University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, November 15
Monroe, La.
6 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
ULM
Ragin' Cajuns, ULM To Face Off In Sun Belt Clash
11/14/2014 11:03:00 AM | Football
Cajuns look for sixth straight victory
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 15, when it travels to face Sun Belt Conference rival ULM in a 6 p.m. contest at JPS Field at Malone Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3 with the broadcast team of Matt Stewart (pxp), Rocky Boiman (color) and Danielle Percival (sideline). The game can also be heard statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Sports Network with Jay Walker (pxp), Gerald Broussard (color) and Steve Peloquin (sideline) calling the action.
Fresh off its fifth consecutive victory with a 44-16 defeat of New Mexico State on the road, Louisiana (6-3, 5-0 Sun Belt) became bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Mark Hudspeth. Since competing in the Sun Belt Conference in football beginning in 2001, Louisiana has twice won six league games (2011 and 2012)
The Ragin' Cajuns scored 28 unanswered points after NM State took a 3-0 lead. Terrance Broadway threw three touchdown passes in the game and Elijah McGuire posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game (136) with a pair of touchdowns.
Louisiana gained 402 yards of total offense against NM State, including 224 on the ground. McGuire, Effrem Reed and Darius Hoggins each scored touchdowns for the Ragin' Cajuns while Jared Johnson caught a pair of touchdown passes. Tracy Walker (2 interceptions) spearheaded a defensive unit that produced four turnovers and allowed 307 yards of total offense - nearly 130 yards below the Aggies' season average. Jevante Watson added an interception for the Ragin' Cajuns, which entered the game with three interceptions on the season.
The 28-point margin of victory for the Ragin' Cajuns was the best on the road since a 59-30 win at North Texas in 2008.
ULM (3-6, 2-3 Sun Belt) dropped its fifth consecutive game after suffering a 31-29 league setback at Appalachian State on Saturday. The Warhawks have lost their last three games (Texas State, Texas A&M, Appalachian State) by a combined 11 points. ULM, which closes out its home schedule against the Ragin' Cajuns, is 3-1 at home this season with wins over Wake Forest, Idaho and Troy.
Game No. 10
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (6-3, 5-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 33-15 (4th season), Career Record: 99-36 (11th year)
-/- ULM WARHAWKS (3-6, 2-3 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Todd Berry (Tulsa, 1983)
Record at ULM: 26-32 (5th season), Career Record: 55-91 (13th season)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
November 15, 2014 • 6 p.m. • Monroe, La. • JPS Field at Malone Stadium (30,427)
Series History: Louisiana leads the all-time series, 25-24, in a series that dates back to 1951 ... ULM leads the series in Monroe, 11-10 ... the Ragin' Cajuns have won the last four meetings at JPS Field at Malone Stadium, including a 40-24 victory in 2012.
GAME INFORMATION
ESPN3: Matt Stewart, PxP • Rocky Boiman, Color • Danielle Percival, Sideline
Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network: Jay Walker, PxP • Gerald Broussard, Color • Steve Peloquin, Sideline
In Lafayette: KPEL 1420-AM (Flagship); KHXT 107.9-FM Affiliates: KTUX 98.9-FM (Shreveport); WGSO 990-AM (New Orleans); KJEF 1290-AM (Jennings); KLCL 1470-AM (Lake Charles); KRJO 1680-AM (Monroe); KTIB 640-AM (Thibodaux)
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @ULRaginCajuns; Facebook: RaginCajunsAthletics;
YouTube: IAm4RaginCajuns; Instagram: ULRaginCajuns
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Louisiana is 514-528-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• Louisiana looks to record a 6-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time ever.
• Louisiana head coach Mark Hudspeth needs one victory to record the 100th of his career.
• Sophomore running back Elijah McGuire needs 88 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season. McGuire would become the fourth player (QB Brian Mitchell, QB Michael Desormeaux, RB Tyrell Fenroy) and second RB (Fenroy) in school history to accomplish the feat.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won five consecutive games, including two on the road (Texas State, New Mexico State).
FIVE QUICK HITTERS
1 - Louisiana is 27-2 when leading at halftime under head coach Mark Hudspeth.
2 - Senior right guard Daniel Quave has started in 48 consecutive games.
3 - Alonzo Harris is 19 yards shy of becoming the third player in school history to rush for 3,000 yards.
4 - Harris is five points shy of passing Brett Baer (256, 2010-12) for third-place in school history.
5 - A win by the Ragin' Cajuns would give Mark Hudspeth his 34th win at UL, tying him with Clement J. McNaspy for fifth place.
WE ARE LOUISIANA
• There is confusion among the national sports organizations as how to refer to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
• Our official name is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, but much like our opponents around the country, we simply go by Louisiana when referring to our athletic programs.
• Although we proudly refer to our University with its full title for academic purposes, we ask that Louisiana, Ragin' Cajuns or Cajuns be used to refer to us athletically.
CAJUNS ARE UNANIMOUS SUN BELT CHOICE
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team were the unanimous choice to repeat as champions as the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll was released in July.
• Louisiana, which finished 9-4 last season and clinched its second league title overall and its first since 2005, garnered all 11 first-place votes by the league's head coaches. Arkansas State was picked to finish second in the poll with South Alabama picked third, Troy fourth and ULM fifth.
• Texas State was picked to finish sixth in the poll with league newcomers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern picked seventh and eighth, respectively. Idaho, Georgia State and New Mexico State rounded out the 11-team field.
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll
First Place Votes in Parentheses
1. Louisiana (11) 121
2. Arkansas State 102
3. South Alabama 98
4. Troy 84
5. ULM 78
6. Texas State 70
7. Appalachian State 47
8. Georgia Southern 44
9. Idaho 29
10. Georgia State 27
11. New Mexico State 26
BROADWAY EARNS PRESEASON HONORS; 10 CAJUNS NAMED TO ALL-SBC TEAM
• Led by Preseason Offensive Player of the Year selection Terrance Broadway, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns placed 10 players on the 2014 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football team that was announced by the league office.
• The 54-member team, which consisted of 12 players on both offense and defense and three special team selections, was picked by the league's head coaches and media members from each of the Sun Belt Conference's 11 football playing schools.
• Broadway, a senior from Baton Rouge, was one of eight Cajuns named to the first team where he was joined in the backfield by teammates Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire. Also named to the first-team were wide receiver Jamal Robinson, offensive lineman Daniel Quave, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, linebacker Dominique Tovell and defensive back Trevence Patt.
• Named to the second-team for the Ragin' Cajuns were offensive lineman Mykhael Quave and defensive tackle Christian Ringo.
CAJUNS TO HONOR FORMER GREAT ORLANDO THOMAS
• With the passing of one of the greatest players in school history, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will honor the late Orlando Thomas during its Sun Belt Conference game at ULM on Saturday.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor the former All-American and two-time Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, who passed away on Sunday after a 10-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), by wearing a special decal with the letters "OT" on their helmets for the remainder of the season.
• After Wednesday's practice inside the Moncla Indoor Practice Facility, head coach Mark Hudspeth announced that Thomas' No. 42 – one of seven retired numbers in Ragin' Cajuns history – would be re-instated for the ULM game with senior defensive back Sean Thomas (no relation) given the honor of wearing the number.
• Sean Thomas, a New Orleans native and former St. Augustine High product, has played in all nine games for the Ragin' Cajuns this season ranking fourth on the team in tackles (38) while recording an interception earlier this season at Ole Miss. His father, Quintin Thomas, played for the Cajuns from 1984-86 and was a graduate assistant during Orlando Thomas' playing days from 1991-94.
CONTINUTY ON THE LINE
• Louisiana entered the 2014 season with four returning starters who had combined for 91 career starts. Through the first nine games, Louisiana's starters up front have combined for 136 starts.
• Right guard Daniel Quave has a 48-game consecutive start streak with younger brother Mykhael Quave (LT) next with a 35-game streak. Newcomers to the line in 2013 - left guard Terry Johnson (22 games) and right tackle Octravian Anderson (22 games) - started all 13 games for the Ragin' Cajuns.
• The new starter for Louisiana in 2014 is Donovan Williams at left guard, with Johnson moving to center to replace the Cajuns' lone departed starter from 2013 - center Andre Huval, who started 39 straight games for the Cajuns from 2011-13.
CAJUNS AMONG BEST IN SUN BELT HOME ATTENDANCE
• Through five games at Cajun Field in 2014, Louisiana has averaged 26,803 fans to rank second behind Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference.
• In five games in 2013, the Ragin' Cajuns drew 129,878 fans to Cajun Field for a league-best 25,976 average, edging Arkansas State (24,913) to claim the crown for the second time in three years.
• The 2013 average was the second-highest in a single-season, trailing only the 29,171 from 2011.
CAJUNS CLAIM 2013 SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP
• After finishing third in the Sun Belt Conference in 2011 and second in 2012, the Cajuns claimed a share of the Sun Belt title in 2013.
• The title, its second crown in 13 years as a member in the Sun Belt, marks the sixth time that Louisiana has won a conference title in its 50th season playing in a conference.
• The Ragin' Cajuns previously won the Gulf States Conference title in 1970, the Southland in 1976, the Big West in 1993 and 1994, and the Sun Belt in 2005.
CAJUNS ALSO CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
• The Sun Belt Conference recently honored teams for their work in the classroom as the league announced the winners of its Team Academic Awards.
• Louisiana's football and baseball teams were among 16 teams honored by the league for excellence in the classroom during the 2013-14 season. During the Spring 2014 semester, both sports recorded their highest team GPA - baseball (3.331) and football (2.849) – in school history.
• During the Fall 2013 semester, football performed well in the classroom, leading all sports with 45 student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or above.
SETTING A STANDARD
• In addition to the first-ever, back-to-back-to-back seasons appearing in a bowl game, Mark Hudspeth has helped Louisiana to tie the school record for wins in a season with nine.
• Prior to consecutive 9-4 records from 2011-13, the Cajuns set the school record for wins with a 9-2 record in both 1921 and 1976.
• The 27 wins in Hudspeth's first three years, and the 33 victories during his tenure, are the most in a two and three-year period in school history.
HARRIS RUSHING UP THE CHARTS
• With 942 yards rushing in 2013, Alonzo Harris became the fourth runner in school history to total, 2,500 yards rushing in a career.
• Harris, who finished third in the Sun Belt in rushing last season (72.5 ypg), is third in school history with 2,981 yards. He is also third in rushing touchdowns (41) and attempts (648).
• His career 67.8 yards rushing per game is fourth best in school history, trailing only Tyrell Fenroy (101.0 from 2005-08), Elijah McGuire (80.7, 2013-SA) and Brian Mitchell (77.6 from 1986-89). Harris gained 700 yards as a freshman in 2011 and totalled 881 yards in 2012.
A PERFECT OCTOBER FOR THE CAJUNS
• After going through a winless September, Louisiana bounced back with a perfect October, earning wins over Georgia State, Texas State and Arkansas State.
• The Cajuns averaged 41.0 points per game during the month while averaging 503.3 yards per game in total offense. The Ragin' Cajuns rushed for 300.7 yards per game with Elijah McGuire averaging 139.7 (419 yards) per game and Alonzo Harris 82.0 (246).
• The duo combined for 13 touchdowns on the ground, including four each in a 55-40 win over Arkansas State on Oct. 21.
MCGUIRE CLOSING IN ON 1,000
• Sophomore Elijah McGuire enters Saturday's game against ULM needing 88 yards to become the fourth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. The running back earned his fourth 100-yard game of the season with 136 yards on a career-high 26 carries in Louisiana's 44-16 win at New Mexico State last Saturday.
• With 912 yards on the season, McGuire would join former Cajuns Brian Mitchell (1989), Michael Desormeaux (2007) and Tyrell Fenroy (2005-2008) as the only 1,000-yard rushers in school history. McGuire would join Fenroy as the only running backs to reach the 1,000-yard mark as Mitchell and Desormeaux both reached the mark as quarterbacks.
• In two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, McGuire has rushed for 1,775 yards, passing Jim Barton (1,771, 1967-69) for 10th place on the school's all-time rushing list.
CAJUNS HAVE ENJOYED BOWLING IN PAST THREE SEASONS
• Louisiana is one of six schools nationally to have won a bowl/postseason game in each of the past three seasons.
• The Cajuns, with three victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, are part of a list that includes Florida State (Champs Sports, Orange, BCS National Championship), Michigan State (Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rose), Oregon (Rose, Fiesta, Alamo), South Carolina (Capitol One, Outback, Capitol One) and Texas A&M (Meinke Car Care, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A).
"PEANUT" RECEIVES WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
• Chicago Bears cornerback and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football alumnus Charles Tillman was named the 2013 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The award was presented to him during the NFL Honors awards show at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
• The prestigious award, which is named after the late Bears Hall of Fame running back, is the only league honor that recognizes a player's community service as well as his playing excellence.
• Nicknamed "Peanut", Tillman was a four-year letterman in football for Louisiana from 1999-2002. In 2002, he received All-American recognition; was named an All-Independent selection in 2000; and was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection. He ended his career as a Ragin' Cajun with 284 tackles, 12 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked punts.
DELHOMME ONE OF TWO CAJUNS ELECTED TO LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns legends Jake Delhomme and Yvette Girouard were among a group of eight individuals that were elected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in an announcement on Tuesday. They will be officially enshrined Saturday, June 27, in Natchitoches to culminate the 2015 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration June 25-27.
• Delhomme and Girouard are joined in the 2015 class inductees by LSU's all-time leading rusher, three-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Faulk, former NBA champion point guard and Coach of the Year Avery Johnson, along with coaching legends Pat Collins and Otis Washington, among eight greats chosen for the 2015 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class to be enshrined next summer.
• A record-setting quarterback for the Cajuns from 1993-96, Delhomme posted school records with 9,216 yards, 1,246 pass attempts, 655 pass completions and 64 TDs. He was the starting quarterback in the Cajuns' 29-22 victory over No. 25 Texas A&M in 1996 and set a single-game school-record with five touchdown passes against Northern Illinois.
• Delhomme led Carolina to the Super Bowl to highlight an 11-year NFL career, seven with the Panthers. The Breaux Bridge native was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Saints and spent three seasons on their practice squad. His career took off when he signed in 2003 with the Carolina Panthers, leading them to Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season there.
• In an 11-year NFL career, he threw for 20,975 yards with 126 TDs and 101 interceptions while completing 59.4 percent of his passes. Delhomme played in 103 games with 96 starts, posting a 56-40 record as a starter in the regular-season and a 5-3 mark in playoff starts.
NEXT UP
• Louisiana will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22, when it closes out its home schedule against Applachian State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3 with the broadcast team of Matt Stewart (pxp), Rocky Boiman (color) and Danielle Percival (sideline). The game can also be heard statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Sports Network with Jay Walker (pxp), Gerald Broussard (color) and Steve Peloquin (sideline) calling the action.
Fresh off its fifth consecutive victory with a 44-16 defeat of New Mexico State on the road, Louisiana (6-3, 5-0 Sun Belt) became bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Mark Hudspeth. Since competing in the Sun Belt Conference in football beginning in 2001, Louisiana has twice won six league games (2011 and 2012)
The Ragin' Cajuns scored 28 unanswered points after NM State took a 3-0 lead. Terrance Broadway threw three touchdown passes in the game and Elijah McGuire posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game (136) with a pair of touchdowns.
Louisiana gained 402 yards of total offense against NM State, including 224 on the ground. McGuire, Effrem Reed and Darius Hoggins each scored touchdowns for the Ragin' Cajuns while Jared Johnson caught a pair of touchdown passes. Tracy Walker (2 interceptions) spearheaded a defensive unit that produced four turnovers and allowed 307 yards of total offense - nearly 130 yards below the Aggies' season average. Jevante Watson added an interception for the Ragin' Cajuns, which entered the game with three interceptions on the season.
The 28-point margin of victory for the Ragin' Cajuns was the best on the road since a 59-30 win at North Texas in 2008.
ULM (3-6, 2-3 Sun Belt) dropped its fifth consecutive game after suffering a 31-29 league setback at Appalachian State on Saturday. The Warhawks have lost their last three games (Texas State, Texas A&M, Appalachian State) by a combined 11 points. ULM, which closes out its home schedule against the Ragin' Cajuns, is 3-1 at home this season with wins over Wake Forest, Idaho and Troy.
Game No. 10
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (6-3, 5-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 33-15 (4th season), Career Record: 99-36 (11th year)
-/- ULM WARHAWKS (3-6, 2-3 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Todd Berry (Tulsa, 1983)
Record at ULM: 26-32 (5th season), Career Record: 55-91 (13th season)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
November 15, 2014 • 6 p.m. • Monroe, La. • JPS Field at Malone Stadium (30,427)
Series History: Louisiana leads the all-time series, 25-24, in a series that dates back to 1951 ... ULM leads the series in Monroe, 11-10 ... the Ragin' Cajuns have won the last four meetings at JPS Field at Malone Stadium, including a 40-24 victory in 2012.
GAME INFORMATION
ESPN3: Matt Stewart, PxP • Rocky Boiman, Color • Danielle Percival, Sideline
Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network: Jay Walker, PxP • Gerald Broussard, Color • Steve Peloquin, Sideline
In Lafayette: KPEL 1420-AM (Flagship); KHXT 107.9-FM Affiliates: KTUX 98.9-FM (Shreveport); WGSO 990-AM (New Orleans); KJEF 1290-AM (Jennings); KLCL 1470-AM (Lake Charles); KRJO 1680-AM (Monroe); KTIB 640-AM (Thibodaux)
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @ULRaginCajuns; Facebook: RaginCajunsAthletics;
YouTube: IAm4RaginCajuns; Instagram: ULRaginCajuns
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Louisiana is 514-528-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• Louisiana looks to record a 6-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time ever.
• Louisiana head coach Mark Hudspeth needs one victory to record the 100th of his career.
• Sophomore running back Elijah McGuire needs 88 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season. McGuire would become the fourth player (QB Brian Mitchell, QB Michael Desormeaux, RB Tyrell Fenroy) and second RB (Fenroy) in school history to accomplish the feat.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won five consecutive games, including two on the road (Texas State, New Mexico State).
FIVE QUICK HITTERS
1 - Louisiana is 27-2 when leading at halftime under head coach Mark Hudspeth.
2 - Senior right guard Daniel Quave has started in 48 consecutive games.
3 - Alonzo Harris is 19 yards shy of becoming the third player in school history to rush for 3,000 yards.
4 - Harris is five points shy of passing Brett Baer (256, 2010-12) for third-place in school history.
5 - A win by the Ragin' Cajuns would give Mark Hudspeth his 34th win at UL, tying him with Clement J. McNaspy for fifth place.
WE ARE LOUISIANA
• There is confusion among the national sports organizations as how to refer to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
• Our official name is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, but much like our opponents around the country, we simply go by Louisiana when referring to our athletic programs.
• Although we proudly refer to our University with its full title for academic purposes, we ask that Louisiana, Ragin' Cajuns or Cajuns be used to refer to us athletically.
CAJUNS ARE UNANIMOUS SUN BELT CHOICE
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team were the unanimous choice to repeat as champions as the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll was released in July.
• Louisiana, which finished 9-4 last season and clinched its second league title overall and its first since 2005, garnered all 11 first-place votes by the league's head coaches. Arkansas State was picked to finish second in the poll with South Alabama picked third, Troy fourth and ULM fifth.
• Texas State was picked to finish sixth in the poll with league newcomers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern picked seventh and eighth, respectively. Idaho, Georgia State and New Mexico State rounded out the 11-team field.
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll
First Place Votes in Parentheses
1. Louisiana (11) 121
2. Arkansas State 102
3. South Alabama 98
4. Troy 84
5. ULM 78
6. Texas State 70
7. Appalachian State 47
8. Georgia Southern 44
9. Idaho 29
10. Georgia State 27
11. New Mexico State 26
BROADWAY EARNS PRESEASON HONORS; 10 CAJUNS NAMED TO ALL-SBC TEAM
• Led by Preseason Offensive Player of the Year selection Terrance Broadway, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns placed 10 players on the 2014 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football team that was announced by the league office.
• The 54-member team, which consisted of 12 players on both offense and defense and three special team selections, was picked by the league's head coaches and media members from each of the Sun Belt Conference's 11 football playing schools.
• Broadway, a senior from Baton Rouge, was one of eight Cajuns named to the first team where he was joined in the backfield by teammates Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire. Also named to the first-team were wide receiver Jamal Robinson, offensive lineman Daniel Quave, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, linebacker Dominique Tovell and defensive back Trevence Patt.
• Named to the second-team for the Ragin' Cajuns were offensive lineman Mykhael Quave and defensive tackle Christian Ringo.
CAJUNS TO HONOR FORMER GREAT ORLANDO THOMAS
• With the passing of one of the greatest players in school history, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will honor the late Orlando Thomas during its Sun Belt Conference game at ULM on Saturday.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor the former All-American and two-time Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, who passed away on Sunday after a 10-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), by wearing a special decal with the letters "OT" on their helmets for the remainder of the season.
• After Wednesday's practice inside the Moncla Indoor Practice Facility, head coach Mark Hudspeth announced that Thomas' No. 42 – one of seven retired numbers in Ragin' Cajuns history – would be re-instated for the ULM game with senior defensive back Sean Thomas (no relation) given the honor of wearing the number.
• Sean Thomas, a New Orleans native and former St. Augustine High product, has played in all nine games for the Ragin' Cajuns this season ranking fourth on the team in tackles (38) while recording an interception earlier this season at Ole Miss. His father, Quintin Thomas, played for the Cajuns from 1984-86 and was a graduate assistant during Orlando Thomas' playing days from 1991-94.
CONTINUTY ON THE LINE
• Louisiana entered the 2014 season with four returning starters who had combined for 91 career starts. Through the first nine games, Louisiana's starters up front have combined for 136 starts.
• Right guard Daniel Quave has a 48-game consecutive start streak with younger brother Mykhael Quave (LT) next with a 35-game streak. Newcomers to the line in 2013 - left guard Terry Johnson (22 games) and right tackle Octravian Anderson (22 games) - started all 13 games for the Ragin' Cajuns.
• The new starter for Louisiana in 2014 is Donovan Williams at left guard, with Johnson moving to center to replace the Cajuns' lone departed starter from 2013 - center Andre Huval, who started 39 straight games for the Cajuns from 2011-13.
CAJUNS AMONG BEST IN SUN BELT HOME ATTENDANCE
• Through five games at Cajun Field in 2014, Louisiana has averaged 26,803 fans to rank second behind Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference.
• In five games in 2013, the Ragin' Cajuns drew 129,878 fans to Cajun Field for a league-best 25,976 average, edging Arkansas State (24,913) to claim the crown for the second time in three years.
• The 2013 average was the second-highest in a single-season, trailing only the 29,171 from 2011.
CAJUNS CLAIM 2013 SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP
• After finishing third in the Sun Belt Conference in 2011 and second in 2012, the Cajuns claimed a share of the Sun Belt title in 2013.
• The title, its second crown in 13 years as a member in the Sun Belt, marks the sixth time that Louisiana has won a conference title in its 50th season playing in a conference.
• The Ragin' Cajuns previously won the Gulf States Conference title in 1970, the Southland in 1976, the Big West in 1993 and 1994, and the Sun Belt in 2005.
CAJUNS ALSO CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
• The Sun Belt Conference recently honored teams for their work in the classroom as the league announced the winners of its Team Academic Awards.
• Louisiana's football and baseball teams were among 16 teams honored by the league for excellence in the classroom during the 2013-14 season. During the Spring 2014 semester, both sports recorded their highest team GPA - baseball (3.331) and football (2.849) – in school history.
• During the Fall 2013 semester, football performed well in the classroom, leading all sports with 45 student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or above.
SETTING A STANDARD
• In addition to the first-ever, back-to-back-to-back seasons appearing in a bowl game, Mark Hudspeth has helped Louisiana to tie the school record for wins in a season with nine.
• Prior to consecutive 9-4 records from 2011-13, the Cajuns set the school record for wins with a 9-2 record in both 1921 and 1976.
• The 27 wins in Hudspeth's first three years, and the 33 victories during his tenure, are the most in a two and three-year period in school history.
HARRIS RUSHING UP THE CHARTS
• With 942 yards rushing in 2013, Alonzo Harris became the fourth runner in school history to total, 2,500 yards rushing in a career.
• Harris, who finished third in the Sun Belt in rushing last season (72.5 ypg), is third in school history with 2,981 yards. He is also third in rushing touchdowns (41) and attempts (648).
• His career 67.8 yards rushing per game is fourth best in school history, trailing only Tyrell Fenroy (101.0 from 2005-08), Elijah McGuire (80.7, 2013-SA) and Brian Mitchell (77.6 from 1986-89). Harris gained 700 yards as a freshman in 2011 and totalled 881 yards in 2012.
A PERFECT OCTOBER FOR THE CAJUNS
• After going through a winless September, Louisiana bounced back with a perfect October, earning wins over Georgia State, Texas State and Arkansas State.
• The Cajuns averaged 41.0 points per game during the month while averaging 503.3 yards per game in total offense. The Ragin' Cajuns rushed for 300.7 yards per game with Elijah McGuire averaging 139.7 (419 yards) per game and Alonzo Harris 82.0 (246).
• The duo combined for 13 touchdowns on the ground, including four each in a 55-40 win over Arkansas State on Oct. 21.
MCGUIRE CLOSING IN ON 1,000
• Sophomore Elijah McGuire enters Saturday's game against ULM needing 88 yards to become the fourth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. The running back earned his fourth 100-yard game of the season with 136 yards on a career-high 26 carries in Louisiana's 44-16 win at New Mexico State last Saturday.
• With 912 yards on the season, McGuire would join former Cajuns Brian Mitchell (1989), Michael Desormeaux (2007) and Tyrell Fenroy (2005-2008) as the only 1,000-yard rushers in school history. McGuire would join Fenroy as the only running backs to reach the 1,000-yard mark as Mitchell and Desormeaux both reached the mark as quarterbacks.
• In two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, McGuire has rushed for 1,775 yards, passing Jim Barton (1,771, 1967-69) for 10th place on the school's all-time rushing list.
CAJUNS HAVE ENJOYED BOWLING IN PAST THREE SEASONS
• Louisiana is one of six schools nationally to have won a bowl/postseason game in each of the past three seasons.
• The Cajuns, with three victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, are part of a list that includes Florida State (Champs Sports, Orange, BCS National Championship), Michigan State (Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rose), Oregon (Rose, Fiesta, Alamo), South Carolina (Capitol One, Outback, Capitol One) and Texas A&M (Meinke Car Care, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A).
"PEANUT" RECEIVES WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
• Chicago Bears cornerback and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football alumnus Charles Tillman was named the 2013 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The award was presented to him during the NFL Honors awards show at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
• The prestigious award, which is named after the late Bears Hall of Fame running back, is the only league honor that recognizes a player's community service as well as his playing excellence.
• Nicknamed "Peanut", Tillman was a four-year letterman in football for Louisiana from 1999-2002. In 2002, he received All-American recognition; was named an All-Independent selection in 2000; and was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection. He ended his career as a Ragin' Cajun with 284 tackles, 12 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked punts.
DELHOMME ONE OF TWO CAJUNS ELECTED TO LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns legends Jake Delhomme and Yvette Girouard were among a group of eight individuals that were elected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in an announcement on Tuesday. They will be officially enshrined Saturday, June 27, in Natchitoches to culminate the 2015 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration June 25-27.
• Delhomme and Girouard are joined in the 2015 class inductees by LSU's all-time leading rusher, three-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Faulk, former NBA champion point guard and Coach of the Year Avery Johnson, along with coaching legends Pat Collins and Otis Washington, among eight greats chosen for the 2015 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class to be enshrined next summer.
• A record-setting quarterback for the Cajuns from 1993-96, Delhomme posted school records with 9,216 yards, 1,246 pass attempts, 655 pass completions and 64 TDs. He was the starting quarterback in the Cajuns' 29-22 victory over No. 25 Texas A&M in 1996 and set a single-game school-record with five touchdown passes against Northern Illinois.
• Delhomme led Carolina to the Super Bowl to highlight an 11-year NFL career, seven with the Panthers. The Breaux Bridge native was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Saints and spent three seasons on their practice squad. His career took off when he signed in 2003 with the Carolina Panthers, leading them to Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season there.
• In an 11-year NFL career, he threw for 20,975 yards with 126 TDs and 101 interceptions while completing 59.4 percent of his passes. Delhomme played in 103 games with 96 starts, posting a 56-40 record as a starter in the regular-season and a 5-3 mark in playoff starts.
NEXT UP
• Louisiana will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22, when it closes out its home schedule against Applachian State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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/ FootballMichael Desormeaux Media Availability (Sept 1, 2025)
Monday, September 01
Jaden Dugger Media Availability (Aug 30, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Bill Davis Media Availability (Aug 30, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Michael Desormeaux Media Availability (Aug 30, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
