LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana-Lafayette used a series of long plays to pull away from South Alabama for a 52-30 victory Saturday in the Jaguars’ final Sun Belt Conference game of the season, spoiling a school-record passing day by quarterback Ross Metheny.
Metheny completed 27 of 44 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns, the most passing yards in a game in South Alabama history. The loss dropped the Jaguars to 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Sun Belt in their first season as a member of the conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback Terrance Broadway accounted for 365 yards of total offense, and receivers Harry Peoples and Javone Lawson each topped 100 receiving yards as Louisiana-Lafayette improved to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in league play. After the game, the Ragin’ Cajuns accepted a bid to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Jaguars Strike First
South Alabama scored on its opening possession. Metheny hit Greg Hollinger for 34 yards to move into Louisiana-Lafayette territory, then found Bryant Lavender for eight yards and T.J. Glover for 15 to reach the Cajuns’ 18-yard line. On third-and-8 from the 16, Metheny connected with Wes Saxton for 13 yards to the 3.
Terrance Timmons fumbled on the next play and Louisiana-Lafayette recovered, but an offsides penalty against the Cajuns wiped out the turnover and moved the ball to the 1. Two plays later, Julian Valentin scored to give South Alabama a 7-0 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette responded with 17 straight points and led 17-7 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
Three Field Goals Pull USA Within One
The Jaguars answered with a drive that reached the Cajuns’ 28 before stalling, and a 45-yard field goal cut the deficit to 17-10 with 14:08 left in the second quarter.
The South Alabama defense then forced a three-and-out. A personal foul left Louisiana-Lafayette facing second-and-24 at its own 11, and Broadway was sacked for an eight-yard loss to the 3 two plays later. Glover fair-caught the ensuing punt at the Cajuns’ 40.
Metheny found Hollinger for gains of 17 and nine yards, but the drive stalled and South Alabama settled for a 33-yard field goal, making it 17-13.
After another Louisiana-Lafayette personal foul moved the Jaguars’ kickoff to midfield, the Cajuns started at their own 7 and were again pushed back by a sack near the 3 before punting. Glover returned the punt 13 yards to the Louisiana-Lafayette 35.
Timmons ran for three yards and then lost one, and Metheny’s third-down pass to Glover fell incomplete. Louisiana-Lafayette called a timeout after seeing Trey Fetner on the field for a possible fake, and Chapuseaux then made a 50-yard field goal to bring South Alabama within 17-16.
Cajuns Take Control
The score held until the final minutes of the half. Broadway completed passes of 53 and 27 yards to Lawson on consecutive plays, and Louisiana-Lafayette finished a five-play, 98-yard drive with a touchdown with 16 seconds left before halftime for a 24-16 lead.
The Cajuns struck again quickly after the break. Broadway hit Peoples for a 72-yard gain to the South Alabama 4, and Louisiana-Lafayette scored two plays later to lead 31-16 just 1:28 into the third quarter.
“I thought that drive was the turning point in the game,” South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said of the late first-half touchdown. “And then they came out in the third quarter and drove down and scored. That turned the whole game.”
Broadway later scored on a six-yard run midway through the third quarter, capping a 12-play, 75-yard drive extended by a 25-yard gain on a fake punt on fourth-and-5. That put Louisiana-Lafayette ahead by 22 points.
Jones on the Cajuns’ Offense
“Offensively they did a great job,” Jones said. “We didn’t play as well defensively as we have played, we gave up a bunch of big plays and yardage, but they are a talented football team. They are very good on offense, and a lot of it had to do with the fact that they have some really good athletes.”
Late Jaguar Touchdowns
South Alabama ended a 21-0 Louisiana-Lafayette run with about two and a half minutes left in the third quarter, driving 67 yards in eight plays. Metheny threw 23 yards to Jereme Jones for the touchdown.
The Jaguars scored again midway through the fourth quarter. Valentin ran for 25 yards, and on the next play Metheny found Gabe Loper for a 28-yard touchdown.
By the Numbers
South Alabama finished with 414 total yards, 360 passing and 54 rushing. The Jaguars had 21 first downs, converted 6 of 15 third downs and held the ball for 30:12.
Louisiana-Lafayette gained 538 yards, 362 through the air and 176 on the ground, with 24 first downs. The Cajuns converted 2 of 10 third-down attempts and had the ball for 29:48.
Valentin led South Alabama in rushing with 34 yards on three carries, and Glover added 19 yards on 10 carries. Running backs Demetre Baker and Kendall Houston did not play because of injuries.
Saxton led the Jaguars with seven catches for 83 yards. Hollinger had three receptions for 60 yards, Jereme Jones caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown, Lavender had four for 47, Glover four for 38, Besteda two for 37 and Loper two for 36 with a touchdown.
For Louisiana-Lafayette, Broadway completed 11 of 19 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 65 yards. Effrem Reed led the Cajuns with 81 rushing yards on 17 carries. Peoples caught five passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, and Lawson had three catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Up Next
South Alabama closes its first FBS season Saturday, Dec. 1, at Hawaii. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. Central time.
