Game 5 Preview: The Texas State Game

LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team opens its 15th season of Sun Belt Conference football on Saturday when it plays host to Texas State at Cajun Field.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3. The game can also be heard statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network.

Louisiana (1-3, 0-0) is 9-5 in Sun Belt Conference openers and has won seven straight league openers dating back to 2008. The Ragin' Cajuns rallied for a 34-31 win over Georgia State in last year's SBC opener, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.

The Ragin' Cajuns will look to drop a two-game slide when it opens league play against Texas State (1-3, 0-0) for the second time in three years. Louisiana dropped a 43-14 decision to Conference USA member Louisiana Tech on Saturday in the 87th meeting between the in-state rivals.

Elijah McGuire rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries for the Ragin' Cajuns while grabbing a team-high six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Tracy Walker recorded a career-high 13 tackles for Louisiana with Tre'maine Lightfoot adding a career-best eight stops.

Junior quarterback Jalen Nixon, making his first career start for the Ragin' Cajuns, completed 17 of 33 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown while adding 54 yards on the ground with a touchdown in nine carries. Senior Jamal Robinson caught two passes for 27 yards, increasing his career receiving yards total to 2,007 yards and moving past Bill Sampy (1,988 yards, 2002-05) into seventh-place on the school's all-time receiving list.

Louisiana has won both meetings between the schools, beginning with a 48-24 victory two years ago at Cajun Field and a 34-10 win in a nationally-televised game last season in San Marcos.

Among FBS programs, the Ragin' Cajuns are ranked 24th in rushing offense, averaging 217.0 yards per game. Louisiana leads the Sun Belt Conference, and is 36th nationally, in third-down conversion percentage (43.4 percent).

GAME INFORMATION
October 10, 2015 • 6:05 p.m. CDT • Lafayette, La. • Cajun Field (41,426)

-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (1-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 37-19 (5th season), Career Record: 103-40 (12th year)

-/- TEXAS STATE BOBCATS (1-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Dennis Franchione (Pittsburg State, '73)
Record at TXST: 37-37 (7th season), Career Record: 211-129-8 (30th year)

* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll

Series History: Louisiana leads all-time series, 2-0 ... Ragin' Cajuns claimed 48-24 victory in first meeting between schools in 2013 SBC opener before claiming 34-10 win in the 2014 contest in San Marcos.

MEDIA INFORMATION
ESPN3: Brett Dolan, PxP • Forrest Conoly, Analyst
Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network: Jay Walker, PxP • Richie Falgout, Analyst • Travis Webb, 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/Audio: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @ULRaginCajuns; Facebook: RaginCajunsAthletics;
YouTube: IAm4RaginCajuns; Instagram: ULRaginCajuns

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Louisiana is 518-532-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 9-5 in Sun Belt Conference openers
• Louisiana has won the last seven SBC opening games games since 2008.
• Louisiana is 19-5 in home games since Mark Hudspeth's arrival in 2011.
• The Ragin' Cajuns (217.0/per game) and Texas State (207.0/per game) are ranked third and fourth respectively in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing offense.
• Elijah McGuire is ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing (103.8), is second in scoring (11.5) and fourth in all-purpose yards (139.0).

DID YOU KNEAUX?
1 - Senior Dominique Tovell has started 36 games in his career for the Ragin' Cajuns, including 30 straight.
2 - Louisiana is 11-4 overall in games in the month of October since the arrival of head coach Mark Hudspeth.
3 - Louisiana's 37 wins since 2011 is tied with BYU and Arkansas State for the eighth-best total among schools in the Group of 5.
4 - Jamal Robinson is 70 yards shy of passing Wayde Butler (2,076) for sixth-place on the school's all-time list in receiving yards.
5 - Louisiana is 24-7 in Sun Belt Conference games since 2011.

NEXT UP
• Louisiana returns to action on Tuesday, Oct. 20, when it travels to Jonesboro, Ark., to face Arkansas State in a nationally-televised game at Centennial Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

NOTES FROM THE LOUISIANA TECH GAME
• Three game captains were north Louisiana natives: Jevante Watson (Bastrop), Blain Winston (Monroe), Octravian Anderson (Shreveport). Jamal Robinson (Slidell) was the fourth captain.
• Robinson's 9-yard reception on the Ragin' Cajuns opening possession increased his career total to 1,989 receiving yards and moving him past Bill Sampy (2002-05) for seventh-place on the school's all-time list.
• Jeryl Brazil (CB) and Jalen Nixon (QB) each recorded their first career start for the Ragin' Cajuns.
• Nixon set career-highs in pass attempts (33), completions (17), yards (161), and rushing yards (54). His 49-yard TD pass to Elijah McGuire in the first quarter was the longest of his career (previous long was 47 to Ricky Johnson at South Alabama, 12/7/2013).
• Tracy Walker (13 tackles) and Tre'maine Lightfoot (8) each set career-highs in tackles.
• McGuire's 70 yards in receptions increased his career total to 996 yards.

#WeCanKickIt
• Ragin' Cajuns fans are asked to show support in the fight against breast cancer by adding a splash of pink to their Ragin' Cajuns red attire for Saturday's game against Texas State. Our Lady of Lourdes team members will be presenting game day prizes for fans in need of a pop of pink.
• OLOL and Ragin' Cajuns Athletics encourage fans to get interactive and show support in the fight against breast cancer on social media leading up to and at the game by tagging posts and photos with the official hashtag, #WeCanKickIt. During the game, a social media feed with the official hashtag will be featured on the videoboard.

QUAVE SIDELINED FOR THE SEASON; CHANGES ON THE O-LINE
• The most consistent area for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will see changes in Saturday's game against Texas State after senior left guard Mykhael Quave was lost for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
• Quave, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and two-time Lombardi Award nominee, injured his rotator cuff early in the first quarter in Louisiana's Oct. 3 game at Louisiana Tech.
•The loss of Quave, who started all 43 games in his Ragin' Cajuns career, will see the first mid-season change within the offensive line since 2011.
• Eddie Gordon, who has started the first four games at center for the Ragin' Cajuns, will move to Quave's left guard spot with another first-year starter - Grant Horst - moving from left tackle to center. Reserve lineman D'Aquin Withrow will move into the left tackle position for Louisiana with right guard Donovan Williams and right tackle Octravian Anderson remaining at their current spots.
• Anderson, a two-year starter, has started the last 30 games for Louisiana with Williams, who moved over to right guard replacing 52-game starter Daniel Quave, starting in 17 straight games after playing every game last season at left guard.

THE BOOK OF ELI
• Junior running back Elijah McGuire entered the 2015 season as one of the most decorated players to wear a Ragin' Cajuns uniform and after two games, has continued his assault on the record book.
• In his third season in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform, McGuire has rushed for 2,623 yards, ranking fifth on the school's all-time list. McGuire became the fourth player in school history (joining Tyrell Fenroy and former quarterbacks Brian Mitchell and Michael Desormeaux) to rush for over 1,000 yard in a season when he gained 1,264 yards in 2014.
• McGuire, the 2015 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, was the 2013 SBC Freshman of the Year and the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
• This season, McGuire is a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, the Paul Hornung Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.

SETTING A STANDARD
• In addition to four consecutive seasons of appearing in a bowl game, Mark Hudspeth has helped Louisiana tie the school record for wins in a season with nine.
• Prior to consecutive 9-4 records from 2011-14, the Cajuns set the school record for wins with a 9-2 record in both 1921 and 1976.
• The 37 wins in Hudspeth's first four years are the most in in school history.

CAJUNS HAVE ENJOYED BOWLING IN PAST FOUR SEASONS
• Louisiana is one of five schools nationally to have won a bowl/postseason game in each of the past four seasons.
• The Cajuns, with four victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, are part of a list that includes Michigan State (Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rose, Cotton), Oregon (Rose, Fiesta, Alamo, Rose), South Carolina (Capitol One, Outback, Capitol One, Independence) and Texas A&M (Meinke Car Care, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A, Music City).
• With a 16-3 win over Nevada in the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Louisiana became the first school in NCAA history to win the same bowl game four consecutive years.

NEW DEFENSIVE STAFF
• A new defensive staff, led by defensive coordinator Melvin Smith, made its debut against Kentucky on Sept. 5. Smith, who serves as defensive backs coach, spent the past two years at Auburn.
• Smith is joined by former Auburn assistants Charlie Harbison (co-defensive coordinator/outside linebackers) and Levorn Harbin (defensive line) along with former Southeastern Louisiana head coach and veteran defensive coordinator Mike Lucas (inside linebackers).
• They replace former defensive coordinator James Willis (Asst. LB coach, New Orleans Saints), Tim Rebowe (head coach, Nicholls State), Matt Wallerstedt (DC, Charlotte) and Tim Edwards (DL, Buffalo).

"NEW KICKS" IMPRESSIVE IN RAGIN' CAJUNS DEBUT
• After losing both Hunter Stover and Daniel Cadona to graduation, the Ragin' Cajuns introduced a new kicking combo of true freshmen Stevie Artigue and Steven Coutts.
• Artigue, a four-time all-district and three-time Class 5A All-State selection at nearby Lafayette High School, has converted on 11 of 12 extra point attempts for the Ragin' Cajuns while going 2-for-2 in field goals.
• Coutts, the second Australian to sign with the Ragin' Cajuns in the past three years after following in the footsteps of Cadona, is fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in punting with a 43.6 average.

MR. ROBINSON IS BACK IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD
• After being limited to four games last season due to knee and foot injuries, senior Jamal Robinson has made a successful return to the lineup, catching 12 passes for 178 yards. His 58-yard reception against Northwestern State was the third-longest of his career, following grabs of 86 yards (vs. Lamar) and 81 (at ULM) in 2012.
• The 2014 Biletnikoff Watch List candidate caught 15 passes with four touchdowns in four games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the season with a foot injury at Texas State.
• The 2015 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference candidate ranks ninth in school history with 114 receptions and is seventh overall in receiving yards (2,007). With 70 yards receiving, Robinson would pass Wayde Butler (2,076 yards from 1989-92) for sixth-place on the school's all-time list and is 101 yards shy of surpassing Javone Lawson (2,107, 2009-12) for fifth.

NEW FACILITIES FOR RAGIN' CAJUNS FOOTBALL
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team officially moved into its new 100,000-square foot Student-Athlete Performance Center on September 13-14. The new building, which is part of the University's $115 million Athletics Facilities Master Plan that was unveiled in March of 2013, will house new offices and locker rooms for the Ragin' Cajuns football team, as well as a state-of-the-art Athletic Training Room, new weight room, new equipment room and 150-seat auditorium that will benefit all Ragin' Cajuns student-athletes.
• Ground was broken on the project in August of 2014 and is part of Tier 1 projects that included the expansion of Cajun Field. Upgrades at Cajun Field, which were completed prior to the 2014 season included the addition of seats in the South End Zone, raising capacity to 41,426, plus a new concession stands and restrooms in the South End Zone facility.
• Also included in Tier 1 were upgrades to the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility, that includes new locker rooms and coaches' offices for both the soccer and track and field programs, a new pressbox, restrooms, a concession stand and retail area.

NEW VOICES IN THE BOOTH
• New voices in the booth and on the sideline are just some of the changes fans will notice when they tune in to radio broadcasts of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns this fall, announced by rights-holder Townsquare Media of Lafayette.
• Former Ragin' Cajuns wide receiver Richie Falgout will join play by play voice Jay Walker (in his 24th year on the network) in the broadcast booth as color analyst, while KATC-TV sports anchor Travis Webb will serve as the radio network's sideline reporter.
• Steve Peloquin and Gerald Broussard will continue to be part of the broadcasts as they will serve as co-hosts of the two hour pre-game show, one hour of which will be broadcast on the eight-station Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network.
• Falgout, who was a wide receiver for the Cajuns from 2007-2010, begins his first year as part of the network broadcast team. Webb is in his eighth year at the local ABC affiliate. He also hosts the "Ragin' Cajuns All-Access" television show during the athletic year on KATC's CW affiliate Wednesday's at 9 p.m.

RAGIN' CAJUNS REPEAT AS SUN BELT ACADEMIC CHAMPS
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team earned the best cumulative grade point average among Sun Belt Conference schools for the second consecutive year as the league announced its Team GPA Awards for the 2014-15 academic year.
• Louisiana posted a 2.81 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year to lead all football schools competing in the Sun Belt.
• During the Fall 2014 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns recorded their highest GPA in team history (2.923) and posted its sixth consecutive semester of 2.6 or higher. Fifty-two percent of the student-athletes on the roster earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the fall with six players earning a 4.0, and 11 receiving their degree during Fall Commencement ceremonies.

SUN BELT RECEIVES FIFTH POSSIBLE BOWL DESTINATION
• The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission announced the creation of the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. The bowl game will debut on Dec. 29, 2015 and will match two teams from the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference. The game will be played at the University of Arizona's Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
• The NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl is the first-ever bowl game to have a digitally-focused broadcast strategy to be orchestrated by primary digital media partner Campus Insiders. Details and technology partnerships along with the television broadcast partner will be announced at a later date.
• The Sun Belt Conference has grown from having just one primary bowl game from 2001 through 2010 to now having four primary postseason bowl game tie-ins. The Cure Bowl, which will debut in 2015, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl are the Sun Belt's primary bowl tie-ins. In addition the Sun Belt Conference is also part of a coalition that will send teams to the Miami Beach Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl on a rotating basis.

THE LAST MEETING
Louisiana 34, Texas State 10
October 14, 2014 — San Marcos, Texas

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Terrance Broadway completed 14-of-21 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown, and added 113 yards on the ground, to lead the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns to a dominating 34-10 victory over Texas State in a nationally-televised Sun Belt Conference contest at Bobcat Stadium.

Alonzo Harris rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown for Louisiana (3-3, 2-0 SBC) while Elijah McGuire rushed for 64 yards, added 85 on four receptions and scored a pair of TDs.

The Louisiana defense, which recorded one takeaway in its first five games, held Texas State (3-3, 1-1 SBC) to 270 yards of total offense while forcing a pair of turnovers, including a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second-quarter by Christian Ringo.

Louisiana took the opening kickoff and needed two plays to reach the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead. Broadway found a wide-open McGuire for a 62-yard touchdown pass with 14:16 remaining to cap the 70-yard drive.

The Cajuns missed a 46-yard field goal on their third drive of the game and had a 16-yard punt that went out of bounds at the UL 26, giving Texas State a chance to possibly tie the game. The Bobcats got as close as the UL 3 after Trae Johnson stopped Tyler Jones on third-and-goal, and Texas State settled for a 20-yard field goal from Will Johnson to cut the lead to 7-3 with 14:22 remaining in the first half.

Texas State drove seven plays to their own 49 before Jones fumbled after being sacked by Johnson and Ringo picked up the loose ball and rumbled 41 yards to give Louisiana a 14-3 lead with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Louisiana forced Texas State into a three-and-out on its next possession before driving 62 yards in four plays to push its lead to 21-3.

McGuire scored his second touchdown of the night on Louisiana's opening possession of the second half as he capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 28-3 at 9:29 of the third quarter.

Hunter Stover added field goals of 19 and 32 yards for Louisiana in the fourth quarter. Texas State closed out the scoring with 1:04 remaining when Jones connected with Brice Gunter on a 33-yard TD pass.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Octravian Anderson

Stevie Artigue

Jeryl Brazil

Terrance Broadway

Daniel Cadona

Steven Coutts

Eddie Gordon

Alonzo Harris

Grant Horst

Trae Johnson

Tre'maine Lightfoot

Elijah McGuire

Jalen Nixon

Daniel Quave

Mykhael Quave

Christian Ringo

Jamal Robinson

Hunter Stover

Dominique Tovell

Tracy Walker

Jevante Watson

Donovan Williams

Blain Winston

D'Aquin Withrow

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