University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
UAB
Cajuns win first under Bustle
9/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Saturday, Sept. 21 2002
Statistical Recap
LAFAYETTE, LA - After turning the ball over 16 times in their first three games, Louisiana-Lafayette did not commit one miscue in a 34-0 win over the UAB Blazers on Saturday night at Cajun Field. The Cajuns converted two turnovers into touchdowns, while recording two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in the game.
The shutout victory was the largest shutout for the Cajuns since a 45-0 win at home over Northern Illinois on Oct. 15, 1988.
The win was the first of head coach Rickey Bustle's career.
The Cajuns had the game's first scoring opportunity late in the first quarter.
UL Lafayette started from their 26-yard line and quickly moved into Blazers territory. The Cajuns entered the UAB red zone following a third down run. On fourth down, Chris Brown blocked Sean Comiskey's attempted 36-yard field goal.
The teams remained scoreless until late in the second quarter.
From their own 28, the Cajuns Jon Van Cleave hit tight end Josh Joerg for 18 yards. Jerome Coleman then broke a run for 17 yards down to the UAB 37.
The drive's key play came on fourth-and-one. Coleman kept UL Lafayette's offense on the field with three yards down to the UAB 25.
Zac Woodfin sacked Van Cleave to push the Cajuns back to the 30-yard line. The offense could only get back to the 21 and settled for a second field goal attempt. With the ball snapped back just six yards from the line of scrimmage, Comiskey put the Cajuns on the board with a 37-yard field goal.
Following a UAB punt, the Cajuns appeared to be content to run out the clock with 1:53 remaining in the half. Coleman rushed up the middle for seven yards, then for 11 yards on the next play. On first down from the Cajuns 38-yard line, Van Cleave connected with Fred Stamps on a 10-yard slant that Stamps took 62 yards into the end zone.
The teams had only two plays in the second half, before lightning forced the game to be delayed for 33 minutes. Play resumed with 14:50 to play in the third quarter.
With 12:09 left in the third quarter, Walter Sampson recovered a Blazers fumble on the Cajuns 49-yard line.
The Cajuns threatened the UAB red zone for the second time in the game when Blake Bourque took a shovel pass 22 yards to the UAB 13-yard line. On fourth-and-two, Coleman scrambled two yards to gain a first down by inches inside the UAB three-yard line. Coleman finished off the drive with a one-yard plunge to give the Cajuns a 17-0 lead.
Comiskey extended the Cajuns lead to 20-0 with a career-best 45-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Jamal Smith notched his third career interception and first career touchdown when he picked Darrell Hackney and returned the ball 43 yards to pay dirt. The Cajuns lead moved to 27-0 with 23 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Elliot Temple capped a 39-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give UL Lafayette a 34-0 edge.
Box Score
Attendance-19,616
ULL 0 0 0 0 0
UAB 0 10 17 7 34
ULL Comiskey 37-yard field goal, 2:50 2nd
ULL Stamps 62-yard pass from Van Cleave, (Comiskey kick), 0:37 2nd
ULL Coleman 1-yard run, (Comiskey kick), 7:57 3rd
ULL Comiskey 45-yard field goal, 0:46 3rd
ULL J. Smith 43-yard interception return, 0:23 3rd
ULL Temple 1-yard run, (Comiskey kick), 8:51 4th
-Ragin' Cajuns-
