University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Alabama
@RaginCajunsFB Heads to Tuscaloosa to Battle No. 1 Alabama
9/28/2018 5:36:00 PM | Football
Louisiana Football kicks off at Alabama at 11 a.m. CT on the SEC Network
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Football will be facing the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in school history on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. CT, as the Ragin' Cajuns face No. 1 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: The SEC Network will broadcast the game with Taylor Zarzour (PxP), Matt Stinchcomb (Color) and Kris Budden (Sideline) handling the commentary duties during the game. On the radio, ESPN1420 will carry the game with the familiar voices of Jay Walker (PxP), Chris Lanaux (Analyst) and Cody Junot (Sideline) handling the call.
CRIMSON TIES: Louisiana and Alabama have plenty of coaching ties across its respective staffs. The biggest being head coach Billy Napier spending a combined five years (2011, 2013-16) at Alabama as an assistant coach under current Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
But Coach Napier is not the only member of Louisiana's staff that has spent time at Alabama, as Assistant Head Coach Rory Segrest spent three years as a player at Alabama (1992-94) before joining the staff as a student assistant from 1994-95 and then moving to a strength and conditioning graduate assistant position in 1996.
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mark Hocke also coached at Alabama (2009-14), learning under longtime Alabama Strength and Conditioning Coach Scott Cochran.
Louisiana Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts has his own ties to Alabama, with two of Alabama's current assistant coaches, Pete Golding (co-defensive coordinator) and Karl Scott (defensive backs) having served under Coach Roberts while he was the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana.
FACING RANKED COMPETITION: Louisiana's game against Alabama will be the first time that the Ragin' Cajuns have faced off with the number one team in the country. And with Alabama being ranked No. 1 and Mississippi State having been ranked No. 16, in AP Top 25 poll, when Louisiana made the trip to Starkville, Mississippi, Louisiana will be facing two ranked opponents in the same season for the first time since 2010 when the Cajuns faced off with Georgia (No. 23) and Oklahoma State (No. 22).
This season will be only the fourth time that Louisiana has taken on two ranked opponents in the same season. With the other three times were in 2010, 2009 (Louisiana State [No. 9] and Nebraska [No. 25]) and 1996 (Florida [No. 4] and Texas A&M [No. 25]).
Since Mississippi State was in the top 20 when the Cajuns played them, and Alabama currently sits at No. 1, Louisiana will have faced two top 20 teams for the first time since 1985. During the 1985 season, the Cajuns faced off with Auburn (No. 2) and Florida (No. 5).
LOUISIANA DOUBLES UP ON THE GROUND: Junior Raymond Calais ran for 108 yards on five carries (a career high) and sophomore Trey Ragas rumbled for 103 yards on 15 touches. Both Ragin' Cajuns reached the end zone during Louisiana's game against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 22.
It was the first time since Oct. 24, 2014, that Louisiana has had a pair of 100-yard rushers in a game. In that game, Elijah McGuire (265 yards) and Alonzo Harris (107 yards) each broke the century mark. And it is the 23rd time in school history that Louisiana has had a pair of 100-yard rushers in a single game.
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE: Both individual tickets and season tickets for Louisiana home games are available for purchase by either heading to ragincajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at the Cajundome, (337) 265-2357, or by visiting the office in person.
For fans that still want to get tickets for Saturday's game in Tuscaloosa, they can visit ragincajuns.com/18awayFB to buy tickets to this and any road game going forward for the Cajuns.
FOLLOWING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS:Â Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football.
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