Cajuns' Offense Key in First Win

LAFAYETTE - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns used an outstanding performance from quarterback Michael Desormeaux to capture their first victory of the season, a 38-29 win over North Texas on Saturday evening at Cajun Field.

Desormeaux scored four times for Louisiana (1-5, 1-1 SBC), with two rushing and two passing touchdowns. He finished the night with 18 carries for 150 yards and 10-of-20 passing for 114 yards.

The Cajuns scored first and never trailed, but the two teams traded scores the entire game.

UL entered the third quarter leading by a slim 14-12 margin.

Desormeaux increased the Cajuns lead on the first play of the second half. An inside handoff to Tyrell Fenroy was a fake, as Desormeaux peeled around the left side and raced 73 yards down the field. He broke several tackles along the way and dove into the end zone for a touchdown.

The run by Desormeaux was a career long and marked the third straight season the quarterback posted a run of 50 yards or more.

North Texas (0-5, 0-2 SBC) countered with an 11-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:48 of the third quarter. Giovanni Vizza hit Brock Stickler with an eight-yard pass in the corner of the end zone to pull North Texas within two points, 21-19, with 7:33 remaining in the third stanza.

The Cajuns used a pair of long passes from Desormeaux to Derrick Smith to set-up another touchdown. After being stuffed in the backfield on the first play of the drive, Desormeaux hit Smith on a 35-yard strike to move the ball into Mean Green territory. Three plays later, the duo combined again for 22 yards to give the Cajuns a first-and-goal from the three-yard line. Desormeaux connected with Kevin Belton on a three-yard touchdown pass to give UL a 28-19 edge at the end of the third quarter.

For Belton, the reception was his second of the season and his second touchdown of the season.

North Texas trimmed their deficit back to two points with a nine play, 74-yard scoring drive. The drive was capped by a 27-yard pass from Vizza to Casey Fitzgerald. For Fitzgerald, it was his second two-touchdown game of
the season. He led all players in the game with 14 receptions for 131 yards.

The Cajuns' lead jumped back to nine points after an 11-play 63-yard drive. Desormeaux finished the drive with a four-yard run ? his second rushing touchdown of the game ? to put the Cajuns in front 35-26 with 7:16 left to play. UL did all their damage on the ground during the drive, rushing 10 times. Desormeaux had five of those carries for 42 yards, while Abdule Levier added three rushes for 17 yards.

The teams traded field goals in the final minutes to determine the final outcome.

In addition to Desormeaux topping the 100-yard plateau, Fenroy ran seven times for 123 yards. He showed no ill affects from an ankle injury that kept him out of action the last two games.

Jamario Thomas led the Mean Green ground game with 60 yards on 13 carries.

Both teams used an early miscue by their opponent to score their first touchdowns of the game.

Gerren Blount's third career interception came at the 8:25 mark of the first quarter and led to the Cajuns first score. Blount's three-yard return put the Cajuns' offense on the NT 27-yard line. Two plays later, Desormeaux went to Smith with a 24-yard touchdown pass, giving the hosts a 7-0 lead at 7:46.

The Cajuns have scored the game's first touchdown in four of six games this season.

Orkeys Auriene collected his first career interception, but the Cajuns were unable to capitalize. Near the end of the first half, Blount grabbed his second interception of the game. It was the first time a Cajuns player had two picks since C.C. Brown accomplished the feat in 2003 vs. Idaho.

A muffed punt in the second quarter by Phillip Nevels gave the Mean Green the ball at the Cajuns 24-yard line. NT took advantage of the gift, marching into the end zone in four plays. Stickler put the visitors on the board, recovering a Vizza fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Thomas Moreland's point-after-try hit the right upright and was no good.

Fenroy rumbled 43 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing Cajuns possession to give UL a 14-6 lead. The Cajuns drive consumed 67 yards in only four plays, needing 57 seconds.

North Texas came back with a six-play, 72-yard scoring drive. On first-and-10 from the UL 39-yard line, Vizza lofted a ball towards the end zone for Fitzgerald. Scooter Rogers tipped the ball straight up and Fitzgerald managed to catch the deflected pass in the end zone for the touchdown. Trailing 14-12 with 7:14 remaining in the first half, the Mean Green elected to go for two, but Vizza's pass was overthrown.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

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