Feature Photograph by Mike Curley
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The vision that Louisiana head football coach Mike Desormeaux has for his program appeared briefly Saturday during the final minute of a disappointing 20-17 Homecoming loss to South Alabama.
Despite watching a possible win evaporate as a 43-yard Diego Guajardo game-winning field goal sailed through a crossbar with no time left, Desormeaux extracted a silver lining from the loss as the Cajuns fought back from a seven-point, fourth quarter deficit to tie the game at 17 with 42 seconds remaining.
It was the third straight defeat for Louisiana (2-3) and the second consecutive Sun Belt Conference loss for Louisiana.
Yet afterward Desormeaux at least outwardly displayed a glass half full approach.
Desormeaux appeared especially encouraged about the Cajuns’ final touchdown drive that consumed nearly seven minutes off the game clock and ended with a one-yard scoring pass from quarterback Ben Wooldridge to tight end Pierce Migl.
“We need to bottle that up and capture that,” Desormeaux said during his postgame interview.
Wooldridge, who replaced starter Chandler Fields and played the entire second half, completed 18-of-29 passes for 90 yards.
The execution and urgency of the Wooldridge-directed touchdown drive captured the essence of the team that Desormeaux is attempting to manufacture as the Cajuns stare at a remaining conference schedule that begins at Marshall in two weeks.
“I think that’s the team we can be. We need to show this is how we are,” Desormeaux added.
At the end of the third quarter Louisiana was 0-for-8 in third down conversions. During the fourth quarter the Cajuns had converted all six of eight third down attempts.
The offensive production during the final period (68 rushing yards and another 52 passing) also featured no turnovers as Wooldridge completed 9-of-14 throws over two full quarters.
Placekicker Kenneth Almendares nailed a 52-yard field goal with 3:06 left to pull the Cajuns within seven points (17-10). Almendares however missed two earlier attempts of 29 and 45-yards.
Fields, who started at quarterback for a fifth time, was 4-of-7 passing for 27 yards. Fields also threw an interception and never got the Cajuns into the end zone.
Desormeaux deflected questions about his quarterbacks, preferring to save his response for a later time. Desormeaux did say Fields was “banged up” and the staff decided to let Wooldridge complete the game.
It’s frustrating, Desormeaux said, the continue seeing the Cajuns make the same mistakes which destroy at times a team that he thinks is providing maximum effort.
“We’re going to go back to get things fixed. We are one of the hardest practicing teams, but we are not seeing the results of that. As soon as we are able to put four quarters together we will be good,” said Desormeaux.
Wooldridge complemented the defense while the offense put together the scoring drive and said “sooner or later” we are going to figure it out.”
Linebacker Jourdan Quibodeaux couldn’t describe too accurately about what occurred on the final Jaguars’ possession which featured a pair of third down conversions, as South Alabama deftly used the less than half game clock minute to reach field goal range.
The goal noted, is looking forward to the open date week and entering reset territory..
“We’re going to go back and find the product that we want,” Quibodeaux said.
