University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Stellar Performances Lead Cajuns Past Coastal Carolina, 34-24
10/19/2024 7:11:00 PM | Football
Louisiana earns school-record seventh straight bowl berth
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K.C. Ossai recorded 17 tackles – one off his career-high – while Kenneth Almendares booted a pair of field goals in becoming the school's all-time leader in field goals made as Louisiana (6-1, 3-0 SBC) recorded a season-high 516 yards of total offense and became bowl eligible for a school-record seventh consecutive season.
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Louisiana built a 14-0 lead in the second quarter after Wooldridge, who completed 27 of 36 passes with three touchdowns in the air, connected with Lance LeGendre on a 33-yard scoring pass in the first quarter – capping an impressive seven-play, 98-yard drive – before finding Bill Davis on a 9-yard pass in the second.
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Almendares would give Louisiana a 17-7 lead on his 45-yard field goal in the second quarter – the 54th of his career to move past Stevie Artigue (2015-19) for the school record.
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Coastal Carolina (4-3, 1-2 SBC) cut the deficit to 17-14 at halftime when Braydon Bennett caught a 4-yard scoring pass from Noah Kim before the Chanticleers tied the game at 17-all with 5:16 left in the third quarter on Kade Hensley's 29-yard field goal.
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Wooldridge would put the Ragin' Cajuns ahead as he capped a 12-play, 81-yard drive in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard sneak on fourth-and-goal. After Bennett tied the game on the ensuing possession on a 49-yard run down the left sideline, the Ragin' Cajuns would take the lead for good when Almendares' 38-yard field goal gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 27-24 lead with 5:58 remaining.
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Ossai, whose career-best of 18 tackles was set in the 2023 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, helped the Ragin' Cajuns force a Chanticleer punt and Wooldridge would eventually roll out of pressure and connect with Carter on a 59-yard TD strike with 2:34 remaining.
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Carter caught seven passes for Louisiana, tying his career best set two weeks ago at Southern Miss, while setting a career-best with 149 yards receiving. Davis ran for a career-high 110 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns and caught a career-high six passes for 52 yards.
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Carmycah Glass added seven tackles for Louisiana, which improved to 2-0 in games played in Conway and claimed the first meeting between the schools since the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game was canceled the evening prior due to COVID-19.
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Cameron Whitfield and Mason Narcisse each posted sacks for the Ragin' Cajuns, who won their fourth straight game.
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Bennett rushed for 132 yards and added five receptions for Coastal Carolina while Kim came off the bench for starter Ethan Vask and was 16-for-25 through the air for 182 yards.
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Louisiana will have a 10-day break before resuming play on Oct. 29 when it travels to San Marcos, Texas for a nationally-televised contest against SBC West Division rival Texas State. Â
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Team Stats

LA 7, CCU 0
LA - LeGendre,Lance 33 yd pass from Wooldridge,Ben (Almendares,Kenneth kick) 7 plays, 98 yards, TOP 03:53

LA 14, CCU 0
LA - Davis,Bill 9 yd pass from Wooldridge,Ben (Almendares,Kenneth kick) 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP 04:20

LA 14, CCU 7
CCU - Karr,Kendall 11 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Hensley,Kade kick) 9 plays, 76 yards, TOP 03:33

LA 17, CCU 7
LA - Almendares,Kenneth 45 yd field goal 11 plays, 47 yards, TOP 05:39

LA 17, CCU 14
CCU - Bennett,Braydon 4 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Hensley,Kade kick) 10 plays, 90 yards, TOP 02:22

LA 17, CCU 17
CCU - Hensley,Kade 29 yd field goal 10 plays, 68 yards, TOP 04:34

LA 24, CCU 17
LA - Wooldridge,Ben 1 yd run (Almendares,Kenneth kick), 12 plays, 81 yards, TOP 07:22

LA 24, CCU 24
CCU - Bennett,Braydon 49 yd run (Hensley,Kade kick), 4 plays, 73 yards, TOP 01:52

LA 27, CCU 24
LA - Almendares,Kenneth 38 yd field goal 9 plays, 55 yards, TOP 04:54

LA 34, CCU 24
LA - Carter,Terrance 59 yd pass from Wooldridge,Ben (Almendares,Kenneth kick) 6 plays, 76 yards, TOP 02:30



















