LAFAYETTE, La. — South Alabama outgained Louisiana-Lafayette 477 yards to 407 and won nearly every statistical category Saturday night, but three turnovers and two big special teams returns helped the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 48-38 victory.
The South Alabama loss at Louisiana dropped the Jaguars to 2-9 overall and 1-6 in Sun Belt Conference play under first-year head coach Steve Campbell. Running back Tra Minter set a school record with 223 all-purpose yards.
Back-and-Forth First Half
South Alabama fell behind 10-0 before rallying to tie the score at 10. The Jaguars’ first touchdown came on a 20-play drive that took 10:13 off the clock and included four fourth-down conversions.
The tie did not last. After a 54-yard kickoff return, Louisiana scored on a 44-yard touchdown pass to go ahead with 4:38 left before halftime. The Cajuns then recovered an onside kick and drove 54 yards in five plays over 2:16, scoring again with 2:04 remaining in the half.
South Alabama answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:53 and cut the deficit to 24-17 at halftime.
Cajuns Pull Away in the Third Quarter
The Jaguars received the second-half kickoff and drove 65 yards in nine plays to tie the game 24-24 with 10:51 left in the third quarter.
Louisiana responded with 17 straight points. Elijah Mitchell broke a 45-yard touchdown run on the third play of the Cajuns’ next possession. Two South Alabama fumbles and a Louisiana interception followed, and the Cajuns turned that stretch into a 41-yard field goal and a 34-24 lead.
A 24-yard punt return then set up a nine-play, 70-yard Louisiana touchdown drive that made it 41-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Late Rally Falls Short
South Alabama scored midway through the fourth quarter to pull within 10, but Louisiana answered with a touchdown of its own. The Jaguars added a final score with 15 seconds left on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Cole Garvin to Kawaan Baker. South Alabama’s ensuing onside kick attempt was unsuccessful.
Statistical Edge
South Alabama led in most team categories:
- Total yards: South Alabama 477, Louisiana 407
- Rushing yards: South Alabama 223, Louisiana 210
- Passing yards: South Alabama 254, Louisiana 197
- First downs: South Alabama 27, Louisiana 17
- Offensive plays: South Alabama 85, Louisiana 52
- Time of possession: South Alabama 35:59, Louisiana 24:01
- Third down: South Alabama 11 of 19
- Fourth down: South Alabama 5 of 5
- Red zone: South Alabama scored on all five trips
South Alabama was penalized nine times for 61 yards, while Louisiana was flagged six times for 66 yards. The Jaguars committed three turnovers to Louisiana’s one, and the Cajuns turned those takeaways into 10 points.
The 477 yards marked the second time this season South Alabama has topped 450 yards of offense and the first time it has done so against a conference opponent. The Jaguars have never won in Lafayette.
Individual Performances
Garvin, making his first start since the Oklahoma State game, completed 18 of 28 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran 12 times for 50 yards.
Eight Jaguars caught passes. Jamarius Way led with six receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, and Baker caught four passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Baker also ran seven times for 44 yards and two touchdowns.
Minter led seven South Alabama ball carriers with 87 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
For Louisiana, Andre Nunez completed 12 of 18 passes for 153 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Ja’Marcus Bradley caught three passes for 62 yards, and Jalen Williams had three catches for 38 yards. Mitchell ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Trey Ragas added 53 yards on 10 carries, and Raymond Calais had 34 yards on seven carries.
Campbell Reacts
“I was proud of the guys and the way they fought,” Campbell said. “Obviously, we are disappointed when you get beat. We put ourselves in a hole right off the bat and went down 10-0, but the guys fought back and tied it back up twice. The last two weeks, we had started off well and didn’t finish the half.”
“Defensively, I didn’t like the way we finished the first half,” he said. “We gave up two touchdowns right before halftime right after we had tied it up at 10-10. Offensively, I liked how we finished the first half, we were able to get some points on the board. We came back and tied it back up to start the second half after we had challenged the offense to start the second half fast.”
Up Next
South Alabama closes the 2018 season Friday, Nov. 23, against Coastal Carolina at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. The 2 p.m. kickoff will be the first meeting between the schools, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Entering the Game
South Alabama came to Lafayette on a three-game losing streak, a six-game losing streak against FBS opponents and an eight-game road losing streak dating to its win at Troy the previous season. The Jaguars’ last win in Louisiana was a 41-39 victory over Tulane on Sept. 7, 2013. South Alabama was a 17-point underdog.
Louisiana entered at 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the Sun Belt after a 36-22 win over Georgia State, in which Raymond Calais Jr. ran for a career-high 186 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, including a record 92-yard touchdown run, to earn Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Cajuns ranked fifth nationally in third-down conversions, and freshman punter Rhys Byrns had placed 12 punts inside the 20 this season.
