University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, November 10
Gainesville, Fla.
11:21 a.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
(7) Florida
Cajuns Travel To Face No. 6 Florida
11/5/2012 5:59:00 PM | Football
Contact: Brian McCann
Game Notes (PDF Format)
Game 9:
Louisiana (5-3) at No. 6 Florida (8-1)
When: Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, 12:21 p.m. EST
Site: Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Grass, 88,548)
TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan & Chris Doering)
(The game will be shown locally on KADN, Fox 15)
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: Florida Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Florida 55, UL 21 (at UF, Sept. 31, 1996)
UL Web Site: www.RaginCajuns.com
The Storyline:
Fresh off a convincing win at rival ULM last week, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns football team steps outside of conference play for the final time in the regular season when UL travels to Gainesville, Fla. to face No. 6 (BCS) Florida on Saturday, Nov. 10 beginning at 12:21 p.m. EST at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. . . the game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network with Mike Morgan & Chris Doering providing the commentary. . . the 40-24 win over the Warhawks on Saturday improved the Cajuns to 5-3 on the year and moved them into a fourth place tie with Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt standings, one game out of the lead. . . sophomore Terrance Broadway recorded his second straight 350+ yard game, throwing for 373 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 87 yards and a score at ULM. . . sophomore Jamal Robinson posted his second straight 100-yard game, making three catches for 153 yards including touchdown grabs of 52 and 81 yards. . . freshman Torrey Pierce had a breakout game, rushing 13 times for a career-best 72 yards. . . after struggling through 2011 with a 7-6 record, Florida has put things together under second-year head coach Will Muschamp, owning an 8-1 mark coming into the game. . . the Gators have done it with defense, ranking among the top 10 nationally defensively in rushing (10th), pass efficiency (1st), total offense (5th) and scoring defense (4th). . . this will be the fifth series meeting against Florida, and first since 1996, with the Gators claiming the first four games.
Series vs. Florida:
Saturday's contest markds the fifth meeting between Louisiana and Florida with the Gators owning wins in all four previous contests, all being played in Gainesville. The two teams first met in 1945 with the Gators claiming a 45-0 win. It would be four decades before the second game in the series was played with Florida winning again, 45-0. The most recent meeting came in 1996, a 55-21 Florida victory.
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 (12th, 1.6), punting (26th, 42.8) and scoring (31st, 8.8).
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 12th in the nation having made 13-of-16 field goals and ranks 31st with 70 points in eight games. Having made 38 of his 43 career attempts (.884), Baer is two field goal attempts away from qualifying for the NCAA record for career field goal accuracy, which is held by Florida State's Bobby Raymond (.878, 43-49 in 1983-84).
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 Florida game 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 the Nov. 17 home game against WKU. Fans are encouraged to wear black to the contest, which will kickoff at 6:00 p.m.
Going The Distance To Win:
The dominating performance against ULM 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.
. . . 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.
Mister Can You Spare A Dime:
The Cajuns threw a defensive twist at the Warhawks on Saturday, 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.
Surgent Surges To Milestones:
With 14 catches over his last three games, junior wide receiver Darryl Surgent passed a pair of receiving milestones. His five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas State allowed the junior to pass the 50-catch and 1,000 yard mark for his career. He enters this week with 60 catches for 1,116 yards and eight touchdowns. The Alexandria, La. leads the team with 443 receiving yards this year while ranking third with 25 catches.
Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood:
With Javone Lawson sidelined the last two games, Jamal Robinson moved into a featured role and excelled. The sophomore
caught eight passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the two games 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 last week 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 last week 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 26th nationally (and first in the SBC) with a 42.8 average this year. More importantly, just 10 of his 35 punts have been returned for a total of 34 yards, allowing UL to rank 10th nationally in net punting with a 40.6 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 35 times with 17 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.
Run Defense A Key:
One statistic that has proven important this year has been run defense. In the five Louisiana wins, Ragin' Cajuns opponents have rushed 140 times for 280 yards with no team gaining more than 60 yards. The opposite is true in the three UL losses as opponents have gained 829 yards rushing on 161 carries. The Cajuns opened the year by giving up a season-low 38 yards on 37 carries against Lamar and then limited Troy to 60 yards on 27 attempts. In the recent homestand, UL kept FIU to just 55 yards in 34 attempts and Tulane to 53 yards on 22 carries. Last week, ULM gained 74 yards on 20 carries.
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.
Standing Patt:
Given the opportunity to make his first career start in the win at ULM, 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.
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. 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 three losses, UL has forced just one turnover while committing eight. For the year, the Cajuns have turned those 15 miscues into 59 points (6 TDs & 6 FGs) while the 14 UL turnovers have led to 43 points.
Baer Moves Into 5th Place On Career Scoring Chart:
Despite scoring a season-low three points against Arkansas State and four at ULM, senior kicker Brett Baer has moved into fifth place on the UL career scoring chart with 213 points. He passed Patrick Broussard, who totaled 208 points from 1984-87. Baer enters the Florida game having made 38 field goals and 99 extra points in his career, Baer now needs 16 points to catch Sean Comiskey (2002-05), who is fourth on the chart with 229 points. Baer's 70 points this year lead the Sun Belt.
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 19 career games, Harris has carried 261 times for 1,175 yards and 12 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 has started his senior season out on the right foot, connecting on 13 of his 16 field goal attempts and 31-of-33 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 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 seventh nationally with four interceptions and is second on the team with 47 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 came back to play in 11 games as a reserve last season, making nine tackles.
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.
Griffin Makes Most Of Position Change:
After rushing 69 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the first 11 games as a true-freshman in 2011, Qyendarius Griffin made the move to the secondary in order to get more time on the field. Already one of the team's best special teams performers — he was third on the team with nine special teams tackles last year — Griffin has taken to the move. In his first start at linebacker, he led the Cajuns with seven tackles and a pair of tackles for loss against Tulane and he came back last week to record a career-high nine stops at UNT. In six games, he is second on the team with 36 tackles.
The Baer Foot:
Senior kicker Brett Baer is quickly moving towards being the most accurate kicker in NCAA FBS history. In three seasons as UL's regular kicker, he has made 38-of-43 field goal attempts (.884), which is ahead of the NCAA field goal accuracy mark of .878 by Florida State's Bobby Raymond (43-49 in 1983-84). Baer will need to attempt two more field goals this year to meet the NCAA minimum of 45 career attempts. 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 13-for-16 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.
The Defense Gets On The Board:
It took five games, but linebacker Justin Anderson recorded the first “Pick Six” by the Cajuns this year when he stepped in front of a D.J. Ponder pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against Tulane on Oct. 6. It was the second score by the defense this year, the first coming when Jemarlous Moten returned a fumble 56 yards for a touchdown against Troy on Sept. 8. Anderson's touchdown marked the 10th time under Mark Hudspeth that the Cajuns defense scored a touchdown. Last year, UL defenders ranked second nationally with seven interception returns for scores and also added one fumble recovery on a blocked field goal for a TD. Moten leads the defense with three career defensive scores (2 INT, 1 Fumble return). Melvin White had two scores last year, returning an interception 89 yards for a score against Troy and bringing back a blocked field goal 68 yards vs. Nicholls State.
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.
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.”
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 100 career starts, including all the last 21 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).
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 conclude the 2012 home schedule with back-to-back league games, hosting Western Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m. and South Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 4:00 p.m. The South Alabama contest will be televised on the Ragin' Cajuns Network, the 10th of 12 games broadcast this year.
Game Notes (PDF Format)
Game 9:
Louisiana (5-3) at No. 6 Florida (8-1)
When: Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, 12:21 p.m. EST
Site: Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Grass, 88,548)
TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan & Chris Doering)
(The game will be shown locally on KADN, Fox 15)
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: Florida Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Florida 55, UL 21 (at UF, Sept. 31, 1996)
UL Web Site: www.RaginCajuns.com
The Storyline:
Fresh off a convincing win at rival ULM last week, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns football team steps outside of conference play for the final time in the regular season when UL travels to Gainesville, Fla. to face No. 6 (BCS) Florida on Saturday, Nov. 10 beginning at 12:21 p.m. EST at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. . . the game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network with Mike Morgan & Chris Doering providing the commentary. . . the 40-24 win over the Warhawks on Saturday improved the Cajuns to 5-3 on the year and moved them into a fourth place tie with Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt standings, one game out of the lead. . . sophomore Terrance Broadway recorded his second straight 350+ yard game, throwing for 373 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 87 yards and a score at ULM. . . sophomore Jamal Robinson posted his second straight 100-yard game, making three catches for 153 yards including touchdown grabs of 52 and 81 yards. . . freshman Torrey Pierce had a breakout game, rushing 13 times for a career-best 72 yards. . . after struggling through 2011 with a 7-6 record, Florida has put things together under second-year head coach Will Muschamp, owning an 8-1 mark coming into the game. . . the Gators have done it with defense, ranking among the top 10 nationally defensively in rushing (10th), pass efficiency (1st), total offense (5th) and scoring defense (4th). . . this will be the fifth series meeting against Florida, and first since 1996, with the Gators claiming the first four games.
Series vs. Florida:
Saturday's contest markds the fifth meeting between Louisiana and Florida with the Gators owning wins in all four previous contests, all being played in Gainesville. The two teams first met in 1945 with the Gators claiming a 45-0 win. It would be four decades before the second game in the series was played with Florida winning again, 45-0. The most recent meeting came in 1996, a 55-21 Florida victory.
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 (12th, 1.6), punting (26th, 42.8) and scoring (31st, 8.8).
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 12th in the nation having made 13-of-16 field goals and ranks 31st with 70 points in eight games. Having made 38 of his 43 career attempts (.884), Baer is two field goal attempts away from qualifying for the NCAA record for career field goal accuracy, which is held by Florida State's Bobby Raymond (.878, 43-49 in 1983-84).
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 Florida game 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 the Nov. 17 home game against WKU. Fans are encouraged to wear black to the contest, which will kickoff at 6:00 p.m.
Going The Distance To Win:
The dominating performance against ULM 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.
. . . 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.
Mister Can You Spare A Dime:
The Cajuns threw a defensive twist at the Warhawks on Saturday, 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.
Surgent Surges To Milestones:
With 14 catches over his last three games, junior wide receiver Darryl Surgent passed a pair of receiving milestones. His five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas State allowed the junior to pass the 50-catch and 1,000 yard mark for his career. He enters this week with 60 catches for 1,116 yards and eight touchdowns. The Alexandria, La. leads the team with 443 receiving yards this year while ranking third with 25 catches.
Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood:
With Javone Lawson sidelined the last two games, Jamal Robinson moved into a featured role and excelled. The sophomore
caught eight passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the two games 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 last week 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 last week 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 26th nationally (and first in the SBC) with a 42.8 average this year. More importantly, just 10 of his 35 punts have been returned for a total of 34 yards, allowing UL to rank 10th nationally in net punting with a 40.6 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 35 times with 17 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.
Run Defense A Key:
One statistic that has proven important this year has been run defense. In the five Louisiana wins, Ragin' Cajuns opponents have rushed 140 times for 280 yards with no team gaining more than 60 yards. The opposite is true in the three UL losses as opponents have gained 829 yards rushing on 161 carries. The Cajuns opened the year by giving up a season-low 38 yards on 37 carries against Lamar and then limited Troy to 60 yards on 27 attempts. In the recent homestand, UL kept FIU to just 55 yards in 34 attempts and Tulane to 53 yards on 22 carries. Last week, ULM gained 74 yards on 20 carries.
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.
Standing Patt:
Given the opportunity to make his first career start in the win at ULM, 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.
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. 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 three losses, UL has forced just one turnover while committing eight. For the year, the Cajuns have turned those 15 miscues into 59 points (6 TDs & 6 FGs) while the 14 UL turnovers have led to 43 points.
Baer Moves Into 5th Place On Career Scoring Chart:
Despite scoring a season-low three points against Arkansas State and four at ULM, senior kicker Brett Baer has moved into fifth place on the UL career scoring chart with 213 points. He passed Patrick Broussard, who totaled 208 points from 1984-87. Baer enters the Florida game having made 38 field goals and 99 extra points in his career, Baer now needs 16 points to catch Sean Comiskey (2002-05), who is fourth on the chart with 229 points. Baer's 70 points this year lead the Sun Belt.
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 19 career games, Harris has carried 261 times for 1,175 yards and 12 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 has started his senior season out on the right foot, connecting on 13 of his 16 field goal attempts and 31-of-33 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 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 seventh nationally with four interceptions and is second on the team with 47 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 came back to play in 11 games as a reserve last season, making nine tackles.
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.
Griffin Makes Most Of Position Change:
After rushing 69 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the first 11 games as a true-freshman in 2011, Qyendarius Griffin made the move to the secondary in order to get more time on the field. Already one of the team's best special teams performers — he was third on the team with nine special teams tackles last year — Griffin has taken to the move. In his first start at linebacker, he led the Cajuns with seven tackles and a pair of tackles for loss against Tulane and he came back last week to record a career-high nine stops at UNT. In six games, he is second on the team with 36 tackles.
The Baer Foot:
Senior kicker Brett Baer is quickly moving towards being the most accurate kicker in NCAA FBS history. In three seasons as UL's regular kicker, he has made 38-of-43 field goal attempts (.884), which is ahead of the NCAA field goal accuracy mark of .878 by Florida State's Bobby Raymond (43-49 in 1983-84). Baer will need to attempt two more field goals this year to meet the NCAA minimum of 45 career attempts. 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 13-for-16 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.
The Defense Gets On The Board:
It took five games, but linebacker Justin Anderson recorded the first “Pick Six” by the Cajuns this year when he stepped in front of a D.J. Ponder pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against Tulane on Oct. 6. It was the second score by the defense this year, the first coming when Jemarlous Moten returned a fumble 56 yards for a touchdown against Troy on Sept. 8. Anderson's touchdown marked the 10th time under Mark Hudspeth that the Cajuns defense scored a touchdown. Last year, UL defenders ranked second nationally with seven interception returns for scores and also added one fumble recovery on a blocked field goal for a TD. Moten leads the defense with three career defensive scores (2 INT, 1 Fumble return). Melvin White had two scores last year, returning an interception 89 yards for a score against Troy and bringing back a blocked field goal 68 yards vs. Nicholls State.
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.
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.”
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 100 career starts, including all the last 21 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).
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 conclude the 2012 home schedule with back-to-back league games, hosting Western Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m. and South Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 4:00 p.m. The South Alabama contest will be televised on the Ragin' Cajuns Network, the 10th of 12 games broadcast this year.
Michael Desormeaux Media Availability (Oct 6, 2025)
Monday, October 06
Michael Desormeaux Media Availability (Sep 29, 2025)
Monday, September 29
Collin Jacob Media Availability (Sep 27, 2025)
Sunday, September 28
Lunch Winfield Media Availability (Sep 27, 2025)
Sunday, September 28
