University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, September 24
Monroe, La.
7:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
2-2 , 0-1
17
at
21
ULM
2-2 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Louisiana
14
3
0
0
17
ULM
7
0
0
14
21
ULM Uses Fourth-Quarter Rally To Edge Louisiana, 21-17
9/24/2022 11:32:00 PM | Football
Ragin' Cajuns drop first SBC opener since 2018
MONROE – ULM's Warhawks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and held Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns on a final drive to take a 21-17 victory Saturday at Malone Stadium, snapping a 16-game Cajun winning streak against Sun Belt Conference West Division opponents.
The Ragin' Cajuns (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt), losers of two straight for the first time since the final two games of the 2018 season, scored on their first two possessions of the game to take a 14-7 lead. But two turnovers and two crucial mistakes on bad snaps in the kicking game proved to be the difference as the host Warhawks (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) won over UL at home for the first time in nine meetings dating back to 2004.
The Cajuns had also won 13 straight Sun Belt regular-season road games and hadn't lost a regular-season conference game since Oct. 14, 2020, when they fell 30-27 at home to Coastal Carolina. UL had won 13 straight regular-season conference games before Saturday's loss.
The Cajuns, who had also won their last four and eight of their last 10 against the Warhawks, held a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter on Preston Stafford's 28-yard field goal. But UL's last eight possessions ended with two bad snaps on a field goal attempt and a punt, an interception and five punts.
"You can't make that many mistakes, as many as we made, and expect to win," said Cajun coach Michael Desormeaux. "Just critical mistakes, mistakes that you can't overcome when you play in conference games. We had chances to go out there and keep drives going and we just didn't get anything consistent going."
The biggest of those mistakes came with 11:46 left and UL still holding that 17-7 lead, when a snap over punter Rhys Byrns' head gave ULM possession at the Cajun 8. Two plays later, Warhawk quarterback Chandler Rogers scored from five yards out on an option to pull ULM within 17-14.
After a Cajun punt that started ULM at its own 10-yard-line, Rogers connected with Thomas Howell on a slant pass, and Howell took it 89 yards before being tackled at the UL 1. Two plays later, Malik Jackson went two yards up the middle with 6:51 left for the game's final score.
ULM's other touchdown also came on a big play, that coming midway through the first quarter when Andrew Henry burst through a hole up the middle and went 75 untouched yards for a touchdown.
"Every play matters, we treat it that way, and tonight they had a couple of big ones that we gave up," Desormeaux said. "We've got to do a better job in critical situations and make them count. As the game went along we just kind of lost ourselves, we started pressing a little bit instead of just playing."
UL, losing for only the eighth time against Sun Belt opposition (26-8) in the last five seasons, was hugely efficient on its first two drives. After ULM missed a field goal on the game's first possession, the Cajuns went 76 yards in only six plays to take a 7-0 lead. Cajun quarterback Chandler Field was 3-for-4 for 40 yards passing on the drive, Chris Smith broke a 27-yard run to the ULM 9 and Fields had his first career rushing touchdown one play later from nine yards away.
After Henry's long run tied the game, UL came right back with a 60-yard march on only four plays, the fourth of which was the biggest. Fields found Michael Jefferson on a crossing route, and Jefferson took it the final 25 yards on a 50-yard score that made it 14-7 with 5:11 still remaining in the first quarter.
Fields was 7-of-8 for 116 yards and the rushing and passing score in the first quarter, a period in which UL had 166 offensive yards. For the game, Fields finished 20-of-34 passing for 231 yards and backup Ben Wooldridge was 5-of-7 for 37 yards.
"We came out and did some good things early," Desormeaux said, "but we had way too many self-inflicted wounds that were just egregious. When you have special teams mishaps and you have penalties that put you behind the sticks, you just put yourself in a tough position. We have to get a lot of things corrected."
The Cajuns had a golden opportunity to add to the early lead, but Dre'lyn Washington fumbled on the first play of the second quarter at the ULM 30. But one exchange later, UL made a turnover count when Rogers' pass was intercepted by Courtline Flowers, who returned it 35 yards to the ULM 20 to set up Stafford's field goal.
Another ULM turnover, this one a fumble forced by Kam Pedescleaux and recovered by Bralen Trahan, gave the Cajuns possession at their own 28 midway through the third quarter. UL drove to the ULM 6 on a drive that covered almost seven minutes, but a bad snap on a 23-yard field goal attempt ended that threat. One possession later, the second bad snap over Byrns' head set up the first of ULM's fourth-quarter scores.
"We've got to execute and we've got to make plays down the stretch when we need to," Desormeaux said. "We had opportunities that we didn't cash in, and just way too many mistakes. We have to get back to being effective in the running game."
UL was held to 86 rushing yards, numbers that were hurt by the two bad snaps, while ULM rushed for 227 yards led by Henry's 123-yard effort. Smith had six receptions out of the backfield for 57 yards along with a team-leading 41 rush yards, while Jefferson had 105 yards receiving on five catches with the touchdown.
The Ragin' Cajuns (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt), losers of two straight for the first time since the final two games of the 2018 season, scored on their first two possessions of the game to take a 14-7 lead. But two turnovers and two crucial mistakes on bad snaps in the kicking game proved to be the difference as the host Warhawks (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) won over UL at home for the first time in nine meetings dating back to 2004.
The Cajuns had also won 13 straight Sun Belt regular-season road games and hadn't lost a regular-season conference game since Oct. 14, 2020, when they fell 30-27 at home to Coastal Carolina. UL had won 13 straight regular-season conference games before Saturday's loss.
The Cajuns, who had also won their last four and eight of their last 10 against the Warhawks, held a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter on Preston Stafford's 28-yard field goal. But UL's last eight possessions ended with two bad snaps on a field goal attempt and a punt, an interception and five punts.
"You can't make that many mistakes, as many as we made, and expect to win," said Cajun coach Michael Desormeaux. "Just critical mistakes, mistakes that you can't overcome when you play in conference games. We had chances to go out there and keep drives going and we just didn't get anything consistent going."
The biggest of those mistakes came with 11:46 left and UL still holding that 17-7 lead, when a snap over punter Rhys Byrns' head gave ULM possession at the Cajun 8. Two plays later, Warhawk quarterback Chandler Rogers scored from five yards out on an option to pull ULM within 17-14.
After a Cajun punt that started ULM at its own 10-yard-line, Rogers connected with Thomas Howell on a slant pass, and Howell took it 89 yards before being tackled at the UL 1. Two plays later, Malik Jackson went two yards up the middle with 6:51 left for the game's final score.
ULM's other touchdown also came on a big play, that coming midway through the first quarter when Andrew Henry burst through a hole up the middle and went 75 untouched yards for a touchdown.
"Every play matters, we treat it that way, and tonight they had a couple of big ones that we gave up," Desormeaux said. "We've got to do a better job in critical situations and make them count. As the game went along we just kind of lost ourselves, we started pressing a little bit instead of just playing."
UL, losing for only the eighth time against Sun Belt opposition (26-8) in the last five seasons, was hugely efficient on its first two drives. After ULM missed a field goal on the game's first possession, the Cajuns went 76 yards in only six plays to take a 7-0 lead. Cajun quarterback Chandler Field was 3-for-4 for 40 yards passing on the drive, Chris Smith broke a 27-yard run to the ULM 9 and Fields had his first career rushing touchdown one play later from nine yards away.
After Henry's long run tied the game, UL came right back with a 60-yard march on only four plays, the fourth of which was the biggest. Fields found Michael Jefferson on a crossing route, and Jefferson took it the final 25 yards on a 50-yard score that made it 14-7 with 5:11 still remaining in the first quarter.
Fields was 7-of-8 for 116 yards and the rushing and passing score in the first quarter, a period in which UL had 166 offensive yards. For the game, Fields finished 20-of-34 passing for 231 yards and backup Ben Wooldridge was 5-of-7 for 37 yards.
"We came out and did some good things early," Desormeaux said, "but we had way too many self-inflicted wounds that were just egregious. When you have special teams mishaps and you have penalties that put you behind the sticks, you just put yourself in a tough position. We have to get a lot of things corrected."
The Cajuns had a golden opportunity to add to the early lead, but Dre'lyn Washington fumbled on the first play of the second quarter at the ULM 30. But one exchange later, UL made a turnover count when Rogers' pass was intercepted by Courtline Flowers, who returned it 35 yards to the ULM 20 to set up Stafford's field goal.
Another ULM turnover, this one a fumble forced by Kam Pedescleaux and recovered by Bralen Trahan, gave the Cajuns possession at their own 28 midway through the third quarter. UL drove to the ULM 6 on a drive that covered almost seven minutes, but a bad snap on a 23-yard field goal attempt ended that threat. One possession later, the second bad snap over Byrns' head set up the first of ULM's fourth-quarter scores.
"We've got to execute and we've got to make plays down the stretch when we need to," Desormeaux said. "We had opportunities that we didn't cash in, and just way too many mistakes. We have to get back to being effective in the running game."
UL was held to 86 rushing yards, numbers that were hurt by the two bad snaps, while ULM rushed for 227 yards led by Henry's 123-yard effort. Smith had six receptions out of the backfield for 57 yards along with a team-leading 41 rush yards, while Jefferson had 105 yards receiving on five catches with the touchdown.
Team Stats
LA
ULM
Total Yards
354
419
Pass Yards
268
192
Rushing Yards
86
227
Penalty Yards
65
30
1st Downs
18
15
3rd Downs
7
6
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
32:38
27:14
1st Quarter
LA 7, ULM 0
LA - Fields,Chandler 9 yd run (Stafford,Preston kick), 6 plays, 76 yards, TOP 02:18
LA 7, ULM 7
ULM - Henry,Andrew 75 yd run (Sutherland,Calum kick), 2 plays, 79 yards, TOP 00:47
LA 14, ULM 7
LA - Jefferson,Michael 50 yd pass from Fields,Chandler (Stafford,Preston kick) 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:51
2nd Quarter
LA 17, ULM 7
LA - Stafford,Preston 28 yd field goal 4 plays, 9 yards, TOP 02:15
4th Quarter
LA 17, ULM 14
ULM - Rogers,Chandler 5 yd run (Sutherland,Calum kick), 2 plays, 8 yards, TOP 00:39
LA 17, ULM 21
ULM - Jackson,Malik 2 yd run (Sutherland,Calum kick), 3 plays, 90 yards, TOP 01:20
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
20
TD
1
YDS
231
INT
1
CMP
5
TD
0
YDS
37
INT
0
Players Mentioned
P
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WR
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S
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RB
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K
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S
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RB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballMichael Desormeaux Media Availability (Sep 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
Bill Davis Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Jalen Clark Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Daniel Beale Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
