Louisiana Football Preview: Marshall

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns open its 2025 Sun Belt Conference Football schedule on Saturday night when it plays host to Marshall at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game available on ESPN+. Dan McDonald (play-by-play), Eric Mouton (analyst) and Ben Schafer (sideline) will call the action. Fans can also listen to the broadcast on the Ragin' Cajuns Sports Radio Network with Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (analyst) and Dawson Eiserloh (sideline) providing commentary.

The SBC opener for both teams provides the first meeting between Louisiana (1-3) and Marshall (2-2) since the 2024 Hercules Tires SBC Championship Game with the Thundering Herd prevailing, 31-3.

Louisiana dropped its final non-conference contest last week in a back-and-forth 34-31 loss at Eastern Michigan while Marshall won its second straight game with a 42-28 victory at Middle Tennessee. The Ragin' Cajuns look to snap a two-game losing streak that began with a loss at nationally-ranked Missouri.

Daniel Beale turned in his best game in a Louisiana uniform passing for 222 yards in the air and leading the Ragin' Cajuns to a season-high 441 yards of total offense. Zylan Perry rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Louisiana with Bill Davis adding a 45-yard TD run.

Perry and Davis – the lone tandem to rank in the top-10 among SBC rushers – have combined for a pair of 100-yard rushing performances on the season with six touchdowns.

An entirely new-look Marshall team, under first-year coach Tony Gibson, opened the season with losses to No. 5-ranked Georgia (45-7) and FBS newcomer Missouri State (21-20) before getting into gear against FCS Eastern Kentucky (38-7). The Thundering Herd evened their record in last week's win at MTSU.

Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a transfer from Syracuse, completed 18 of 22 passes for 261 yards and four TDs in the win over the Blue Raiders.

Three rushers – Michael Allen (135), quarterback Zion Turner (110) and Justin Williams-Thomas (110) – have combined for four of Marshall's eight rushing TDs this season. Turner has completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards for Marshall with Demarcus Lacy leading the team with 10 receptions.

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).

Season tickets for the 2025 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football season are available now at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).

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).

GAME 5 PREVIEW – Louisiana (1-3, 0-0 SBC) vs. Marshall (2-2, 0-0 SBC)
Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium (30,932) | Lafayette, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, September 27 at 7 p.m.

TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN +
Talent: Dan McDonald (play-by-play), Eric Mouton (analyst), Ben Schafer (sideline)

Radio: Lafayette – Hot 107.9 FM; 103.3 The Goat, 1420 AM; New Orleans/Slidell – WGSO 990 AM; Worldwide – Varsity Network powered by Learfield
Talent: Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (analyst), Dawson Eiserloh (sideline)

LIVE STATS
Available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com

SERIES RECORD
Overall: Louisiana leads, 2-1
In Lafayette: Marshall leads, 1-0
In Huntington: Louisiana leads, 1-0
In New Orleans: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Last 10: 2-1
Streak: Marshall +1

KICKING OFF
• Louisiana opens its 2025 Sun Belt Conference schedule when it hosts Marshall in a rematch of the 2024 Hercules Tire Sun Belt Conference Championship at Cajun Field (now Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium).
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 15-9 in SBC openers and open the conference slate at home for the first time since facing ULM in 2017.

LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• Louisiana and Marshall meet for the fourth time overall on the gridiron and the first in a span of 294 days when the Thundering Herd claimed a 31-3 win in the SBC Championship Game at Cajun Field.
• The Ragin' Cajuns look to avoid their first 1-4 start to the season since 2005.
• Louisiana cornerbacks coach George Barlow was a safety at Marshall (1986-90) and was a member of the 1987 team that played in the NCAA I-AA championship game.
• Barlow's three interceptions against East Tennessee State in 1989 still are tied for the program record for most in a game.
• Louisiana is coming off its fourth 10-plus win season in the past six years and its seventh straight bowl appearance.
• The Ragin' Cajuns made their fifth appearance in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game in the seven-year history of the event.
• Two of Louisiana's three losses during the 2025 season have come by a combined five points (14-12 to Rice; 34-31 to Eastern Michigan).
• Louisiana posted a season-high 441 yards of total offense in last week's game at Eastern Michigan.
• The Ragin' Cajuns enter the weekend ranked second among Sun Belt Conference schools in rushing yards (797) and fifth in average (199.3).
• Louisiana ranks third in the SBC in pass defense (160.3), behind James Madison (103.3) and South Alabama (144.5).
• Zylan Perry (84.0 avg) and Bill Davis (67.3) are the lone Sun Belt Conference duo ranked in the top 10 in rushing.
• Jaden Dugger ranks fifth among SBC defenders in tackles per game (8.0) with Terrence Williams ranked 13th (7.0).
• Brent Gordon Jr. is eighth among SBC defensive backs and 23rd overall in tackles per game (6.0).

"SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ..."
• Under first-year coach Tony Gibson, an entirely new Marshall squad has won its last two games after starting with losses against top-5 ranked Georgia and FBS newcomer Missouri State.
• The Thundering Herd have averaged 40 points in their last two games, beginning with a 38-7 win over FCS Eastern Kentucky before a 42-28 victory last week at Middle Tennessee.
• Carlos Del Rio-Wilson - the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week and Davey O'Brien Great 8 recipient - is 27 of 34 through the air for 379 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions in three games.
• Three rushers - Michael Allen (135), Zion Turner (110) and Justin Williams-Thomas (110) - have combined for four of Marshall's eight rushing TDs this season.
• Turner has completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards for Marshall with Demarcus Lacy leading the team with 10 receptions.
• Defensively, two players have posted 20+ tackles through the first four games with Cannon Lewis (24) and Kerion Martin (23) leading the way.
• Boogie Trotter has picked off two passes to lead the Thundering Herd with Jamaal Whyce (2.5), Cam Smith (2.0) and Braydin Ward (2.0) leading the team in sacks.

THE LOUISIANA-MARSHALL SERIES
• Louisiana and Marshall will meet for the fourth time on the gridiron and third as Sun Belt Conference foes.
• The teams first met in the 2021 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl with the Ragin' Cajuns pulling away late to claim a 36-21 win and give head coach Michael Desormeaux his first career victory.
• The teams met in a nationally-televised contest the following season in Huntington with Louisiana claiming a 23-13 victory.
• Marshall snapped the skid in last season's Sun Belt Conference Championship Game with a dominating 31-3 win.

WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana will return to action in two weeks (October 11) when it travels to Harrisonburg, Va., for its first-ever meeting with SBC East rival James Madison.
• Kickoff and TV designation will be announced on Monday, September 29.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Daniel Beale

Bill Davis

Jaden Dugger

Brent Gordon Jr.

Zylan Perry

Terrence Williams

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