LAFAYETTE, La. — South Alabama begins Sun Belt Conference play Saturday at Louisiana-Lafayette, the four-time defending West Division champion, looking for its first win at Cajun Field.
The Jaguars (3-1) are 8.5-point favorites against the Ragin’ Cajuns (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt), who will be playing their homecoming game. Louisiana-Lafayette leads the all-time series 8-2 and has won the last six meetings. South Alabama is 0-5 in Lafayette.
Jaguars Rolled Past Louisiana Tech
South Alabama beat Louisiana Tech 38-14 last Saturday. A long play on the Jaguars’ first snap was called back for a penalty, but South Alabama still drove 80 yards in six plays on the opening possession for a touchdown. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Caullin Lacy returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown, earning Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
South Alabama was penalized 14 times for 131 yards. Brock Higdon was ejected for targeting after a replay review. Head coach Kane Wommack appealed the ruling, which would also keep Higdon out of the first half of Saturday’s game, but the appeal was denied.
Yam Banks had a hand in three of South Alabama’s five takeaways against Louisiana Tech, intercepting two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and recovering a fumble.
Louisiana-Lafayette’s Recent Dominance
Louisiana-Lafayette won the Sun Belt West Division each season from 2018 through 2021. The Ragin’ Cajuns shared the 2020 conference title with Coastal Carolina after the championship game was canceled because of COVID-19, and they won the 2021 Sun Belt Championship Game against Appalachian State in Billy Napier’s final game before he left for Florida.
First-year head coach Michael Desormeaux played for the Ragin’ Cajuns and had brief professional stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. He coached six seasons at the high school level, three as a head coach, before joining the Louisiana-Lafayette staff in 2016 as running backs coach. He coached tight ends for four seasons and was co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach last season.
Louisiana-Lafayette opened with home wins over Southeastern Louisiana, 24-7, and Eastern Michigan, 49-21, before road losses to Rice, 33-21, and Louisiana-Monroe, 21-17. The loss to Rice ended what had been the nation’s longest active winning streak. The loss to Louisiana-Monroe ended a 16-game winning streak against West Division opponents, and the back-to-back losses are the Cajuns’ first since the final two games of the 2018 season.
Cajuns Offense
Louisiana-Lafayette averages 27.75 points, 340.5 total yards, 233.25 passing yards and 107.3 rushing yards per game. The Cajuns have converted 22 of 55 third downs (40 percent) and 2 of 8 fourth downs and have scored on 10 of 13 red zone trips, with eight touchdowns.
Former starting quarterback Levi Lewis has departed, and the Cajuns have used two quarterbacks. Chandler Fields has completed 50 of 88 passes with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, and Ben Wooldridge has completed 30 of 45 for 350 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Michael Jefferson leads the receivers with 17 catches for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Johnny Lumpkin has 10 catches for 99 yards and three touchdowns, and John Stephens Jr. has 103 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Running back Chris Smith, who led the team with 855 rushing yards on 153 carries last season, including 238 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas State, has 157 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries this season and 10 catches for 91 yards. Terrence Williams has 104 yards on 29 carries.
Cajuns Defense and Special Teams
Louisiana-Lafayette is plus-9 in turnover margin with 12 takeaways, including nine interceptions, and three giveaways. No Cajuns player has more than one interception. Opponents average 20.5 points, 372.3 total yards, 241 passing yards and 131.3 rushing yards per game and have scored on 12 of 13 red zone trips.
Linebacker Jourdan Quibodeaux leads the defense with 31 tackles. Kam Pedescleaux has 30 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
Kicker Preston Safford has made 2 of 4 field goals with a long of 36. Punter Rhys Byrns averages 45.3 yards on 19 punts. Eric Garror has returned a punt for a touchdown.
South Alabama Offense
In Wommack’s second season, South Alabama ranks tied for 29th nationally in scoring offense, 35th in passing offense, 44th in total offense and 61st in rushing offense. The Jaguars average 38.75 points, 449.5 total yards, 284.25 passing yards and 165.3 rushing yards per game, with a time of possession of 33:39. Major Applewhite is the offensive coordinator.
South Alabama has converted 25 of 54 third downs (46 percent) and has scored on 16 of 19 red zone trips, with three field goals. The Jaguars have four turnovers and are plus-6 in turnover margin.
Quarterback Carter Bradley has completed 83 of 124 passes for 1,029 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. Desmond Trotter is 12 of 14 for 108 yards in two games.
Jalen Wayne leads the receivers with 22 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Lacy has 18 catches for 258 yards and two touchdowns, Devin Voisin has 16 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown and running back La’Damian Webb has 11 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Webb leads the rushing attack with 388 yards and five touchdowns on 68 carries. Braylon McReynolds has 79 yards on 15 carries, Omni Wells has 46 yards on 12 carries and Marco Lee has 39 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Roster Departures
Running back Terrion Avery, who was second on the team with 82 rushing yards, is no longer with the team. Offensive linemen Antawn Lewis and Anterrious Gray, fifth-year seniors and Division I transfers who started games in 2021 but were not starters this season, have also left the program. South Alabama began the season with 21 offensive linemen.
South Alabama Defense and Special Teams
South Alabama ranks 17th nationally in rushing defense, 27th in total defense, tied for 37th in scoring defense and 67th in passing yards allowed.
Jaden Voisin leads the team with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Jalen Jordan has 19 tackles, Trey Kiser has 18 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery and Quentin Wilfawn, who missed last week’s game with an injury, has 17 tackles. CJ Rias leads the team with two sacks.
Kicker Diego Guajardo has made all five field goal attempts this season with a long of 48 and has made 18 of 19 extra points. Punter Jack Brooks averages 43.4 yards on 17 punts with a long of 58. McReynolds averages 21.5 yards on six kickoff returns.
Rematch of Last Season’s Close Game
South Alabama started 3-1 last season as well, with its only loss in that stretch coming against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Cajuns built a 20-0 lead before the Jaguars rallied and shut them out in the second half. Guajardo had an extra point blocked, missed another and missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:06 left in a 20-18 loss.
South Alabama has been penalized 10 times against Nicholls, nine times against Central Michigan, four times in a last-second loss at UCLA and 14 times against Louisiana Tech.
The Jaguars went 1-5 on the road last season after going 0-6 in 2018, 0-6 in 2019 and 2-3 in 2020. South Alabama has not won three road games in a season since 2014. This season the Jaguars won at Central Michigan and lost at UCLA on a field goal as time expired.
