RAGIN’ CAJUNS GAMER: Cajuns Run Game Holds Off South Alabama

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Elijah Mitchell breaking off a big run against South Alabama. Photo courtesy of Ragin Cajuns

The South Alabama Jaguars showed that despite their 1-7 record that they can trip up even some of the premier programs in the Sun Belt Conference. After getting down 7-3 early, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns withstood the Jags best shot on Saturday afternoon, coming away with a 37-27 win.

How It Happened:

Stevie Artigue started off the afternoon with a 22-yard field goal with 9:16 left to give the Cajuns an early lead. However, Carlos Davis helped the Jags take a 7-3 lead only three minutes later on a twenty-yard run into the endzone. The Cajuns marched down the field on an 11-play drive that took almost four-and-a-half minutes off the clock and it ended with Neal Johnson punching it in early in the second quarter off of a nice pass from Levi Lewis.

The Jaguars responded with an eight-play drive that ended with a four-yard run from Jared Wilson to give them a 14-10 lead. That lead only last about two minutes and ended with Lewis finding Hunter Bergeron to take a three-point lead and it remained that way into halftime.

South Alabama took back control of the ballgame in an unconventional manner with a fumble recovery from Kawaan Baker. Louisiana responded later in the third quarter with a pair of field goals from Artigue, getting out to a 23-21 lead.

The fourth quarter saw the Cajuns take a very methodical approach with a 17-play drive that was capped off by a one-yard run from Elijah Mitchell to make it a nine-point ballgame. Trey Ragas put the exclamation point on the Cajuns eighth win of the season with a 23-yard touchdown run with 4:12 left in regulation.

Big Number: 3

The Cajuns were really good on the money down defensively, holding the Jags to only three successful third-down conversions. Saturday’s game really showed how important it is to win from that statistic.

Player of the Game: Stevie Artigue

Normally the kicker isn’t discussed when it comes to the player of the game. That being said, this is a game where Stevie Artigue deserves to be mentioned for his three field goals in the win making him the all-time leader in made field goals over his career. It’s even more impressive when you remember he missed all of last season with an injury.