University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, October 3
Ruston, La.
6 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Louisiana Tech
Game 4 Preview: The Louisiana Tech Game
9/28/2015 12:30:00 PM | Football
Second-oldest in-state rivalry resumes in Ruston
LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 3, when it travels north to Ruston to face in-state rival Louisiana Tech in a 6 p.m. contest at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The game will be televised on the American Sports Network (KLWB-TV in Lafayette) with Ron Thulin (pbp) and Keith Moreland (color) providing the commentary. The game will also be broadcast statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (pbp), Richie Falgout (color) and Travis Webb (sideline) handling the call.
Louisiana (1-2) looks to rebound from a 35-14 setback to Mid-American Conference opponent Akron on Saturday at Cajun Field after being held to 285 yards of total offense while committing four turnovers.
Elijah McGuire, who moved into fifth-place on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,458 yards, gained 83 yards and added a touchdown for the Ragin' Cajuns. Jalen Nixon came off the bench to set career-highs in pass attempts (20), completions (11) and yards (96) while tossing his second career touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Jamal Robinson caught a pair of passes for the Ragin' Cajuns and moved past Willie Culpepper into seventh-place on the school's all-time list for receiving yards with 1,980. The senior enters Saturday's game with Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-1 C-USA) nine yards shy of passing Bill Sampy (2002-05) for sixth place on the career list.
On the season, McGuire ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing (110.3 yards per game) and is fourth overall in all-purpose yards, averaging 137.0 yards per game.
The game against Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-1 C-USA) marks the 87th meeting between the schools on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1910. The Bulldogs posted a 48-20 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in last year's meeting at Cajun Field.
GAME INFORMATION
October 3, 2015 • 6:06 p.m. CDT • Ruston, La. • Joe Aillet Stadium (28,019)
Series History: Louisiana Tech leads series that dates back to 1910, 47-33-6 ... Bulldogs have won the last seven meetings in series, including last three in Ruston ... last Cajuns' victory was 37-31 decision in 1996 (at Ruston).
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 37-18 (5th season), Career Record: 103-39 (12th year)
-/- LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (2-2, 1-1 Conference USA)
Head Coach: Skip Holtz (Notre Dame, '86)
Record at LA Tech: 15-15 (3rd season), Career Record: 103-86 (16th year)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
BROADCAST INFORMATION
American Sports Network: Ron Thulin, PxP • Keith Moreland, 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 518-531-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series (86 games) is the second-oldest among in-state schools behind LSU-Tulane (98 games).
• Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon (4,593) and Louisiana's Elijah McGuire (3,552) are ranked first and 11th among active NCAA players in all-purpose yards.
• Dixon (3,934) and McGuire (2,458) are currently first and 16th among active NCAA players in rushing.
• Jamal Robinson looks to become the sixth player in school history to record 2,000 yards receiving in a career. The fifth-year senior enters tonight's game with 1,980 yards
DID YOU KNEAUX?
1 - Louisiana is one of two schools in the country (Oregon) to win nine games plus a bowl game in the past four years.
2 - Louisiana's 37 wins since the hiring of Mark Hudspeth in 2011 are tied for the sixth-most among schools currently in the Group of 5.
3 - Senior Mykhael Quave will start in his 43rd consecutive game for the Ragin' Cajuns.
4 - Steven Coutts is third among FBS freshman punters averaging 45.3 yards per attempt.
5 - Linebacker Dominique Tovell is tied for fifth among all FBS players with 2.0 tackles for loss per game.
NEXT UP
• Louisiana returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 10, when it opens Sun Belt Conference against Texas State (1-3, 0-0) at Cajun Field.
NOTES FROM THE AKRON GAME
• Junior tight end Nick Byrne set career-highs in receptions (4) and yards (38).
• Byrne's four receptions were the first among Ragin' Cajuns tight ends in 2015.
• Jalen Nixon came off the bench and set career marks in completions (11), attempts (20) and yards (96). His 8-yard touchdown to Gabe Fuselier was his first TD pass since hitting Ricky Johnson on a 47-yard score at South Alabama (12/7/2013).
• Zach DeGrange's fourth-quarter interception was the first of his career.
• Junior Karmichael Dunbar and redshirt freshman LaDarrius Kidd each set career-highs with four tackles.
• Sophomore Ross Duhon was credited with his first career tackle in the fourth quarter.
• Tre'maine Lightfoot earned his first start of the season at linebacker.
• The 14 points scored by the Ragin' Cajuns were the fewest in 24 games at Cajun Field in the Mark Hudspeth era.
SEASON NOTES ON THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
• Elijah McGuire's 88-yard TD run against Northwestern State (Sept. 12) is currently ranked as the fifth-longest run by an FBS player this season.
• Dominique Tovell's 5.0 tackles for loss in the season-opener at Kentucky (9/5) is tied for the second-most in an FBS game in 2015.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor the victims of the July 23rd tragedy at Lafayette's Grand Theater by wearing a special "Lafayette Strong" helmet sticker. The team will also enter the field with a designated player carrying a "Lafayette Strong" flag.
CONTINUTY ON THE LINE
• Louisiana entered the 2015 season with three returning starters - left guard Mykhael Quave, right guard Donovan Williams and right tackle Octravian Anderson - who had a combined 78 starts under their belt.
• In the past three years under offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue, the Ragin' Cajuns starting offensive line unit in the season-opener has been the same for the entire season.
• Quave, the Ragin' Cajuns left tackle in 2013-14, has started 42 consecutive games with Anderson, a two-year starter, extending his streak to 29 games. Williams, who moved over to right guard replacing 52-game starter Daniel Quave, has started in 16 straight games after playing every game last season at left guard.
• New starters Grant Horst (left tackle) and Eddie Gordon (center) made their first career starts in the season-opener at Kentucky.
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 2,458 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 nine of 10 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 second in the Sun Belt Conference in punting with a 45.3 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 10 passes for 151 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 112 receptions and is seventh overall in receiving yards (1,980). With nine yards receiving, Robinson would pass Bill Sampy (1,988 yards from 2002-05) for sixth-place on the school's all-time list and is 20 yards shy of reaching the 2,000-yard mark.
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.
CAJUNS PICKED SECOND IN SUN BELT
• In voting by the league's head coaches, Louisiana was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns received three first-place votes and garnered 108 points, finishing behind defending champion Georgia Southern.
1. Georgia Southern (6) - 110 pts
2. Louisiana (3) - 108 pts
3. Arkansas State (1) - 96 pts
4. Appalachian State - 82 pts
5. Texas State - 78 pts
6. South Alabama (1) - 68 pts
7. ULM - 59 pts
8. Troy - 39 pts
9. Georgia State - 32 pts
10. New Mexico State - 30 pts
11. Idaho - 24 pts
CAJUNS VERSUS CONFERENCE USA
• Tonight's game against Louisiana Tech will be the 205th against a school that is currently a member of Conference USA. The majority of games have come against LA Tech and Southern Miss, with the Ragin' Cajuns being recent Sun Belt Conference rivals with Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Western Kentucky.
• Playing against schools as a Conference USA member at the time, Louisiana is 6-22.
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SUN BELT BOWL TIE-INS
• Louisiana and the Sun Belt Conference will have four bowl tie-ins for the 2015 season:
College Football Playoff
Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or CFP semifinals
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
First Selection (vs. C-USA)
New Orleans, La. - Dec. 19 - 8 p.m. (ESPN)
GoDaddy Bowl
Second Selection (vs. MAC)
Mobile, Ala. - Dec. 23 - 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Third Selection (vs. MAC)
Montgomery, Ala. - Dec. 19 - 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Fourth Selection (vs. American)
Orlando, Fla. - Dec. 19 - 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
LONGEST IN-STATE RIVALRIES
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series is the second oldest among in-state schools. Below are the oldest series among in-state schools.
LSU-Tulane - 98
Louisiana-Louisiana Tech - 86
Louisiana Tech-Northwestern State - 78
Louisiana-Northwestern State - 74
McNeese State-Northwestern St. - 64
Northwestern St.-Southeastern La. - 59
SUN BELT CONFERENCE
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Saturday, September 26
Appalachian State 49, Old Dominion 0
Alabama 34, ULM 0
Toldeo 37, Arkansas State 7
Akron 35, Louisiana 14
NC State 63, South Alabama 13
Houston 59, Texas State 14
Georgia Southern 44, Idaho 20
OPEN DATE - Georgia State, New Mexico State, Troy
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 3
Wyoming at Appalachian State - 2:30 p.m.
Liberty at Georgia State - 2:30 p.m.
* Georgia Southern at ULM - 6 p.m.
Louisiana at Louisiana Tech - 6 p.m.
* South Alabama at Troy - 6 p.m.
* Idaho at Arkansas State - 6 p.m.
New Mexico State at New Mexico - 7 p.m.
OPEN DATE - Texas State
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The game will be televised on the American Sports Network (KLWB-TV in Lafayette) with Ron Thulin (pbp) and Keith Moreland (color) providing the commentary. The game will also be broadcast statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (pbp), Richie Falgout (color) and Travis Webb (sideline) handling the call.
Louisiana (1-2) looks to rebound from a 35-14 setback to Mid-American Conference opponent Akron on Saturday at Cajun Field after being held to 285 yards of total offense while committing four turnovers.
Elijah McGuire, who moved into fifth-place on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,458 yards, gained 83 yards and added a touchdown for the Ragin' Cajuns. Jalen Nixon came off the bench to set career-highs in pass attempts (20), completions (11) and yards (96) while tossing his second career touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Jamal Robinson caught a pair of passes for the Ragin' Cajuns and moved past Willie Culpepper into seventh-place on the school's all-time list for receiving yards with 1,980. The senior enters Saturday's game with Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-1 C-USA) nine yards shy of passing Bill Sampy (2002-05) for sixth place on the career list.
On the season, McGuire ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing (110.3 yards per game) and is fourth overall in all-purpose yards, averaging 137.0 yards per game.
The game against Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-1 C-USA) marks the 87th meeting between the schools on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1910. The Bulldogs posted a 48-20 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in last year's meeting at Cajun Field.
GAME INFORMATION
October 3, 2015 • 6:06 p.m. CDT • Ruston, La. • Joe Aillet Stadium (28,019)
Series History: Louisiana Tech leads series that dates back to 1910, 47-33-6 ... Bulldogs have won the last seven meetings in series, including last three in Ruston ... last Cajuns' victory was 37-31 decision in 1996 (at Ruston).
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 37-18 (5th season), Career Record: 103-39 (12th year)
-/- LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (2-2, 1-1 Conference USA)
Head Coach: Skip Holtz (Notre Dame, '86)
Record at LA Tech: 15-15 (3rd season), Career Record: 103-86 (16th year)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
BROADCAST INFORMATION
American Sports Network: Ron Thulin, PxP • Keith Moreland, 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 518-531-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series (86 games) is the second-oldest among in-state schools behind LSU-Tulane (98 games).
• Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon (4,593) and Louisiana's Elijah McGuire (3,552) are ranked first and 11th among active NCAA players in all-purpose yards.
• Dixon (3,934) and McGuire (2,458) are currently first and 16th among active NCAA players in rushing.
• Jamal Robinson looks to become the sixth player in school history to record 2,000 yards receiving in a career. The fifth-year senior enters tonight's game with 1,980 yards
DID YOU KNEAUX?
1 - Louisiana is one of two schools in the country (Oregon) to win nine games plus a bowl game in the past four years.
2 - Louisiana's 37 wins since the hiring of Mark Hudspeth in 2011 are tied for the sixth-most among schools currently in the Group of 5.
3 - Senior Mykhael Quave will start in his 43rd consecutive game for the Ragin' Cajuns.
4 - Steven Coutts is third among FBS freshman punters averaging 45.3 yards per attempt.
5 - Linebacker Dominique Tovell is tied for fifth among all FBS players with 2.0 tackles for loss per game.
NEXT UP
• Louisiana returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 10, when it opens Sun Belt Conference against Texas State (1-3, 0-0) at Cajun Field.
NOTES FROM THE AKRON GAME
• Junior tight end Nick Byrne set career-highs in receptions (4) and yards (38).
• Byrne's four receptions were the first among Ragin' Cajuns tight ends in 2015.
• Jalen Nixon came off the bench and set career marks in completions (11), attempts (20) and yards (96). His 8-yard touchdown to Gabe Fuselier was his first TD pass since hitting Ricky Johnson on a 47-yard score at South Alabama (12/7/2013).
• Zach DeGrange's fourth-quarter interception was the first of his career.
• Junior Karmichael Dunbar and redshirt freshman LaDarrius Kidd each set career-highs with four tackles.
• Sophomore Ross Duhon was credited with his first career tackle in the fourth quarter.
• Tre'maine Lightfoot earned his first start of the season at linebacker.
• The 14 points scored by the Ragin' Cajuns were the fewest in 24 games at Cajun Field in the Mark Hudspeth era.
SEASON NOTES ON THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
• Elijah McGuire's 88-yard TD run against Northwestern State (Sept. 12) is currently ranked as the fifth-longest run by an FBS player this season.
• Dominique Tovell's 5.0 tackles for loss in the season-opener at Kentucky (9/5) is tied for the second-most in an FBS game in 2015.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor the victims of the July 23rd tragedy at Lafayette's Grand Theater by wearing a special "Lafayette Strong" helmet sticker. The team will also enter the field with a designated player carrying a "Lafayette Strong" flag.
CONTINUTY ON THE LINE
• Louisiana entered the 2015 season with three returning starters - left guard Mykhael Quave, right guard Donovan Williams and right tackle Octravian Anderson - who had a combined 78 starts under their belt.
• In the past three years under offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue, the Ragin' Cajuns starting offensive line unit in the season-opener has been the same for the entire season.
• Quave, the Ragin' Cajuns left tackle in 2013-14, has started 42 consecutive games with Anderson, a two-year starter, extending his streak to 29 games. Williams, who moved over to right guard replacing 52-game starter Daniel Quave, has started in 16 straight games after playing every game last season at left guard.
• New starters Grant Horst (left tackle) and Eddie Gordon (center) made their first career starts in the season-opener at Kentucky.
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 2,458 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 nine of 10 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 second in the Sun Belt Conference in punting with a 45.3 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 10 passes for 151 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 112 receptions and is seventh overall in receiving yards (1,980). With nine yards receiving, Robinson would pass Bill Sampy (1,988 yards from 2002-05) for sixth-place on the school's all-time list and is 20 yards shy of reaching the 2,000-yard mark.
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.
CAJUNS PICKED SECOND IN SUN BELT
• In voting by the league's head coaches, Louisiana was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns received three first-place votes and garnered 108 points, finishing behind defending champion Georgia Southern.
1. Georgia Southern (6) - 110 pts
2. Louisiana (3) - 108 pts
3. Arkansas State (1) - 96 pts
4. Appalachian State - 82 pts
5. Texas State - 78 pts
6. South Alabama (1) - 68 pts
7. ULM - 59 pts
8. Troy - 39 pts
9. Georgia State - 32 pts
10. New Mexico State - 30 pts
11. Idaho - 24 pts
CAJUNS VERSUS CONFERENCE USA
• Tonight's game against Louisiana Tech will be the 205th against a school that is currently a member of Conference USA. The majority of games have come against LA Tech and Southern Miss, with the Ragin' Cajuns being recent Sun Belt Conference rivals with Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Western Kentucky.
• Playing against schools as a Conference USA member at the time, Louisiana is 6-22.
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| School | W | L | T | Games |
| Charlotte | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida Atlantic | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Florida International | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Louisiana Tech | 33 | 47 | 6 | 86 |
| Marshall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Middle Tennessee | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| North Texas | 8 | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| Old Dominion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rice | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Southern Miss | 11 | 39 | 1 | 51 |
| UTEP | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| UTSA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Western Kentucky | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Totals | 80* | 117* | 7 | 204* |
| * - includes a 2-4 record against UAB |
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SUN BELT BOWL TIE-INS
• Louisiana and the Sun Belt Conference will have four bowl tie-ins for the 2015 season:
College Football Playoff
Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or CFP semifinals
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
First Selection (vs. C-USA)
New Orleans, La. - Dec. 19 - 8 p.m. (ESPN)
GoDaddy Bowl
Second Selection (vs. MAC)
Mobile, Ala. - Dec. 23 - 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Third Selection (vs. MAC)
Montgomery, Ala. - Dec. 19 - 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Fourth Selection (vs. American)
Orlando, Fla. - Dec. 19 - 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
LONGEST IN-STATE RIVALRIES
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series is the second oldest among in-state schools. Below are the oldest series among in-state schools.
LSU-Tulane - 98
Louisiana-Louisiana Tech - 86
Louisiana Tech-Northwestern State - 78
Louisiana-Northwestern State - 74
McNeese State-Northwestern St. - 64
Northwestern St.-Southeastern La. - 59
SUN BELT CONFERENCE
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Saturday, September 26
Appalachian State 49, Old Dominion 0
Alabama 34, ULM 0
Toldeo 37, Arkansas State 7
Akron 35, Louisiana 14
NC State 63, South Alabama 13
Houston 59, Texas State 14
Georgia Southern 44, Idaho 20
OPEN DATE - Georgia State, New Mexico State, Troy
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 3
Wyoming at Appalachian State - 2:30 p.m.
Liberty at Georgia State - 2:30 p.m.
* Georgia Southern at ULM - 6 p.m.
Louisiana at Louisiana Tech - 6 p.m.
* South Alabama at Troy - 6 p.m.
* Idaho at Arkansas State - 6 p.m.
New Mexico State at New Mexico - 7 p.m.
OPEN DATE - Texas State
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