This Time It Was the Cajuns Turn

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003

Statistical Recap

LAFAYETTE - After losing on consecutive years to New Mexico State by a field goal as time expired, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns exacted revenge on the Aggies with a 21-yard field goal by Sean Comiskey with eight seconds on the clock to take a 26-24 victory on Thursday night at Cajun Field.

The Cajuns (1-7, 1-3 Sun Belt) started the game's winning drive following an interception by Terryl Fenton at the Cajuns 27. Fenton returned the ball to the Aggies 44, as the Cajuns faced a 24-23 deficit with 2:21 remaining and no timeouts.

The drives key play came when Chester Johnson gained two yards on fourth-and-one to the Aggies 33. Jerry Babb, in for an injured Eric Rekieta, scrambled on consecutive plays down to the Aggies 11-yard line. A third-and-inches run by Babb took the Cajuns down to the four-yard line with 18 seconds remaining. Babb then spiked the ball with 11 seconds remaining to set-up Comiskey's heroics. From the left hash, the sophomore kicker split the uprights to give the Cajuns their first win of the season.

The Cajuns led 17-14 at the half, but NMSU opened the scoring in the second half by taking the opening kick 46 yards down to the Cajuns 21 yard-line. A 38-yard field goal by Dario Aguiniga evened the score at 17-17 with 11:18 to play in the third quarter.

The Aggies (1-6, 0-3 Sun Belt) regained the lead at the 1:50 mark of the third quarter when Paul Dombrowski found Ronshay Jenkins wide open in the endzone on third-and-seven from the eight-yard line. The score marked the fifth third-down conversion of the second half for the Aggies and gave them a 24-17 lead.

UL Lafayette struck back 1:56 later when Babb kept the ball on second-and-goal and ran in from three yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter to trim the NMSU lead to 24-23. The snap on the point-after was low and resulted in no kick from Comiskey.

The touchdown run was made possible after Babb hit B.J. Crist deep on the left side for a 47-yard gain on third-and-11 at midfield to get the Cajuns down to the Aggies three-yard line.

Babb finished the game passing for 177 yards (17-of-29) and a touchdown and rushed 11 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cajuns took the game-opening drive 30 yards to the NMSU 20 before settling for a 38-yard field goal by Comiskey for an early 3-0 lead at 11:47 of the first quarter.

The Cajuns' drive was set up by a 39-yard kickoff return from Bill Sampy who fielded the opening kick from NMSU's Dario Aguiniga at the Cajuns 11 and rambled down to midfield.

Rekieta completed a 24-yard pass to Travis Cones out in the left flat to give the Cajuns a crucial third-down conversion on the opening series to set-up the ball at the Aggies 30-yard line.

After the two teams traded punts, NMSU staged a 6-play, 51-drive down to the Cajuns 13 yard line. Dombrowski's third-down pass intended for tight end Travis Samuel sailed high and the Aggies were forced to try a field goal. Aguiniga's attempt from 30 yards sailed wide to the left and the Cajuns held on to the 3-0 lead.

The Aggies would answer with their first score of the game moving 68 yards over 13 plays capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run on a bootleg from Dombrowksi to give NMSU a 7-3 lead with 14:52 left in the first half.

Dombrowksi set up his own touchdown run converting a fourth-and-one on the final play of the first quarter with a quarterback sneak. The scoring strike came on the first play of the second quarter.

The Cajuns answered Dombrowski's score with a 10-play, 65-yard drive culminating with a four-yard quarterback draw from Babb that resulted in a touchdown to put UL Lafayette back on top 10-7.

Babb's first two passes were back-to-back completions to Stamps gaining 17 and six yards, respectively. He then followed that with his four-yard run into the end zone to put the Cajuns in the lead 14-10 with 12:00 left in the opening half.

The Cajuns lead was brief as the Aggies responded with a two-play scoring drive capped off by a 47-yard touchdown run from Eric Higgins. Higgins' run, the second play of the ensuing drive, was set up by a 52-yard kickoff return by Gill Byrd to the UL Lafayette 48.

Babb would engineer another touchdown drive connecting with Stamps in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard score to put Louisiana-Lafayette back on top 17-14.

The TD pass was the first of Babb's young career and secured the Cajuns first halftime lead of the season.

Matt Lane converted a fake punt on the fourth play of the drive completing a pass to Stamps at midfield to keep the drive alive.

The Aggies attempted to answer and regain the lead but UL Lafayette's Lamar Morgan collected the first turnover of the game picking off a Dombrowski pass with 2:59 left in the half.

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