Black Out Ahead As Cajuns Host WKU In Key Sun Belt Contest

Contact: Brian McCann

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Game 10: Western Kentucky (6-4, 3-3) at Louisiana (5-4, 3-2)
When: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, 6:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajun Field (ProGrass, 31,000)
TV: ESPN3 (Jonathan Yardley & Forrest Conoly)
Radio: Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network (Jay Walker & Gerald Broussard & Steve Peloquin)
Participating Network Stations
KPEL (1420 AM, Lafayette) Flagship
KXHT (107.9 FM, Lafayette)
WGSO (990 AM, New Orleans)
KTUX (98.9 FM, Shreveport)
KLCL (1470 AM, Lake Charles)
KJEF (1290 AM, Jennings)
KRJO (1680 AM, Monroe)
Series: Louisiana Leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: WKU 42, UL 23 (at WKU, Oct. 22, 2011)

The Storyline:
With their non-conference schedule complete, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team returns home to start their final stretch of three Sun Belt Conference games when the Cajuns host Western Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 17 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in Cajun Field. . . the game is being televised by ESPN3 with Jonathan Yardley and Forrest Conoly providing the commentary. . . the game will be Military Appreciation Night featuring Operation Blackout with all Cajun fans attending the game being encouraged to wear black. . . the Cajuns (5-4, 3-2) must refocus on league play after suffering a heart-breaking last-second 27-20 loss at No. 6 Florida last week, a game which saw the Gators score the game-winning touchdown on a blocked punt return with two seconds left. . . the Cajuns are in fourth place in the league standings and need to win their final three games to keep their leagie title hopes alive. . . senior Emeka Onyenekwu led the defense at Florida, making a career-high nine tackles with 2.5 of the team-high five quarterback sacks. . . senior Harry Peoples led the offensive attack, making 10 catches for 73 yards to become the 11th player in school history to catch 100 career passes . . . center Andre Huval, who owns a 3.52 GPA in business accounting, was named to the Capital One Academic All-District team last week. . . Western Kentucky jumped out to a 2-0 league start, including a 26-13 win at Arkansas State, but back-to-back home losses to Middle Tennessee (34-29) and Florida Atlantic (37-28) have dashed their title hopes.

Series vs. Western Kentucky:
Saturday's contest marks the sixth meeting between Louisiana and WKU with the Cajuns owning a slim 3-2 lead. The series started in 1992 and Louisiana won the first three contests, the last of which came after the Hilltoppers joined the Sun Belt. WKU has bounced back to win the last two meetings, including a 42-23 win in Bowling Green last year. The Cajuns are 2-1 in games played in Lafayette.

UL & The NCAA Statistics:
Ragin' Cajuns players were ranked in the top 50 nationally six times in this week's NCAA statistics, which were released on Sunday. Brett Baer leads the list with three mentions, including in field goals (11th, 1.67), punting (27th, 42.7) and scoring (29th, 8.7).

Huval Named To Academic All-District Squad:
Center Andre Huval, who owns a 3.52 cumulative grade point average majoring in business accounting, was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District team, which is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. A 6-1, 305-pound junior from Scott, La., Huval has taken over a leadership role on a veteran offensive line, playing all but nine snaps this season. Earlier this fall, he was named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation's top center. Huval is now eligible for Capital One Academic All-America honors, which will be announced on Nov. 29.

Cajuns Are Short On Returning Playmakers:
After gaining over 5,000 yards of total offense for just the second time in school history in 2011, the expectations were high going into the year for even higher numbers as all but one of the major offensive weapons returned. Unfortunately, the Cajuns enter the Western Kentucky game with three of their biggest play makers missing. Quarterback Blaine Gautier has missed the last three games with a broken left (throwing) hand, receiver Javone Lawson is out with a broken wrist and starting running back Montrel Carter played just one quarter before suffering a torn ACL in the season opener. Gautier threw for a school-record 2,958 yards and 23 touchdowns last year while Lawson, his favorite target, was a first team All-Sun Belt choice after catching 63 passes for 1,092 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Carter took the starting spot away from Alonzo Harris, a preseason All-Sun Belt choice who earned league freshman of the year honors last season, but carried just six times for 27 yards before being hurt.

Blackout Ahead:
After successfully painting the New Orleans French Quarter red last December and Cajun Field white on Oct. 23 against Arkansas State, the Ragin' Cajuns will go black for this weeks home game against WKU. The game will serve as Military Night with fans attending encouraged to wear black to the contest, which will kickoff at 6:00 p.m.

Big Crowd:
The 86,482 fans who attended the Florida game is the seventh largest in UL football history. It is the largest crowd to see a game since 92,746 attended the 2010 season opener at Georgia.

Up With Peoples:
With 1,000-yard receiver Javone Lawson on the sideline, senior receiver Harry Peoples has stepped up his performance. He has recorded six or more catches in a game five times this year, including in each of the last three games that he has played in. He made 10 catches for 73 yards against Florida, his second double-digit receiving game this year and third in his career. With 42 catches for 462 yards in eight games, Peoples ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in receptions and seventh in yardage.

. . . And Peoples Reaches Receiving Milestone:
The 10 receptions against Florida allowed Harry Peoples to become the 11th receiver in UL history to make 100 receptions in a career. Peoples begins the week with 100 catches for 1,159 yards and five touchdowns in his career.

Going The Distance To Win:
The dominating performance against ULM on Nov. 3 featured a UL offense that had to go the entire length of the field to put points on the board. All six scoring drives were 75 yards or more. Three lasted at least 10 plays and three covered more than 5:00. In the first seven games, UL scored 14 times on drives of 75 yards or more, had seven drives of 10 or more plays and only two lasted 5:00. Last week at Florida, two of the three UL scoring drives each went 77 yards and lasted at least nine plays and 4:00.

. . . And The Mother Of All Drives:
After forcing ULM to punt late in the third quarter on Saturday, the Cajuns took over possession of the ball at their own one yard line with 20 seconds to play and leading, 28-17. Nineteen plays, 99 yards and 9:33 later, Terrance Broadway found Jacob Maxwell in the left corner of the end zone on a one-yard pass to put the game away. The scoring play was the second successful fourth down conversion of the drive.

Baer Named To Mid-Season All-America Teams:
With the second half of the season in process, the national publications each released their mid-season All-America teams and senior kicker Brett Baer fared well. Baer was named a first team selection by ESPN.com, a second team choice by SI.com and a third team honoree by Phil Steele. Baer is the only Sun Belt athlete on any of the mid-season teams. Baer is 11th in the nation having made 15-of-18 field goals and ranks 29th with 78 points in nine games.

Mister Can You Spare A Dime:
The Cajuns threw a defensive twist at the Warhawks on Nov. 3, and it appeared to work. UL opened the game and spent a good deal of the game in dime coverage, removing a linebacker and defensive lineman in favor of having two extra defensive backs on the field. On the first play, nose tackle Justin Hamilton and Jake Molbert were on the bench with first-time starters Trevence Patt and Sean Thomas in the secondary.

. . . Or Spare An Extra Lineman:
The defense made another major adjustment at Florida, playing the majority of the game with a four-man front. Again, it paid off as UL registered a season-high five quarterback sacks and continually had the Gators in third and long situations. Emeka Onyenekwu, who went on to make a career-high nine tackles and 2.5 sacks, was the extra starter on the line with freshman linebacker Dominique Tovell moving to a backup role.

Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood:
With Javone Lawson sidelined, Jamal Robinson moved into a featured role and excelled. The sophomore caught eight passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the games against Arkansas State and ULM to raise his season totals to 14 catches for 423 yards and an impressive 30.2 yards per catch. He set career highs with five catches and 106 yards receiving against Arkansas State on Oct. 23 and came back to make three grabs for 153 yards and touchdowns of 52 and 81 yards at ULM.

. . . And Butler Finally Did It:
After making 14 catches for 200 yards as a true-freshman in 2010, James Butler figured heavily into the Cajuns' plans last year until tearing the ACL in his left knee during preseason camp. After a year of rehabilitation, Butler completed his comeback when he made his first career touchdown catch on a four-yard pass from Terrance Broadway as time expired against Arkansas State. He came back at ULM on Nov. 3 to make three grabs for 47 yards. For the year, Butler has made seven catches for 78 yards.

Broadway Nights:
With Blaine Gautier out, Cajuns starting quarterback-in-waiting Terrance Broadway has taken over as the starter earlier than expected. Broadway was effective in a backup role in the first four games. At Troy on Sept. 8, he relieved Gautier in the second quarter and completed 10-of-16 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while rushing eight times for 43 yards in leading the Ragin' Cajuns to the win. On Sept. 29 vs. FIU, he took over at the start of the second quarter and completed 15-of-19 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown and also ran the ball seven times for 28 yards with touchdown runs of 13 and four yards. Against Arkansas State on Oct. 23, Broadway set career highs for attempts (39), yards (374) and completions (28). The 374 yards was the eighth -highest single game total in school history. His best game came at ULM on Nov. 3 when he accounted for 460 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. He completed 23-of-32 passes for 373 yards and four TD's and rushed 13 times for 87 yards and a score.

Baer Dominates As Punter:
One thing lost in the kicking exploits of Brett Baer has been his improvement as a punter. Baer, who was sixth in the SBC by averaging 40.3 yards on 79 punts in 2011, ranks 31st nationally (and first in the SBC) with a 42.7 average this year. More importantly, just 12 of his 41 punts have been returned for a total of 50 yards, allowing UL to rank 31st nationally in net punting with a 38.8 average.

. . . And Just One Touchback:
As a junior, Brett Baer punted 79 times with 27 kicks downed inside the 20. Even more impressive was that Baer had just five touchbacks. He has been even better in 2012, punting 41 times with 19 downed inside the 20 and one touchback. In the fourth quarter at UNT on Oct. 16, he had successive kicks of 38 yards that were downed inside the 2 and 58 yards downed inside the 1. The lone touchback came in the fourth quarter at ULM on Nov. 3.

Special Teams Firsts:
The ULM game featured a pair of special teams firsts for the season. In the first quarter, ULM kicker Justin Manton missed wide left on a field goal from 45 yards out. It snapped a streak of 14 consecutive field goals made by UL opponents this year. Late in the fourth quarter, Brett Baer's punt from the ULM 36 snuck into the end zone, marking the first touchback in 35 punts this year.

. . . And Dueling Blocks At Florida:
The Florida game featured another special teams first as both teams blocked punts and returned them for touchdowns. The Cajuns block came in the third quarter when Bradley Brown eluded the protection to make the block and Blake Comminie returned it 22 yards for the score to put UL ahead, 17-13. The Gator blocked punt is well documented, with the touchdown coming with two seconds left to give Florida the win.

. . . The Last Time:
It had been awhile since either side had blocked a punt in a game. It had been 24 games since the Cajuns blocked a punt, that coming when Vernon Wolf accomplished it against FIU (11/20/10), and 42 games since one was returned for a touchdown (Andrew Joseph vs. North Texas, 10/10/09). It had been 62 games since a UL opponent accomplished both, that coming when Tennessee blocked a Spencer Ortega punt in the third quarter and returned it 20 yards for the score.

Standing Patt:
Given the opportunity to make his first career start in the win at ULM on Nov. 3, Trevence Patt made the most of it. The sophomore defensive back, who entered the game having made nine career tackles, boosted that total significantly by making five tackles, the second-highest total by a Cajun in the game. He came back at Florida last week to earn a start at safety, making three tackles.

Hooray For Torrey:
Freshman Torrey Pierce finally got the opportunity to showcase his skills, rushing 13 times for 72 yards in the win at ULM on Nov. 3. At the start of the season, Pierce found himself fourth on the depth chart at running back. He was buried behind a slew of talented runners, each of whom was a freshman or a sophomore. Waiting patiently for his opportunity, Pierce didn't play in either of the first two games and then got five rushes in lopsided games against Oklahoma State (5 carries, 12 yards), FIU (5-28) and Tulane (5-29). For the year, Pierce has carried 29 times for 146 yards and a touchdown.

4th Down Exploits:
The Cajun defense has successfully stopped its opponents on seven of its nine fourth down conversion attempts. Four of the stops have come within the 25 and have figured prominently in a pair of UL wins. At Troy on Sept. 8, the Cajuns had stops at their 9 and 25 yard lines when the game was still close. The third stop vs. FIU when UL held on downs at their own 12 in the fourth quarter. On Oct. 16 at North Texas, the Cajun defense held on a fourth-and-goal at the 1. The only fourth down conversion came on a 4th-and-1 at Oklahoma State and on a 4th-and-3 at ULM. Last year, Louisiana opponents were 8-for-21 (.381) on fourth down.

A Turnover Tale:
Mark Hudspeth has preached all season that the team that makes the fewest turnovers usually wins the game. That has held true through the first eight games. In UL's five wins, the Cajuns are +8 in turnover margin, forcing 14 turnovers (6 fumbles, 8 interceptions) while committing just six (4 fumbles, two INT). In the four losses, UL has forced just one turnover while committing nine. For the year, the Cajuns have turned those 15 miscues into 59 points (6 TDs & 6 FGs) while the 15 UL turnovers have led to 46q points.

Harris Passes 1,000 Yard Mark:
A 123-yard rushing effort against Tulane allowed sophomore running back Alonzo Harris to surpass the 1,000 yard mark in his short Cajun career. In 20 career games, Harris has carried 281 times for 1,243 yards and 13 touchdowns with three 100-yard rushing games. A preseason All-Sun Belt choice this year, he ranks ninth in the league in rushing (57.8 ypg).

Baer Kicks Way To The UL Record Book:
Senior kicker Brett Baer is enjoying an outstanding senior season, connecting on 15 of his 18 field goal attempts and 33-of-35 extra points this year. Baer. . .
. . . made his first seven field goal attempts to extend his streak of consecutive field goals made to 18 dating back to last year, breaking the Sun Belt record of 17 consecutive field goals made by La.-Monroe's Cole Wilson (2006-07) and besting Mike Shafer's UL school record of 14 consecutive field goals made, which was set in 1994.
. . . tied the school mark for points in a game by a kicker with 16 in the win over Lamar on Sept. 1. He equalled the record of 16 points by Rafael Septien (vs. San Jose State in 1974) and Mike Lemoine (vs. Central Michigan in 1989). Baer's 52-yard field goal to open the scoring was the longest of his career and tied for the seventh longest in school history.
. . . set a career high for field goals made in a game against Lamar, coming one field goal short of the UL school record of five shared by Rafael Septien (vs. San Jose State in 1974) and Mike Lemoine (vs. CMU in 1989).

The Baer Foot:
Just when senior kicker Brett Baer thought he had attempted enough kicks to qualify for the NCAA record for career field goal accuracy, a re-check of the record books shows that the NCAA has adjusted the minimum number of kicks required, leaving Baer 10 attempts short of the record. The old record of .878 (43-49) by Florida's Bobby Raymond (1983-84) under a 45-attempt minimum has been replaced with a 55-attempt record of .895 by Nebraska's Alex Henery (2007-10), who was 68-of-76 in his career. Baer is currently just short of the record at .889 (40-45). Baer made all seven attempts in 2010 and was 18-for-20 last year to lead the country in field goal percentage (.900). He is 15-for-18 this year to lead the nation in field goals.

. . . And The Baer Truth:
Brett Baer turned in one of the best all-around kicking performances in UL history in 2011, earning second team All-Sun Belt honors as both a kicker and punter while also being a semifinalist for the Groza Award, which is given to the nation's top kicker. Baer. . .
. . . led the nation in field goal accuracy, making 18-of-20 attempts (.900).
. . . ended the season making his final 11 attempts, leaving him three short of Mike Shafer's school record of 14 straight field goals made set in 1994.
. . . recorded the second-highest field goal total in school history (18), one short of the record 19 by John Roveto.
. . . was 46-for-50 in extra points, four short of Drew Edmiston's record of extra points in 2008.
. . . led the team with 100 points, the third-highest total ever and the most by a kicker. He trailed only the 114 points by Tyrell Fenroy (2008) and Brian Mitchell (1988).
. . . won two games with field goals as time expired, a 26-yard kick vs. Florida Atlantic and a career-long 50-yard effort vs. San Diego State in the New Orleans Bowl.

A Comeback For Stover:
Another feel good moment this season has been the return to the lineup of sophomore Hunter Stover, who has shared the kickoff chores with Brett Baer. Stover kicked off 47 times in the first eight games for the Cajuns last year before suffering a torn ACL in his right knee at Western Kentucky, requiring season-ending surgery. The surgery was nothing new to Stover. In high school, he tore the ACL in his left knee and a post-surgery infection required a second ACL replacement. The surgeries must have worked as Stover kicked off 18 times this year, recording five touchbacks and a 62.4 average. Last year, he averaged 60.3 yards with only one touchback.

Brown Breaks In:
Junior receiver Bradley Brown saw the most significant action of his UL career against North Texas on Oct. 16, making six catches for 40 yards to raise his season totals to nine catches for 111 yards. Brown, a transfer from Northwestern State, saw minimal action in the first three games before making two catches for 68 yards against FIU and one grab for three yards vs. Tulane. In two seasons at NSU, Brown made 75 catches for 810 yards and four touchdowns, twice earning honorable mention all-league honors.

The Wait Has Been Worth It For Gillis:
It took fifth-year senior Rodney Gillis more than four years to break into the starting lineup, but since earning his first start in the season opener, he has made the most of his playing opportunities. He is second in the Sun Belt and 10th nationally with four interceptions and is second on the team with 48 tackles this year, including a career-high 12 tackles against both Oklahoma State and North Texas. In the season opener against Lamar, he made his first career interception to end one drive and recovered a fumble on the next. He came back to make interceptions in each of the last two games. Gillis joined the program in 2008 and redshirted. He did not play during the 2009 campaign and then tore an ACL in his knee the following spring and missed the 2010 season. Gillis was able to play in 11 games as a reserve last season, making nine tackles.

Coaching Continuity:
UL is one of only 16 FBS schools to return the head coach and all nine assistant coaches from the previous season, according to research by Coachingsearch.com. To take things even further, the Cajuns also bring back the four graduate and administrative assistants on the coaching staff and all three weight room staff members. The other 15 schools with their entire coaching staff back are BYU, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Louisiana Tech, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Oregon, San Diego State, Texas, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Impact Freshmen:
Despite the increased number of players seeing action this year, one number that is down significantly is the number of true-freshmen to see the field. Last year, UL used nine different first-year freshmen during the season. That number dropped to just three to date this season as linebackers Christian Hill and Tyren Alexander and safety Al-Damien Riles are the only first-year freshmen to see playing time. Hill leads the rookies with 14 tackles while Alexander has made 11 tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss (-5 yards) while Riles has made four.

The Line That Plays Together, Stays Together:
Terrance Broadway should feel comfortable under center this year as four of the five starters on the offensive line return, each of whom played in almost 95-percent of the snaps last year. The quartet of seniors Leonardo Bates (LT) and Jaron Odom (RT), junior Andre Huval (C) and sophomore Daniel Quave (RG). The foursome combine to have made 104 career starts, including all the last 22 games together. Odom and Huval each played 925 of the 936 offensive snaps last year with Quave (890) and Bates (887) being not far behind. The fifth starter on the unit this year is Mykhael Quave, the younger brother of Daniel.

. . .And The Line Features Size:
The offensive line not only features experience, but size as well. The five starters average 6-4, 308 pounds, giving UL one of the biggest offensive lines in the SBC. The left side of the line features tackle Leonardo Bates (6-5, 296) and Mykhael Quave (6-5, 300) with Andre Huval (6-1, 290) at center. The right side of the line starts tackle Jaron Odom (6-6, 330) and guard Daniel Quave (6-3, 324).

Remembering Mickey:
The UL football team is honored to include on their helmets in 2012 a decal in memory of 21-year old UL student Mickey Shunick, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle and later murdered in the early morning hours on May 19. The football staff worked with the Shunick family to come up with the design of the decal. It features a drawing of a woman riding a bicycle with her hands in the air with the name Mickey underneath, a design that has become popular among the friends and family of Shunick. “We're just honored to do this for Mickey and her family,” head coach Mark Hudspeth said. “Obviously, what we do on the field doesn't even come close to the kind of courage and fight that she showed. We just want to remember one of our own in a way that would make her proud.”

A Little Of This. . .A Little Of That:
• The wins over Lamar and Troy to open the season allowed the Cajuns to start with a 2-0 record for only the second time since 1990 and the first since 2009.
• The 40-point halftime spread against Lamar allowed Mark Hudspeth to use 68 players in the game, the most since he took over the program (58 was old high vs. North Texas and Middle Tennessee in 2011).
•        The 40-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 1 marked the first shutout for the Cajuns since a 6-0 win at Florida Atlantic on Oct. 18, 2006, a span covering 69 games. Going even further back, the last shutout by a UL squad at Cajun Field came 54 home games prior in a 34-0 win over UAB on Sept. 21, 2002.
• The longest play of the season resulted in no points when Jamal Robinson caught an 86-yard pass from Blaine Gautier vs. Lamar. It was the longest non-scoring pass play in school history, besting the old record of 82 yards of Michael Desormeaux to Richie Falgout vs. FIU in 2008. It was also tied for the fourth-longest pass play as well.
• The Sept. 8 win at Troy saw a pair of extended streaks come to an end. It was the first victory in a road opener since upending Tulane, 48-6 on Sept. 1, 1990, a streak of 21 straight losses. It also halted Troy's 25-game win streak in home openers.
•        The month of September has proven to be a good one for the Cajuns under head coach Mark Hudspeth as UL is now 6-2 during the month over the last two seasons. The only team to trip the Ragin' Cajuns up in September is Oklahoma State, which has been responsible for both UL losses in the month.
• In five games last year, the Cajuns drew 145,854 fans to set the school and SBC records for average attendance (29,171) and the SBC mark for total attendance. The total was a Cajun Field record for a five-game season, but fell short of the overall record of 163,143 set in 1976 when the Cajuns played seven home games. The 2011 season produced five of the top 15 crowds in Cajun Field history.
• The Cajuns also led all FBS schools in 2011 with an attendance increase of 11,788 fans per game. UL averaged just 17,383 fans per game in 2010 but improved to 29,171 last year to beat out Arizona State, Stanford, Iowa State, Temple, Florida State and Oklahoma State for the top honor.
• Five Cajuns were named to the 2012 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team, which was determined by a vote of head coaches and select media throughout the conference. Seniors Melvin White (CB), Brett Baer (K), Leonardo Bates (OT) and Javone Lawson (WR) and sophomore Alonzo Harris (RB) were each honored.

Next Up:
The Ragin' Cajuns remain at home to conclude the six-game 2012 home schedule when they host South Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 4:00 p.m. It will be televised on the Ragin' Cajuns Network, the 11th of 12 games broadcast this year.

Black Out Ahead As Cajuns Host WKU In Key Sun Belt Contest

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