University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, September 22
Lafayette
6 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
1-2 , 0-1
28
vs
30
Coastal Carolina
3-1 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Coastal Carolina
3
13
7
7
30
Louisiana
7
0
14
7
28
Chanticleers Edge @RaginCajunsFB In SBC Opener, 30-28
9/22/2018 9:47:00 PM | Football
Calais, Ragas become first tandem to eclipse 100 yards in game since 2014
LAFAYETTE – Marcus Outlow rushed for 96 yards on 20 carries with a pair of touchdowns and Coastal Carolina withstood a third-quarter rally to edge the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, 30-28, in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams on Saturday at Cajun Field.
Backup quarterback Bryce Carpenter completed all five of his attempts for 82 yards and a touchdown after replacing injured starter Kilton Anderson in the third quarter as Coastal Carolina (3-1, 1-0 SBC) claimed the first-ever gridiron meeting between the schools.
After both teams traded punts on its opening possession, Louisiana (1-2, 0-1 SBC) took a 7-0 lead when Trey Ragas capped an eight-play, 79-drive with a 3-yard scoring run with 6:13 remaining in the first quarter. Nunez converted a third-and-15 pass to Earnest Patterson for 20 yards to the CCU 42 before Raymond Calais raced 40 yards to the 2 on the following play.
Coastal cut the lead to 7-3 on its ensuing possession as Massimo Biscardi booted a 50-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter before coming back with a 13-play, 76-yard drive to take a 10-7 lead in the second.
The Chanticleers chewed up over seven minutes on the clock as Outlow capped the drive with a 2-yard run, two plays after converting a fourth-and-2 opportunity with a 3-yard run from the Cajuns 5.
Anderson, who completed 7 of 11 passes for 104 yards in the opening half, gave CCU a 16-7 lead after engineering a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive as he connected with Ky'Jon Tyler on a 31-yard TD pass.
Anderson keyed a four-play, 80-yard drive to open the second half for CCU as his 59-yard rush to the Cajuns 1 helped Outlow score on the following play for a 23-7 lead.
Louisiana erupted for a pair of touchdowns on its next two drives to cut the lead to 23-21 as Elijah Mitchell's 30-yard TD run in the third quarter capped a six-play, 85-yard drive to cut the lead to 23-14. After the Cajuns forced CCU punt on its next possession, the Cajuns quickly drove 87 yards in three plays as Calais raced the final 61 yards to cut the lead to 23-21 with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter.
The Ragin' Cajuns stopped the Chanticleers on their following drive as Deuce Wallace forced a Alex James fumble that Tra'Vontae Booker recovered at the Louisiana 20. But the Cajuns were forced to punt on its next drive and CCU would capitalize to take a 30-21 lead as Carpenter found Isaiah Likely on a 29-yard scoring pass to cap a 10-play, 87-yard drive with 9:08 remaining.
Louisiana would close the gap to 30-28 as Andre Nunez connected with Keenan Barnes on a 15-yard scoring pass with 5:20 remaining, but the Chanticleers would put the game away as Carpenter found Jeremiah Miller on a 15-yard pass on third-and-10 and CCU would eventually run out the clock.
Calais rushed for a career-high 108 yards on five carries to lead Louisiana with Ragas adding 103 yards on 15 attempts. The performance marked the first time two Ragin' Cajuns rushers eclipsed the 100-yard mark since Elijah McGuire (265 yards) and Alonzo Harris (107 yards) combined for eight touchdowns in a 55-40 contest against Arkansas State in 2014.
Nunez completed 7 of 14 passes for 133 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns with Garrald McDowell collecting a team-high seven tackles.
Louisiana will return to action on Saturday (Sept. 29) when it travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 1-ranked Alabama. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., at Bryant-Denny Stadium and will be televised on the SEC Network.
GAME NOTES:
- Game Captains:
- Kevin Dotson (Jr., OL), Corey Turner (Sr., DB), Jacques Boudreaux (Jr., LB), Jarrod Jackson (Jr., WR)
- Coin Flip Winner:
- Coastal Carolina wins the coin toss and defers to the second half
- Louisiana Stays Perfect:
- The Cajuns cashed in on both trips to the red zone (Ragas 3-yard TD run and Barnes 15-yard pass from Nunez) to remain a perfect 10 for 10 this season when driving inside the 20-yard line in its first three games
- Doubled Up:
- Junior running back Raymond Calais (108 yards, five carries, one TD) and sophomore running back Trey Ragas (103 yards, 15 carries, one TD) each finished with 100 yards giving Louisiana its first 100-yard rushing duo in a single game since Elijah McGuire (265 yards) and Alonzo Harris (107 yards) each broke the century mark against Arkansas State in Oct. 24, 2014.
- It's the 23rd time in school history that Louisiana has had a 100-yard rushing duo in a single game
- Fall on It:
- In the third quarter junior defensive tackle Tra'Vontae Booker recovered a fumble that was forced by junior defensive back Deuce Wallace. It was the first time that Louisiana has recovered a fumble since recovering two against Texas State on Oct. 12, 2017
- Opening with A Sack:
- Louisiana opened the game with a sack, by freshman defensive back Eric Garror, on Coastal Carolina's first possession, it was the first time Louisiana has opened the game with a sack on its first defensive possession since Karmichael Dunbar opened the game against Arkansas State with a sack on No. 26, 2016
- Ragas Scores Again:
- Ragas' touchdown run was the second time this season, the first being against Grambling on Sept. 1, that Ragas opened up Louisiana's scoring with a rushing touchdown
- Nunez Tosses Another One:
- For the third straight time this season, Nunez tossed at least one touchdown in a game
- Career Numbers, Team Highs and Firsts:
- Andre Nunez's 53-yard completion to Ja'Marcus Bradley, in the second quarter, was a career long completion and reception for both Nunez and Bradley
- Raymond Calais rushed for 100 yards, on three carry's in a game for the first time in his career
- Calais' 61-yard rush is a career long rush
- Calais' 61-yard run is the longest run for Louisiana this season
- Bradley's 103 yards returning kicks on three returns was his first-time returning kicks and the 103 yards was a career high returning kicks
- Louisiana's 185 kick return yards is a season high and the most kick return yards in a game since Louisiana racked up 229 yards on four returns against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2, 2017.
- Junior defensive back Deuce Wallace and sophomore linebacker Chauncey Manac each forced their first career fumbles
- When Booker fell on Wallace's forced fumble, it was his first career fumble recovery
- Senior defensive end Garrald McDowell led the team in tackles with seven tackles which is a Louisiana and career high for McDowell
FOLLOWING THE CAJUNS: Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsFB), Facebook (Ragin' Cajuns Football) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football.
Backup quarterback Bryce Carpenter completed all five of his attempts for 82 yards and a touchdown after replacing injured starter Kilton Anderson in the third quarter as Coastal Carolina (3-1, 1-0 SBC) claimed the first-ever gridiron meeting between the schools.
After both teams traded punts on its opening possession, Louisiana (1-2, 0-1 SBC) took a 7-0 lead when Trey Ragas capped an eight-play, 79-drive with a 3-yard scoring run with 6:13 remaining in the first quarter. Nunez converted a third-and-15 pass to Earnest Patterson for 20 yards to the CCU 42 before Raymond Calais raced 40 yards to the 2 on the following play.
Coastal cut the lead to 7-3 on its ensuing possession as Massimo Biscardi booted a 50-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter before coming back with a 13-play, 76-yard drive to take a 10-7 lead in the second.
The Chanticleers chewed up over seven minutes on the clock as Outlow capped the drive with a 2-yard run, two plays after converting a fourth-and-2 opportunity with a 3-yard run from the Cajuns 5.
Anderson, who completed 7 of 11 passes for 104 yards in the opening half, gave CCU a 16-7 lead after engineering a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive as he connected with Ky'Jon Tyler on a 31-yard TD pass.
Anderson keyed a four-play, 80-yard drive to open the second half for CCU as his 59-yard rush to the Cajuns 1 helped Outlow score on the following play for a 23-7 lead.
Louisiana erupted for a pair of touchdowns on its next two drives to cut the lead to 23-21 as Elijah Mitchell's 30-yard TD run in the third quarter capped a six-play, 85-yard drive to cut the lead to 23-14. After the Cajuns forced CCU punt on its next possession, the Cajuns quickly drove 87 yards in three plays as Calais raced the final 61 yards to cut the lead to 23-21 with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter.
The Ragin' Cajuns stopped the Chanticleers on their following drive as Deuce Wallace forced a Alex James fumble that Tra'Vontae Booker recovered at the Louisiana 20. But the Cajuns were forced to punt on its next drive and CCU would capitalize to take a 30-21 lead as Carpenter found Isaiah Likely on a 29-yard scoring pass to cap a 10-play, 87-yard drive with 9:08 remaining.
Louisiana would close the gap to 30-28 as Andre Nunez connected with Keenan Barnes on a 15-yard scoring pass with 5:20 remaining, but the Chanticleers would put the game away as Carpenter found Jeremiah Miller on a 15-yard pass on third-and-10 and CCU would eventually run out the clock.
Calais rushed for a career-high 108 yards on five carries to lead Louisiana with Ragas adding 103 yards on 15 attempts. The performance marked the first time two Ragin' Cajuns rushers eclipsed the 100-yard mark since Elijah McGuire (265 yards) and Alonzo Harris (107 yards) combined for eight touchdowns in a 55-40 contest against Arkansas State in 2014.
Nunez completed 7 of 14 passes for 133 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns with Garrald McDowell collecting a team-high seven tackles.
Louisiana will return to action on Saturday (Sept. 29) when it travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 1-ranked Alabama. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., at Bryant-Denny Stadium and will be televised on the SEC Network.
GAME NOTES:
- Game Captains:
- Kevin Dotson (Jr., OL), Corey Turner (Sr., DB), Jacques Boudreaux (Jr., LB), Jarrod Jackson (Jr., WR)
- Coin Flip Winner:
- Coastal Carolina wins the coin toss and defers to the second half
- Louisiana Stays Perfect:
- The Cajuns cashed in on both trips to the red zone (Ragas 3-yard TD run and Barnes 15-yard pass from Nunez) to remain a perfect 10 for 10 this season when driving inside the 20-yard line in its first three games
- Doubled Up:
- Junior running back Raymond Calais (108 yards, five carries, one TD) and sophomore running back Trey Ragas (103 yards, 15 carries, one TD) each finished with 100 yards giving Louisiana its first 100-yard rushing duo in a single game since Elijah McGuire (265 yards) and Alonzo Harris (107 yards) each broke the century mark against Arkansas State in Oct. 24, 2014.
- It's the 23rd time in school history that Louisiana has had a 100-yard rushing duo in a single game
- Fall on It:
- In the third quarter junior defensive tackle Tra'Vontae Booker recovered a fumble that was forced by junior defensive back Deuce Wallace. It was the first time that Louisiana has recovered a fumble since recovering two against Texas State on Oct. 12, 2017
- Opening with A Sack:
- Louisiana opened the game with a sack, by freshman defensive back Eric Garror, on Coastal Carolina's first possession, it was the first time Louisiana has opened the game with a sack on its first defensive possession since Karmichael Dunbar opened the game against Arkansas State with a sack on No. 26, 2016
- Ragas Scores Again:
- Ragas' touchdown run was the second time this season, the first being against Grambling on Sept. 1, that Ragas opened up Louisiana's scoring with a rushing touchdown
- Nunez Tosses Another One:
- For the third straight time this season, Nunez tossed at least one touchdown in a game
- Career Numbers, Team Highs and Firsts:
- Andre Nunez's 53-yard completion to Ja'Marcus Bradley, in the second quarter, was a career long completion and reception for both Nunez and Bradley
- Raymond Calais rushed for 100 yards, on three carry's in a game for the first time in his career
- Calais' 61-yard rush is a career long rush
- Calais' 61-yard run is the longest run for Louisiana this season
- Bradley's 103 yards returning kicks on three returns was his first-time returning kicks and the 103 yards was a career high returning kicks
- Louisiana's 185 kick return yards is a season high and the most kick return yards in a game since Louisiana racked up 229 yards on four returns against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2, 2017.
- Junior defensive back Deuce Wallace and sophomore linebacker Chauncey Manac each forced their first career fumbles
- When Booker fell on Wallace's forced fumble, it was his first career fumble recovery
- Senior defensive end Garrald McDowell led the team in tackles with seven tackles which is a Louisiana and career high for McDowell
FOLLOWING THE CAJUNS: Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsFB), Facebook (Ragin' Cajuns Football) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football.
Team Stats
CCU
LA
Total Yards
497
381
Pass Yards
186
143
Rushing Yards
311
238
Penalty Yards
70
64
1st Downs
25
17
3rd Downs
4
4
4th Downs
3
0
TOP
38:56
21:04
1st Quarter
CCU 0, LA 7
LA - Ragas,Trey 3 yd run (Pfau,Kyle kick), 8 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:49
CCU 3, LA 7
CCU - Biscardi, M. 50 yd field goal 9 plays, 44 yards, TOP 3:42
2nd Quarter
CCU 10, LA 7
CCU - Outlow, M. 2 yd run (Biscardi, M. kick), 13 plays, 76 yards, TOP 7:06
CCU 16, LA 7
CCU - Tyler, K. 31 yd pass from Anderson, K. (Biscardi, M. kickfailed) 4 plays, 68 yards, TOP 0:24
3rd Quarter
CCU 23, LA 7
CCU - Outlow, M. 1 yd run (Biscardi, M. kick), 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:37
CCU 23, LA 14
LA - Mitchell,Elijah 30 yd run (Pfau,Kyle kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:54
CCU 23, LA 21
LA - Calais,Raymond 61 yd run (Pfau,Kyle kick), 3 plays, 87 yards, TOP 0:53
4th Quarter
CCU 30, LA 21
CCU - Likely, I. 29 yd pass from Carpenter, B. (Biscardi, M. kick) 10 plays, 87 yards, TOP 5:52
CCU 30, LA 28
LA - Barnes,Keenan 15 yd pass from Nunez,Andre (Pfau,Kyle kick) 10 plays, 85 yards, TOP 3:48
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
7
TD
1
YDS
133
INT
0
CMP
3
TD
0
YDS
10
INT
0
Players Mentioned
WR
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OL
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DL
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DB
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RB
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DE
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RB
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RB
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DB
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