@RaginCajunsFB Gets Ready To Host New Mexico State In 69th Homecoming Game

Louisiana's Homecoming Game Will Be Matchup With Recent Sun Belt Conference Foe New Mexico State

OPPONENT LOCATION DAY TIME (CT) WATCH/LISTEN STATS

LOUISIANA GAME NOTES

THE MATCHUP

Louisiana Football returns home for the 69th Annual Homecoming Game when New Mexico State comes to Cajun Field for a 4 p.m. late afternoon matchup on ESPN as the Ragin' Cajuns look for its second straight win.

LOUISIANA VS. NEW MEXICO STATE

Louisiana and New Mexico State meet for the 13th time all-time.
It is the second straight-season that the game is being played in Lafayette and the ninth time overall the two programs will meet at Cajun Field. For the first time since 2013, Louisiana and former conference member New Mexico State are matching up in a non-conference game.
New Mexico State was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 2001-04 and most recently from 2014-17.

A RAGIN' CAJUNS VICTORY WOULD

Make it two straight wins for the Ragin' Cajuns and move their overall record back to .500.
Give Louisiana its 40th win all-time during the Homecoming Game.
Improve Louisiana's All-Time record in Homecoming Games to 40-27-2

RUNNING MITCHELL

Sophomore running back Elijah Mitchell shined during Louisiana's win at Texas State (Oct. 6), where he finished with a team-high and career-high 191 yards rushing, scoring three times on the ground on 21 attempts.
Mitchell's night was the 14th-best performance on the ground in Louisiana history, tying Brian Mitchell's 191-yard performance on the ground at Tulane on Nov. 1, 1986.
On top of being the 14th-best performance in school history, it was the seventh-ranked performance this past week in the FBS, 22nd-best performance so far this season in the FBS and it was the best performance in any game by a member of the Sun Belt so far this season.
Mitchell's large collection of yardage is the most by a Louisiana back since Alonzo Harris rumbled for 189 yards at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 29, 2011 and his three touchdowns on the ground is the first time that's happened since Anthony Jennings rushed for three scores at Georgia on Nov. 19, 2016.

MITCHELL GETS SBC OFFENSIVE POTW

Mitchell's great performance at Texas State (Oct. 6) earned him Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week Six.
Mitchell is the first to win SBC Offensive Player of the Week from Louisiana since Elijah McGuire won it on Sept. 19, 2016.

RAGAS CAN NOT BE STOPPED

For the third-straight game, sophomore running back Trey Ragas ran for at least 100 yards (100 yards on 21 carries), and it is the fourth time this season that he has done so.
Ragas, who has 505 yards so far this season and leads the conference in rushing, is the first Ragin' Cajun to run for at least 100 yards in three straight games since Elijah McGuire had a three-game stretch where he ran for at least 100 yards in 2014.

DOUBLED-UP AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

For the second time this season, and 24th time in school history, Louisiana had a pair of runners rush for at least 100 yards in a game, with Mitchell (191 yards) and Ragas (100 yards) hitting the century mark at Texas State (Oct. 6). Louisiana doubled up on the ground against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 22, when junior running back Raymond Calais ran for 108 yards and Ragas joined him with 103 yards.
Louisiana was one of nine schools this past weekend, Clemson; Mississippi State; Georgia Tech; Illinois; Memphis; Pittsburgh; Buffalo and Troy to have a 100-yard rushing duo in a single game.
This season, Louisiana is one of six schools that have had a pair of 100-yard rushers in a single game at least twice.

TEAMS WITH DUO 100-YARD RUSHERS IN AT LEAST TWO GAMES

Louisiana

Calais: 108 yards/5 attempts/1 TD; Ragas: 103 yards/15 attempts/1 TD (vs. CCU on Sept. 22)
Mitchell: 191 yards/20 attempts/3 TDs; Ragas: 100 yards/21 attempts/1 TD (at TXST on Oct. 6)

Troy

Jabir Daughtry-Frye: 140 yards/5 attempts/1 TD; BJ Smith: 103 yards/10 attempts/2 TDs (vs. CCU [9/22])
BJ Smith: 140 yards/17 attempts/2 TDs; Kaleb Barker: 111 yards/5 attempts (vs. GSU [10/4])

Mississippi State

Kylin Hill: 211 yards/17 attempts/2 TDs; Nick Fitzgerald: 159 yards/19 attempts (at KSU [9/8])
Nick Fitzgerald: 107 yards/15 attempts/4 TDs; Aeris Williams: 101 yards/11 attempts/1 TD (vs. LA [9/15])
Nick Fitzgerald: 195 yards/28 attempts/2 TDs; Kylin Hill: 126 yards/23 attempts (vs. #8 AU [10/6])

Oregon

Tony Brooks-James: 107 yards/21 attempts/2 TDs; CJ Verdell: 106 yards/11 attempts/1 TD (vs. PSU [9/8])
Travis Dye: 115 yards/20 attempts/1 TD; CJ Verdell: 106 yards/9 attempts (at Cal [9/29])

Maryland

Ty Johnson: 124 yards/12 attempts/1 TD; Tayon Fleet-Davis: 102 yards/15 attempts/2 TDs (vs. PSU [9/8])
Ty Johnson: 123 yards/11 attempts/1 TD; Anthony McFarland: 112 yards/6 attempts/2 TDs (vs. MINN [9/22])

Kentucky

Benny Snell Jr.: 125 yards/20 attempts/2 TDs; A.J. Rose 104 yards/8 attempts/2 TDs (vs. CMU on Sept. 1)
Benny Snell Jr.: 175 yards/27 attempts; Terry Wilson 105 yards/10 attempts/1 TD (at UF on Sept. 8)

HOMECOMING IS HERE

Saturday's game against New Mexico State is the 69th Annual Homecoming Game in Louisiana Football history and the second-straight season that Louisiana has hosted New Mexico State on Homecoming.
Over the past four seasons, Louisiana is 3-1 in Homecoming Games with wins over New Mexico State (47-34 on 11/18/17); ULM (30-24 on 11/31/15) and South Alabama (19-9 on 11/1/14).
It is the fourth time in school history that Louisiana has faced off with New Mexico State on Homecoming.
Saturday's game is the earliest Homecoming Game since Louisiana faced off with Tulane on Oct. 6, 2012 and it is the 38th time that Louisiana's Homecoming Game has fallen on a Saturday in October.

LOUISIANA HC GAMES DURING THIS DECADE (3-2):

Nov. 18, 2017 New Mexico State (W, 47-34)
Nov. 5, 2016 Idaho (L, 13-23)
Nov. 31, 2015 ULM (W, 30-24)
Nov. 1, 2014 South Alabama (W, 19-9)
Nov. 2, 2013 New Mexico State (W, 49-35*)
Oct. 6, 2012 Tulane (W, 41-13*)
Oct. 15, 2011 North Texas (W, 30-10*)
Oct. 23, 2010 Western Kentucky (L, 21-54)

* Indicates win forfeited due to NCAA sanctions

LOUISIANA'S RECEIVERS ARE BUSY

So far this season, Louisiana's wide receivers have been heavily involved with Louisiana's passing offense, with Louisiana's wide outs catching 67 percent of all passes thrown and completed this season (60-of-90).
Senior Rhyeem Malone leads the unit in receptions with 21 and he is followed up by junior Ja'Marcus Bradley's 16 receptions and senior Keenan Barnes has caught 12. Senior Earnest Patterson has added five receptions and sophomore Jamal Bell has caught two so far. Junior Jarrod Jackson has two receptions and sophomore Jalen Williams has added one reception to bring the receiver unit's total receptions to 60.

HIGGINS AND MANAC HAVE BEEN A FORCE

Louisiana junior Bennie Higgins and sophomore Chauncey Manac have been a force on the defensive front for Louisiana so far this season.
Higgins is leading the conference in sacks, with 3.5 and he is the team leader in tackles for loss with 5.5 and that puts hims tied for sixth in the conference. Higgins has 17 tackles on the season and has added two quarterback hurries.
Manac has 22 tackles so far this season, and he's second on the team in tackles for loss with 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one pass break-up and four quarterback hurries.

A BIRD HITS 300

Jay Walker, who many know as the voice of the Ragin' Cajuns, will call career game number 300 when Louisiana takes on New Mexico State on Oct. 13.
It is Jay's 27th season calling the Ragin' Cajuns on the radio, having served duties as both the color commentator and his current role as play-by-play announcer.
During the 27 seasons Walker has called some memorable games, but the most was the color commentary he provided for Louisiana's biggest win in school history, a 29-22 win over No. 25 Texas A&M.

MASON GETS THE NOD

Louisiana all-time great Damon Mason was recently honored as part of the 2018 Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Mason was a three-year letter-winner for the Ragin' Cajuns football team from 1994-96, posting 135 tackles as a senior, which put him atop Louisiana's all-time list for tackles in a season by a defensive back. It was also the third-highest, single-season total for the Ragin' Cajuns defender, who finished with a career total 243 tackles, six interceptions and four sacks.
The LaPlace, Louisiana, native was honored as a national Defensive Player of the Week and was featured in "Sports Illustrated" after posting two interceptions, including one for a touchdown, to go along with two forced fumbles, one sack and a team-best nine tackles in the Ragin' Cajuns 29-22 upset win over Nationally-ranked Texas A&M in 1996. Mason, was a first team All-Big West Conference selection in 1995, and earned third-team All-America honors in 1996.
Mason will be honored on the field during Louisiana's Homecoming game against New Mexico State on Oct. 13 and he will be joined by the five other members (Scott Dohmann [baseball]; Anna Petrakova [women's basketball]; Yvette Girouard [softball] and Gerald Hebert [administration]) of the Class of 2018 on the field during halftime.

FBS FIRST YEAR HEAD COACHES OVERALL

Name	Team	Record	Conference	Previous Week	Upcoming
Josh Heupel	UCF	5-0	American Athletic	W, 48-20 (vs. SMU)	Oct. 13 at Memphis
Herm Edwards	Arizona State	3-3	PAC-12	L, 21-28 (at (21) Colorado)	Bye Week
Billy Napier	Louisiana	2-3	Sun Belt	W, 42-27 (at Texas State)	Oct. 13 vs. New Mexico State
Jeremy Pruitt	Tennessee	2-3	SEC	Bye Week	Oct. 13 at (21) Auburn
Sean Lewis	Kent State	1-5	MAC	L, 26-27 (at Ohio)	Oct. 13 at Miami (Ohio)
Jonathan Smith	Oregon State	1-5	PAC-12	L, 37-56 (vs. Washington State)	Bye Week
Mike Bloomgren	Rice	1-5	C-USA	L, 3-20 (vs. UTSA)	Oct. 13 at UAB

- #GEAUXCAJUNS -

@RaginCajunsFB Gets Ready To Host New Mexico State In 69th Homecoming Game

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Players Mentioned

Keenan Barnes

Jamal Bell

Ja'Marcus Bradley

Raymond Calais

Alonzo Harris

Bennie Higgins

Jarrod Jackson

Chauncey Manac

Elijah McGuire

Elijah Mitchell

Earnest Patterson

Trey Ragas

Jalen Williams

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

@RaginCajunsFB Gets Ready To Host New Mexico State In 69th Homecoming Game

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Keenan Barnes

Jamal Bell

Ja'Marcus Bradley

Raymond Calais

Alonzo Harris

Bennie Higgins

Jarrod Jackson

Chauncey Manac

Elijah McGuire

Elijah Mitchell

Earnest Patterson

Trey Ragas

Jalen Williams

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