The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns earned their sixth win of the season against the South Alabama Jaguars. With the 28-26 victory, the Cajuns extended their bowl appearance streak to nine consecutive years, the ninth-longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Saturday was a special tribute to United States veterans as the Cajuns held their yearly Louisiana Salutes game, recognizing those who served in the military.
The Cajuns marched their way through the tunnel donning their all-black uniforms, ready for war against the Jaguars.
The Cajuns wasted no time putting points on the board. On the opening kickoff, Cajuns running back JJ Garner returned the kick 100 yards to the house, putting the Cajuns up with only 12 seconds taken off of the clock. An extra-point kick by Tony Sterner put the Cajuns up 7-0 very early.
Both teams would exchange a punt until two minutes left in the first quarter, with Jaguars’ quarterback Bishop Davenport running the ball in for a one-yard touchdown. The Cajuns would answer with an 86-yard drive in only five plays. The drive ended with a 65-yard run by Garner for a touchdown, his second of the night.
The next drive for the Jaguars only lasted three plays, but it would be their defense that tied up the game. With the Cajuns at South Alabama’s 36-yard line, quarterback Lunch Winfield rolled out right looking for his tight end Caden Jensen. Unfortunately, the ball would land in the hand of Jaguars’ cornerback Jaylen Moson, returning the interception all the way for a pick-six.
Winfield refused to make the same mistake when Louisiana got the ball back. He completed a 41-yard pass to Jensen on a play-action fake, followed by a 14-yard quarterback-keep run to score the Cajuns’ third touchdown of the night. The Jaguars would make a field goal before the end of the half, bringing the score to 21-17 going into halftime.
The second half got off to a slow start for both teams, as they would trade punts for the first five minutes. The Cajuns’ second drive of the half saw Winfield roll out right on first & 10, completing a beautiful pass to wideout Trenton Chaney near the sideline for 35 yards. The next pass Winfield threw found his other wideout Shelton Sampson Jr. in the endzone, connecting 27 yards with an accurate back-shoulder throw.
The momentum the Cajuns gained was quickly halted, as despite starting their drive at their own 11-yard line, it only took the Jaguars two plays to score a touchdown of their own. Davenport once again found the endzone using his legs against the Cajuns’ defense, scoring on a 45-yard run.
After a field goal to start the fourth quarter, the Jaguars were on the verge of a comeback only trailing 28-26. Louisiana tried to put extra points on the board, but each attempt came to no avail. The first drive for the Cajuns in the fourth ended in a missed 48-yard field goal attempt. The Cajuns drained the clock heavily, as that drive lasted six minutes, giving the Jaguars the ball back with four minutes left to go in the game.
South Alabama’s potential game-winning drive started gaining traction, with the Jaguars at the Cajuns’ 42-yard line with two minutes left to go. On first & 10, Cajuns’ linebacker Jake St. Andre sacked Davenport for an eight-yard loss. On the very next play, other linebacker Micah Johnson intercepted Davenport’s pass with a minute-and-a-half left in the ballgame. The Cajuns burned out the remaining time to seal the win with a final score of 28-26.
This was a good bounce-back win after Louisiana’s loss to the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles their last time out. The Cajuns proved that they could hold and maintain a lead until the end of the game. The standout offensive player for the Cajuns this game was Garner, logging 239 all-purpose yards. Winfield also had a good game besides the interception in the first half, logging 147 yards in the air and 107 on the ground.
A clear standout on defense was St. Andre, leading the game in total tackles with nine, on top of the clutch sack in the fourth quarter. Other defensive standouts include Johnson with the game sealing interception, cornerback Brent Gordon Jr. with two pass breakups and safety Collin Jacob, who recorded eight total tackles in his first game back from injury.
The Cajuns will play their next game this Thursday on the road against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. They return back home Nov. 21 to play the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.