Cajuns Win Sixth Straight; Hold Off ULM 34-27

MONROE – Terrance Broadway tossed for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another, Alonzo Harris rushed for 133 yards and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns defense recorded seven sacks, forced three turnovers and set a single-game school-record for rushing defense as it held off ULM, 34-27, in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday at JPS Field at Malone Stadium.

Christian Ringo moved closer to becoming the school's all-time sack leader for Louisiana (7-3, 6-0 Sun Belt) as he registered 2.5 sacks to increase his season total to 10.5 and career total to 20.5.

Head coach Mark Hudspeth earned his 100th career victory at the NCAA level as Louisiana built a 17-7 lead in the first quarter before scoring a pair of touchdowns to withstand a ULM (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt) rally.

"The kids came out and they wanted to play hard because it's the next game, and we've got a lot that we're trying to accomplish," Hudspeth said. "He (Alonzo Harris) was a different guy … the Alonzo that we know and love and he had his other gear tonight. He ran strong, he showed speed … just broke tackles. We're really proud of him."

Harris, who entered the game needing 19 yards to join Tyrell Fenroy and Brian Mitchell as the only players in school history to rush for over 3,000 yards, needed one carry to eclipse the mark when his 54-yard run on the game's third play from scrimmage put the ball at the ULM 5. The drive would stall and Hunter Stover would boot a 22-yard field goal to cap a seven-play, 70-yard drive to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 3-0 lead.

The Cajuns would score again on their next possession after ULM failed to convert a fourth-and-7 play at the UL 39. Elijah McGuire opened the drive with a 9-yard run before Broadway rushed for 23 to the ULM 29 before connecting with James Butler for a 21-yard gain to the ULM 8. Two plays later, McGuire scored on a 1-yard plunge that capped a five-play, 61-yard drive for a 10-0 lead with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter.

After a Pete Thomas 5-yard scoring pass to Kenzee Jackson cut the lead to 10-7, Louisiana drove 65 yards in four plays to push its lead to 17-7. Broadway, who finished 10-for-13 for 173 yards, connected with McGuire on a 39-yard pass down the right sideline to the ULM 22 before Al Riles caught a shovel pass from Broadway two plays later and scored from 16 yards out with :42 remaining in the quarter.

The Cajuns added a 38-yard field goal from Stover with 6:51 remaining in the second quarter for a 20-10 lead before ULM's Justin Manton kicked a 47-yard field goal at the buzzer to cut the lead to 20-13.

Broadway, who added 92 yards on the ground, scored on a 12-yard TD with 11:00 remaining in the game to give Louisiana a 27-13 lead before ULM attempted to come back.

Thomas, who completed 38 of 54 passes for a career-high 472 yards, capped an 11-play, 65-yard drive when he scored on a 2-yard run with 6:46 remaining that cut the lead to 27-20.

But the Cajuns answered with a seven-play drive that ended with Broadway's second TD pass of the night. McGuire rushed for seven yards on second-and-3 to the UL 39 before Broadway found Gabe Fuselier for a 12-yard pass on second-and-9 to the ULM 48. After Broadway rushed for 12 yards on second-and-10 to the ULM 36, the senior flipped a shovel pass to Fuselier on the next play and the freshman tip-toed his way down the right sideline with 2:53 remaining for a 34-20 advantage.

ULM scored four plays later as Thomas hit Rashon Ceasar on a 45-yard scoring pass with 1:47 remaining and the Warhawks forced Louisiana to punt on its next possession. But after Justin Hamilton collected the Ragin' Cajuns seventh sack of the game, Tre'maine Lightfoot recovered a Jackson fumble two plays later at the ULM 19 and the Cajuns would run out the clock.

Louisiana outgained ULM, 456-444, in total offense and gained 282 yards on the ground. The Ragin' Cajuns limited the Warhawks to minus-39 yards rushing – the fewest since allowing eight yards to UNLV in 1993.

Corey Trim and Trevence Patt recorded nine tackles each to lead Louisiana while Ringo added eight stops, including 5.5 stops for loss. The senior increased his season total in sacks to 10.5 (one-half shy of the single-season record set by Jeff Mitchell and Conrad Lewis) while increasing his career total to 20 (one shy of tying Mitchell).

Louisiana will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22, when it plays host to Appalachian State in the home finale at Cajun Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3. The game will mark the final home appearance for 21 seniors, who have helped accumulate 34 wins since 2011 – the best four-year mark in school history.

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Team Stats

Terrance Broadway

Jalen Nixon

Players Mentioned

Terrance Broadway

James Butler

Gabe Fuselier

Justin Hamilton

Alonzo Harris

Tre'maine Lightfoot

Elijah McGuire

Trevence Patt

Al Riles

Christian Ringo

Hunter Stover

Corey Trim