The Ragin’ Cajuns traveled to Harrisburg, Virginia to take on the James Madison Dukes in a clash of the preseason favorites. This was considered a top matchup in the Sun Belt Conference going into the game, as both teams were favored at the start of the season to meet in the SBC Championship.
That heavyweight title proved justified in the first half as both teams’ defenses balled out. Louisiana ran out of steam by the fourth quarter though, thanks to a stalling offense. The elite JMU defense proved itself as it forced the Cajuns into five straight three and outs before the game sealing endzone interception.
The Dukes sent the Cajuns back home with a 24–14 loss, knocking them down to 2–4 on the year. This has been the Cajuns worst start to a season since 2016, with that team also starting 2–4.
The game started with the Cajuns receiving the kickoff, bringing out Lunch Winfield in his first career start. The punter came out after the offense went three and out in the first two minutes of the game.
Louisiana’s defense, after getting run over against Marshall the week before, adapted a bend, but not break mentality as the Dukes began their first drive. JMU marched 52 yards down the field before the Cajuns forced a fumble, recovering it as their first of three turnovers during the game.
The offense rewarded the defense’s effort with another three and out, punting the ball right back to JMU. The Dukes spent the rest of the first quarter marching down the field, methodically moving and chewing clock.
JMU got to 4th and two on the Cajuns 10-yard line. With time winding down on the clock the Dukes hurried to the line to pick up the first down before the end of the first quarter. The Louisiana defense came in clutch once again, stopping the Dukes a yard short and forcing a turnover on downs.
Louisiana’s offense finally came alive at the start of the second. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Cajuns drove 80 yards in six plays, including a 40-yard bomb to Robert Williams.
The drive capped off with a five-yard touchdown to tight end Brock Chappell.
The defense then forced another fumble two plays into JMU’s drive, setting the offense up in field goal range. After failing to gain a first down the Cajuns did just that, setting up for a 51-yard field goal. The Dukes blocked it, swinging momentum in their favor.
They used that momentum to quickly drive down field to tie the game 7–7. Lunch and the offense replied immediately. On the third play of their next drive Lunch found quarterback-turned-receiver Dale Martin on a slant which he took 69 yards to the house. Following the point after touchdown, the Cajuns found themselves up once more 14–7.
The next two drives both ended in punts by the Dukes and the Cajuns. On JMU’s last drive of the first half they set up for a field goal, which they missed. This gave Louisiana a chance to score before half.
The Cajun offense quickly moved 68 yards down the field with less than a minute left in the half. With four seconds left on the clock and no timeouts, Head Coach Michael Desormeaux decided to go for it. In a half that saw Louisiana’s run game stuffed repeatedly, they decided to run it here, only needing a yard.
They were absolutely stuffed, the elite JMU defensive line showing their dominance at the line of scrimmage. Time expired and they went into the half up 14–7.
The Dukes received the ball at the start of the second and instantly scored a 62- yard touchdown with an excellent trick play that saw JMU’s Landon Ellis wide open, tying the game 14–14.
This was the only score of the third quarter. The remainder of the quarter saw quick Cajun three and outs followed by long JMU drives that ended without scores because of clutch plays from the defense.
As one could imagine, this is not a way to win a football game. Eventually the Dukes broke the stalemate, starting the fourth quarter with a touchdown to Ellis, his third of the day against the Cajuns. JMU was now in the lead 21–14.
The Cajuns punted twice more, and the Dukes extended their lead with a field goal to make it 24–14.
Louisiana tried to get one more score, getting to JMU’s 25-yard line, the closest they got to the endzone the entire second half.
Lunch forced a ball into tight coverage in the endzone, it was deflected up and intercepted by JMU to seal the game.
The absence of Zylan Perry was felt, as this game was the worst rushing performance by the Cajuns all season, only gaining 45 yards on 28 carries. Lunch was the leading rusher with 23 yards on 15 carries followed by Bill Davis with 21 yards on nine carries.
The passing game was probably the best it had been all season, with Lunch passing for 243 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, completing 14 of his 28 attempts.
Lunch seemed uncomfortable, with multiple instances of him wanting to scramble yet staying in the pocket anyway.
It seems the Louisiana coaching staff are trying to hold back on his scrambling, yet continued to call designed quarterback runs that went nowhere.
The Cajuns are not quite in panic mode yet, with six games left they need to go 4–2 at the minimum to make a bowl game.
They still even have a chance to win the west in the Sun Belt Conference if they win out. The coaching staff has to shape up and the team has to rally, because right now there is a very real prospect of Louisiana missing a bowl game.