University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, December 16
New Orleans, La.
1:15 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
6-7 , 3-5
31
vs
34
Jacksonville State
9-4 , 6-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
OT
F
Jacksonville State
7
7
10
7
3
34
Louisiana
7
7
7
10
0
31
Ragin' Cajuns Drop Overtime Decision To Gamecocks, 34-31
12/16/2023 5:47:00 PM | Football
Three defensive TDs not enough as Cajuns drop second-ever bowl game in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – Garrison Rippa booted a 27-yard field goal in overtime and Jacksonville State earned a 34-31 win over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the 23rd annual R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday at the Caesars Superdome.
Zion Webb connected with Perry Carter on an 18-yard TD with 1:46 remaining in regulation before Jacksonville State (9-4) capped off its inaugural bowl appearance on Rippa's game-winning boot.
Louisiana (6-7) scored three defensive touchdowns – one off the NCAA single-game record – and Chandler Fields scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 21-17 lead.
Jalen Clark scored a pair of TDs on defense for Louisiana, beginning with his 46-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game. The sophomore safety, one of three New Orleans natives to score for the Ragin' Cajuns, added his second TD of the day when he picked off a Webb pass late in the second quarter and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 4:22 left.
Ron Wiggins, named the game's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 126 yards on 27 carries, sent the Gamecocks into the locker room tied at 14-all after scoring on a 7-yard run with 23 seconds remaining in the half.
Rippa added a 22-yard field goal for JSU to cap a 16-play, 72-yard drive to give the Gamecocks a 17-14 lead in the third quarter before Chandler Fields would score on a 1-yard rush off the right side to give Louisiana a 21-17 lead with 5:47 remaining in the period.
Logan Smothers gave the Gamecocks a 24-21 on his 10-yard with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter before Kenneth Almendares knotted the game with a 33-yard field goal with 14:02 remaining.
Louisiana reclaimed the lead with 5:32 left when Tyree Skipper picked off Smothers' pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown and a 31-24 lead.
The Gamecocks, who reeled off a bowl-record 109 plays in the contest, would respond to eventually send the game to overtime with an eight-play, 70-yard drive as Webb connected with Carter on fourth-and-3.
K.C. Ossai set a New Orleans Bowl record with 18 tackles in the game for Louisiana with Jasper Williams registering a career-high 12. Chandler Fields completed 13 of 26 passes for 155 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns with Dre'Lyn Washington gaining 73 yards on 16 carries.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@RaginCajuns) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Athletics.
LOUISIANA BOWL NOTES
• Louisiana's game against Jacksonville State was the fourth from the state of Alabama that Louisiana faced in the 2023 season. The Ragin' Cajuns earned road wins at UAB (41-21) and South Alabama (33-20) and dropped a 31-24 decision at Troy.
• The overtime game was the second in R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl history and first since Southern Miss defeated Troy, 30-27, in 2008.
• Louisiana's seventh overall appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl increased its bowl record with North Texas and Southern Miss following with five appearances each.
• Louisiana's three defensive TDS were a single-game, school record.
• All of Louisiana's four touchdowns in the game were scored by players with New Orleans ties (New Orleans - Jalen Clark/Tyree Skipper; Metairie – Chandler Fields).
• Jalen Clark's 46-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the fourth in R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl history joining Fran Callicott (Cincinnati, 2002), Colton McDonald (North Texas, 2017) and Trey Cobb (App State, 2019).
• Clark's two defensive touchdowns marked the seventh time in FBS history, and second in a bowl game, an FBS player scored on a fumble and interception return in the same game. Clark's two-TD game was the first by an FBS player since SMU's Jordan Wyatt (85-yard interception return, 0-yard fumble return) vs. Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 2, 2017.
• K.C. Ossai's 18 tackles were a R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
• Thomas Leo's 64-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest of his career.
• Leo's nine punts against the Gamecocks were a R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl single-game record.
• Louisiana trailed after the third quarter in its third straight appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl dating back to 2016. The Ragin' Cajuns last lead after three quarters in the Superdome was a 10-3 advantage against Nevada in 2014.
• Louisiana returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a game for the first time since Oklahoma State in 2011.
Zion Webb connected with Perry Carter on an 18-yard TD with 1:46 remaining in regulation before Jacksonville State (9-4) capped off its inaugural bowl appearance on Rippa's game-winning boot.
Louisiana (6-7) scored three defensive touchdowns – one off the NCAA single-game record – and Chandler Fields scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 21-17 lead.
Jalen Clark scored a pair of TDs on defense for Louisiana, beginning with his 46-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game. The sophomore safety, one of three New Orleans natives to score for the Ragin' Cajuns, added his second TD of the day when he picked off a Webb pass late in the second quarter and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 4:22 left.
Ron Wiggins, named the game's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 126 yards on 27 carries, sent the Gamecocks into the locker room tied at 14-all after scoring on a 7-yard run with 23 seconds remaining in the half.
Rippa added a 22-yard field goal for JSU to cap a 16-play, 72-yard drive to give the Gamecocks a 17-14 lead in the third quarter before Chandler Fields would score on a 1-yard rush off the right side to give Louisiana a 21-17 lead with 5:47 remaining in the period.
Logan Smothers gave the Gamecocks a 24-21 on his 10-yard with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter before Kenneth Almendares knotted the game with a 33-yard field goal with 14:02 remaining.
Louisiana reclaimed the lead with 5:32 left when Tyree Skipper picked off Smothers' pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown and a 31-24 lead.
The Gamecocks, who reeled off a bowl-record 109 plays in the contest, would respond to eventually send the game to overtime with an eight-play, 70-yard drive as Webb connected with Carter on fourth-and-3.
K.C. Ossai set a New Orleans Bowl record with 18 tackles in the game for Louisiana with Jasper Williams registering a career-high 12. Chandler Fields completed 13 of 26 passes for 155 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns with Dre'Lyn Washington gaining 73 yards on 16 carries.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@RaginCajuns) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Athletics.
LOUISIANA BOWL NOTES
• Louisiana's game against Jacksonville State was the fourth from the state of Alabama that Louisiana faced in the 2023 season. The Ragin' Cajuns earned road wins at UAB (41-21) and South Alabama (33-20) and dropped a 31-24 decision at Troy.
• The overtime game was the second in R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl history and first since Southern Miss defeated Troy, 30-27, in 2008.
• Louisiana's seventh overall appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl increased its bowl record with North Texas and Southern Miss following with five appearances each.
• Louisiana's three defensive TDS were a single-game, school record.
• All of Louisiana's four touchdowns in the game were scored by players with New Orleans ties (New Orleans - Jalen Clark/Tyree Skipper; Metairie – Chandler Fields).
• Jalen Clark's 46-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the fourth in R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl history joining Fran Callicott (Cincinnati, 2002), Colton McDonald (North Texas, 2017) and Trey Cobb (App State, 2019).
• Clark's two defensive touchdowns marked the seventh time in FBS history, and second in a bowl game, an FBS player scored on a fumble and interception return in the same game. Clark's two-TD game was the first by an FBS player since SMU's Jordan Wyatt (85-yard interception return, 0-yard fumble return) vs. Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 2, 2017.
• K.C. Ossai's 18 tackles were a R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
• Thomas Leo's 64-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest of his career.
• Leo's nine punts against the Gamecocks were a R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl single-game record.
• Louisiana trailed after the third quarter in its third straight appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl dating back to 2016. The Ragin' Cajuns last lead after three quarters in the Superdome was a 10-3 advantage against Nevada in 2014.
• Louisiana returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a game for the first time since Oklahoma State in 2011.
Team Stats
JSU
UL
Total Yards
526
247
Pass Yards
236
155
Rushing Yards
290
92
Penalty Yards
20
22
1st Downs
31
14
3rd Downs
10
5
4th Downs
5
0
TOP
33:00
27:00
1st Quarter
JSU 0, UL 7
UL - Clark,Jalen 46 yd fumble recovery (Almendares,Kenneth kick)
JSU 7, UL 7
JSU - Fuller,Cole 1 yd run (Rippa,Garrison kick), 13 plays, 80 yards, TOP 04:42
2nd Quarter
JSU 7, UL 14
UL - Clark,Jalen 16 yd interception (Almendares,Kenneth kick)
JSU 14, UL 14
JSU - Wiggins,Ron 7 yd run (Rippa,Garrison kick), 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:59
3rd Quarter
JSU 17, UL 14
JSU - Rippa,Garrison 22 yd field goal 16 plays, 72 yards, TOP 05:37
JSU 17, UL 21
UL - Fields,Chandler 1 yd run (Almendares,Kenneth kick), 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 02:00
JSU 24, UL 21
JSU - Smothers,Logan 10 yd run (Rippa,Garrison kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:54
4th Quarter
JSU 24, UL 24
UL - Almendares,Kenneth 33 yd field goal 10 plays, 46 yards, TOP 03:44
JSU 24, UL 31
UL - Skipper,Tyree 43 yd interception (Almendares,Kenneth kick)
JSU 31, UL 31
JSU - Carter,Perry 18 yd pass from Webb,Zion (Rippa,Garrison kick) 8 plays, 70 yards, TOP 01:51
OT Quarter
JSU 34, UL 31
JSU - Rippa,Garrison 27 yd field goal 7 plays, 16 yards, TOP 00:00
Game Leaders
CMP
13
TD
0
YDS
155
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
K
/ Football
CB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
LB
/ Football
S
/ Football
LB
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