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Know the Foe: Ragin’ Cajuns

Know the Foe: Ragin’ Cajuns

Football Sep 23
By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

The longest winning streak in the nation came to a screeching halt last weekend when Rice surprised Louisiana Lafayette, 33-21.

The Ragin Cajuns (2-1) hadn't lost since falling to Texas in the opening game of the 2021 season. ULL won 13 straight last year and twice to open this season to carry a school-record 15-game streak into its game at Rice. The Cajuns were limited to 175 yards and nine first downs while allowing 449 yards to the Owls.

"Hopefully, now we can just relax and play," first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux said this week. "This thing's over with and we can move forward a little bit and just worry about playing the next game."

ULM (1-2) has the opportunity to end another streak this weekend as it begins Sun Belt Conference play at home against the Cajuns (7 p.m.). ULL has won four games in a row over the Warhawks, including last season's 21-16 decision in Lafayette. ULM's most recent ULL win came in 2017, a wild 56-50 double-overtime victory that was also the conference opener.

"We've got a huge West Division Conference game against one of our biggest rivals in UL Monroe up there on the road," Desormeaux said. "They've got a good looking team. Shoot, the two games they lost to Texas and Alabama, they're pretty darn good."

Four of the last five meetings have been decided by six points or less. ULL hammered ULM, 70-20, in 2020 but had close calls with bowl eligibility on the line the previous two seasons. Late field goal misses cost ULM in losing 31-30 in 2019 and 31-28 in 2018.

"They do a good job defensively," Desormeaux said. "Coach (Vic) Koenning is not a stranger to the Sun Belt. We faced him in the past and he really had a great plan for us in '18, so we've got to make sure we have it locked in, dialed in and ready to go.

"Offensively, Matt Kubik is back up there and he's got a good crew. He's got some weapons to play with. A really good quarterback, some good backs. We're going to go up there and get their best effort and they're going to certainly get ours as well."

The Cajuns placed five players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team, including first-teamers in defensive lineman  Zi'Yon Hill-Green, defensive back Eric Garror punter Rhys Byrns and running back Chris Smith (all-purpose). Linebacker Andre Jones, a second-team choice and converted defensive lineman, started 14 games a year ago.

Even after last week's letdown, ULL comes in averaging 31.3 points per game while allowing 20.3 with wins over Southeastern Louisiana (24-7) and Eastern Michigan (49-21).

At running back, Smith paces a committee with 116 yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts. The Cajuns average 116.7 yards on the ground.

Two quarterbacks have seen action, led by starter Chandler Fields (30 of 54, 352 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT). A transfer from Fresno State, Ben Wooldridge has completed 25-of-38 passes for 313 yards and two scores.

"Both of those guys will continue to play," Desormeaux said. "Ben has done a good job as the backup and played well in spots. I expect him to continue to do that. We'll get both of them ready to go and we'll get them both playing better this week."

Second-team All-Sun Belt in 2021, Michael Jefferson's 12 catches for 154 yards lead the receiving corps so far. Tight end Johnny Lumpkin is a dependable red zone target with three touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the team has eight sacks, eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries through three games.

Linebacker Jourdan Quibodeaux is atop the ULL leaderboard with 24 tackles. Hill-Green is the veteran leader of the unit with 1.5 sacks and 10 tackles so far.

Preston Stafford, a grad transfer from LSU, has handled extra point and field goal duties in the first three games of the 2022 season. He has converted on all 13 extra point attempts and made one of three field-goal attempts.

"I think the thing that concerns me the most is their talent level," ULM coach Terry Bowden said. "Their talent level is still a little bit beyond, therefore you've got to play a little bit above and they've got to play a little bit below."

Warhawk connections: Former ULM head coach Matt Viator is in his second season as an analyst on the ULL staff. Viator, who departed after ULM went 0-10 in 2020, was 19-39 in five seasons at ULM.

ULL defensive coordinator Lamar Morgan spent two seasons (2016-17) as the defensive backs coach at ULM.

Prior to joining the ULL staff in 2018, offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Tim Leger served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at ULM from 2016-17.

ULM inside linebackers coach Ron West spent seven years as the defensive coordinator at ULL (1986-92), including serving as the assistant head coach in 1992.

Cajun stew: ULL leads the series, 31-25. The Ragin' Cajuns vacated a victory in 2011 due to the use of ineligible players. … ULL is the reigning Sun Belt Conference Champion and four-time defending champions of the Sun Belt West Division. … Desormeaux is a former ULL quarterback from 2005-08. … The Cajuns have 94 players from Louisiana on their roster. … The Cajuns own a perfect 16-0 record against Sun Belt West Division opponents and 26-7 overall against Sun Belt opposition over the last four seasons. … The team will wear a special "GS" decal on their helmets during the 2022 season to honor Gail Heinbach Savoie, the wife of University President Joseph Savoie, who passed away on June 12, 2022, following an extended illness.
 
 
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