark.
Sadly though with the age of the transfer portal now fully upon us and a number of key players have entered it since the end of the season.
The biggest is quarterback Zeon Chriss who transferred to the University of Houston back in December. Another important piece on the defense is edge rusher Kendre’ Gant who recorded six sacks and 64 tackles, he too has committed to Houston.
In order to fill the gaps of those that have transferred and graduated Coach Desormeaux and the rest of his staff have to focus on recruiting and getting transfers out of the portal.
As far as high school recruiting goes, it does not look good for the Cajuns as they have the worst class in the Sun Belt according to 247sports, though that does not mean that there are no good players.
Two of those players that have signed with Louisiana include offensive tackle J’Marion Gooch from Garden City, Kansas. Gooch is a 6-foot-8 300 pound beast who is considered the 10th best tackle in the country and 99th best recruit in the country.
The other is three star quarterback Daniel Beale out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. This could prove big for a Louisiana quarterback room that has been drained from the portal and graduation, plus the past few seasons has shown the Cajuns could use the depth.
Hopefully next season will see Desormeaux and the Cajuns finally improve to a proper winning record including a bowl victory that has eluded them since 2021.