Cajuns Move Forward
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
(Mike Curley photos)
The Louisiana football team emerged from the recovery room Saturday into a position where the Cajuns are potentially a game away from bowl consideration and still considered a player for a division championship.
That script unfolded before 20,623 at Our Lady Of Lourdes Stadium as Louisiana defeated Troy 33-6 in a performance that while not totally flawless, was nonetheless representative of what coaches normally call a complete game.
Louisiana head football coach Mike Desormeaux thought afterward that his players provided a performance that was worth noting.
The Reaction
“Man, I’m just so proud of this group. What a response. We played great in all three phases and we came out and made the plays we needed,” Desormeaux said.
No turnovers, fewer than 30 yards in penalties and a running game that produced 243 yards from quarterback Lunch Winfield and three different running backs.
More importantly, Desormeaux added, his players regrouped from a 32-31 loss last Saturday to Louisiana Tech in Ruston and now have a chance to play again in the postseason.
“The conviction that this group has is really something to witness. We were disappointed last week when we let one get away. However, now we are able to concentrate on what’s in front of us.
“We had a lot of pride and our response today was just unbelievable,” Desormeaux pointed out..
The Importance
The Cajuns (5-2, 2-1) remain one of three teams competing for a Sun Belt Conference West Division title along with Tech and South Alabama.
USA (4-2, 2-0) and Tech (3-2, 2-0) are the conference leaders, while the Cajuns and Troy (3-3, 1-1) are in contention.
The Cajuns will play at Southern Mississippi this Saturday before receiving an open date.
How It Happened
Louisiana led 19-0 at halftime and after allowing the Trojans a touchdown that opened the third quarter, the Cajuns scored an answering touchdown and then added two more in the final period.
One TD scoring possession covered 91 yards and 16 plays midway through the third period.
The Cajuns scored an unanswered TD with 12:17 left in the game after the Trojans failed to convert on fourth down at their own 36.
The Cajuns finished with 351 total offensive yards, while the Trojans obtained 267.
Troy took just 12 offensive snaps in the fourth quarter, while helped the Cajuns continue winding the game clock.
Louisiana had 37 minutes of offensive possession while converting nine of 16 third down situations.
Cajuns’ quarterback Lunch Winfield gained 65 yards on 15 carries and completed 11-of-21 passes for 70 yards and a three-yard, first quarter touchdown pass to KaDarius Wade.
The rest of the rushing yardage was divided equally among Cajuns’ running backs JJ Garner, Anthony Reagan Jr. and Steven Blanco.
