University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
1-3 , 0-0
Eastern Michigan
1-3 , 0-0
Cajuns Edged on Late Field Goal, 34-31
9/20/2025 8:38:00 PM | Football
Louisiana hosts Marshall in SBC opener
Kessinger added a 49-yard boot in the fourth quarter which bounced off the crossbar as Eastern Michigan (1-3) won its fifth straight Homecoming contest and evened the all-time series record against Louisiana (1-3) to 2-2.
Zylan Perry, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, opened the scoring for Louisiana with a 23-yard touchdown run, but EMU answered behind quarterback Noah Kim's 3-yard score.
After a Tony Sterner field goal, Louisiana's Bill Davis broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 17-14 lead only for Kim to find Joshua Long for a 15-yard strike that gave Eastern Michigan a 21-17 halftime lead.
The Cajuns regained momentum in the third when Courtline Flowers picked off Kim and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
But EMU controlled the fourth quarter, with Tavierre Dunlap's 6-yard touchdown run and Kessinger's first of two field goals pushing the Eagles ahead 31-24.
Perry capped a 65-yard drive for the Ragin' Cajuns with a 10-yard rushing TD to tie the game with 47 seconds left. The drive was kept alive when EMU was called for roughing the passer on fourth-and-23 before Daniel Beale connected with Shelton Sampson Jr. for a 43-yard gain to the EMU 20.
EMU extended its final drive when Kim scrambled and found Long for a 27-yard gain to the UL 29 before Kessinger kicked his game-winner.
Beale set a career-high with 222 yards, completing 20 of 33 passes. Robert Williams caught seven passes for 71 yards for the Ragin' Cajuns with Sampson catching three passes for 87 yards.
Louisiana will open Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday when it hosts Marshall in a rematch of last season's SBC Championship Game.
Single-game tickets are available for as low as $25 and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com and its social media platforms (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram).
New this season, fans can park on the athletic footprint on a single-game basis for just $20 per game by clicking here. Fans will also be able to purchase single-game tailgate spots beginning at $100 by clicking here.
Fans are encouraged to stay connected with Louisiana Football by downloading the official #GeauxCajuns App — click here for iOS and here for Android — and by following the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB).
Team Stats
UL 7, EMU 0
UL - Perry,Zylan 23 yd run (Sterner,Tony kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:28
UL 7, EMU 7
EMU - Kim,Noah 3 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 8 plays, 54 yards, TOP 03:31
UL 10, EMU 7
UL - Sterner,Tony 38 yd field goal 12 plays, 54 yards, TOP 05:11
UL 10, EMU 14
EMU - Dunlap,Tavierre 2 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 02:17
UL 17, EMU 14
UL - Davis,Bill 45 yd run (Sterner,Tony kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:53
UL 17, EMU 21
EMU - Long,Joshua 15 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Kessinger,Rudy kick) 7 plays, 52 yards, TOP 02:11
UL 24, EMU 21
UL - Flowers,Courtline 35 yd interception (Sterner,Tony kick)
UL 24, EMU 28
EMU - Dunlap,Tavierre 6 yd run (Kessinger,Rudy kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:25
UL 24, EMU 31
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 49 yd field goal 4 plays, 6 yards, TOP 02:06
UL 31, EMU 31
UL - Perry,Zylan 10 yd run (Sterner,Tony kick), 7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 01:21
UL 31, EMU 34
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 42 yd field goal 7 plays, 41 yards, TOP 00:41
