University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, October 17
Lafayette, La.
4:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Troy
2026 Louisiana Football Preview - The Troy Game
10/15/2026 12:06:00 PM | Football
Ragin' Cajuns battle Trojans in clash of traditional SBC West powers
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana returns to Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday when the Ragin' Cajuns host West Division rival Troy for Family and Hall of Fame Weekend at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (color) and Ben Schafer (sideline) providing commentary. Fans can also listen on the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network and Varsity Sports Network, with Jay Walker on play-by-play, Cody Junot as the analyst and Dawson Eiserloh reporting from the sideline.
Tickets are available and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com.
An F-15 flyover will take place before the game while the 2026 UL Athletics Hall of Fame Class – Lawrence Willis (Track and Field), Fred Stamps (Football), Tenna Cooper (Women's Basketball), Dylan Moore (Baseball) and Nelson Stokley (Football/Lifetime Achievement) – will be recognized at halftime.
Louisiana (4-2, 1-1 SBC) plays its third of six consecutive SBC West Division opponents in Troy (3-2, 1-0 SBC) in a battle of the two programs that have represented the West in the history of the SBC Championship Game.
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 7 PREVIEW – Louisiana (4-2, 1-1 SBC) vs. Troy (3-2, 1-0 SBC)
Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium (30,932) | Lafayette, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 17 | 4:00 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)
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com
LIVE STATS
Available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Louisiana leads, 14-12
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 10-6
In Troy – Troy leads, 6-4
Last 10 Meetings – Tied, 5-5
Streak – Troy +1
KICKING OFF
• Louisiana opens the second half of its 2026 schedule when it faces defending Sun Belt Conference West Division champion Troy for Family Weekend/Hall of Fame Weekend at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
SPECIAL GUESTS AND PRE-GAME FLYOVER
• UL alumnus and current Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will attend Saturday's game and participate in the pregame coin toss.
• The 159th Fighter Wing of the Louisiana Air National Guard will conduct an F-15 flyover at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium prior to kickoff.
• The two F-15s, based in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, will conduct the flyover during the national anthem.
LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• Louisiana and Troy meet for the 27th time in a series that dates back to 1946.
• The series with Troy is Louisiana's 11th-longest in program history.
• Since 2004, the teams have played each season with the exception of 2016-17 and 2020.
• Louisiana's top-ranked SBC run defense (100.7 faces the league's top rushing offense (220.4).
• The Cajuns' top-ranked offense in the red zone (.958) faces the league's stingiest red zone defense (.632)
• Redshirt freshman JJ Garner (Timpson, Texas) has scored a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games (Charlotte, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech).
• With his next victory, head coach Michael Desormeaux will move into a sixth-place tie with Clement J. McNaspy (34 wins - 1908-11, 1913, 1917-18) on the program's all-time list.
• Freshman Mason Golding (Perth, Australia) is tied for the Sun Belt Conference lead with 11 punts inside the 20-yard line.
• Brent Gordon Jr. (Breaux Bridge, La.) and Avery Demery (Manvel, Texas) are first (9) and eighth (5) in the Sun Belt Conference in passes defended.
• Seven players on the Ragin' Cajuns roster hail from the state of Alabama.
• Louisiana ranks in the top 10 among FBS programs in 4th-Down Conversion Defense (.182), completion percentage (.713), fumbles recovered (6), red zone offense (.958) and turnovers gained (12).
• Lunch Winfield (Lutcher, La.) leads the league and is eighth nationally in completion percentage (.724).
• Louisiana looks to extend an eight-year active streak of competing in a bowl game, currently the ninth-longest streak in the FBS.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 41 letterwinners and 15 starters from the 2025 season.
• Sixty-eight players on the current Ragin' Cajuns roster hail from the state of Louisiana.
• Ninety-three of Louisiana's 108 players on the 2026 roster were recruited as high school products, with the remaining 15 coming through the transfer portal or junior college.
THE CAJUNS ARE "BORN IN THE BOOT"
• Louisiana has always prided itself on taking an "inside-out" approach when it comes to recruiting in-state products.
• When the 2026 season officially kicks off against Lamar, the Ragin' Cajuns will have 68 of their 108 players (.630 percent) currently on the roster hail from the Bayou State.
• In 2025, Louisiana led all in-state FBS programs in the total number (59) and percentage (55.1) of in-state players on the roster.
LOUISIANA TEAM NOTES
• The Cajuns have converted on 23 of 24 trips to the red zone with 17 resulting in TDs.
• Louisiana quarterbacks are completing 71 percent of their passes to lead the Sun Belt Conference and rank 10th among FBS programs.
• Louisiana (.750) trails James Madison (.778) for in the SBC in fourth-down conversions and rank 11th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are second in the SBC in total defense, allowing 303.5 yards per game to rank 30th nationally.
• Louisiana's 137 yards allowed against Charlotte on Sept. 26 currently ranks among the 10 fewest total yards allowed by an FBS team in a single game during the 2026 season.
• The Cajuns' 12 turnovers gained lead the SBC and ranks seventh among FBS programs.
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 2-for-11 (.182) on fourth down to rank eighth nationally.
"SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ..."
• Reigning SBC West Division champion Troy opened league play with a 55-34 win over Southern Miss in a nationally-televised contest on October 6.
• The Trojans opened the season at home with wins over Sam Houston (24-21) and Alabama State (34-17) before dropping road games at nationally-ranked Missouri and at Utah State.
• Dual-threat quarterback Goose Crowder has tossed nine touchdowns on the season and added a pair on the ground.
• Four players – Howard Kinchen (13), Jace Petty (12), TK Keyes (12) and Noreel White (11) – have recorded double-digit receptions for the Trojans while Gavin Griffin (67.4) leads a ground game that leads the Sun Belt Conference (220.4) and is 20th among FBS programs.
• The Trojans rank fourth in the league in total offense (429.8) and are fourth nationally in time of possession (34:37).
EIGHT STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES
• Since the 2018 season, Louisiana has appeared in a bowl game, setting a school-record for most consecutive bowl appearances.
• The list of Louisiana bowl game appearances since 2018 is listed below:
2018 – AutoNation Cure Bowl (Tulane)
2019 – LendingTree Bowl (Miami [Ohio])
2020 – SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (UTSA)
2021 – R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Marshall)
2022 – Radiance Independence Bowl (Houston)
2023 – R+L Carrriers New Orleans Bowl (Jax State)
2024 – Isleta New Mexico Bowl (TCU
2025 – 68 Ventures Bowl (Delaware)
THE LONGEST ACTIVE BOWL STREAKS
• Louisiana's eighth consecutive bowl appearance places the Ragin' Cajuns in some illustrious FBS company for active postseason streaks.
• Below are the schools with the longest active streaks in reaching the postseason.
School Year Started (Bowl)
Georgia – 1997 (Outback Bowl)
Oklahoma – 1999 (Independence Bowl)
Alabama – 2004 (Music City Bowl)
Clemson – 2005 (Champs Sports Bowl)
Iowa – 2013 (Outback Bowl)
Ohio State – 2013 (Orange Bowl)
Memphis – 2014 (Miami Beach Bowl)
Oregon – 2017 (Las Vegas Bowl)
LOUISIANA – 2018 (Cure Bowl)
THE MOST UNIQUE NICKNAME IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
• Referred to as the Ragin' Cajuns, the University of Louisiana has perhaps the most unique and fitting nickname in all of collegiate athletics.
• In 1921, the University adopted the nickname and mascot Bulldogs.
• Beginning in 1963, Louisiana's (then Southwestern Louisiana) football team were dubbed the "Raging Cajuns" by then-Sports Information Director Bob Henderson and head football coach Russ Faulkinberry.
• In addition, the team switched from gold helmets to white helmets with an Acadian flag. At the time, more than 90 percent of Faulkinberry's teams were composed of Louisiana high school players, many with French-speaking Acadian backgrounds.
• The nickname stuck, and in 1967 the second 'g' was dropped to make Ragin'.
• In the early 70's other sports teams began to adopt the Ragin' Cajuns nickname.
• The University's full switch to Ragin' Cajuns was part of "Operation Turnaround" during the 1974-75 school year.
• In fact, the Ragin' Cajuns were voted as the best collegiate team nickname by Sporting News in 1998 and by an ESPN SportsNation survey in 2006.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (color) and Ben Schafer (sideline) providing commentary. Fans can also listen on the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network and Varsity Sports Network, with Jay Walker on play-by-play, Cody Junot as the analyst and Dawson Eiserloh reporting from the sideline.
Tickets are available and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com.
An F-15 flyover will take place before the game while the 2026 UL Athletics Hall of Fame Class – Lawrence Willis (Track and Field), Fred Stamps (Football), Tenna Cooper (Women's Basketball), Dylan Moore (Baseball) and Nelson Stokley (Football/Lifetime Achievement) – will be recognized at halftime.
Louisiana (4-2, 1-1 SBC) plays its third of six consecutive SBC West Division opponents in Troy (3-2, 1-0 SBC) in a battle of the two programs that have represented the West in the history of the SBC Championship Game.
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 7 PREVIEW – Louisiana (4-2, 1-1 SBC) vs. Troy (3-2, 1-0 SBC)
Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium (30,932) | Lafayette, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 17 | 4:00 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)
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com
LIVE STATS
Available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Louisiana leads, 14-12
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 10-6
In Troy – Troy leads, 6-4
Last 10 Meetings – Tied, 5-5
Streak – Troy +1
KICKING OFF
• Louisiana opens the second half of its 2026 schedule when it faces defending Sun Belt Conference West Division champion Troy for Family Weekend/Hall of Fame Weekend at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
SPECIAL GUESTS AND PRE-GAME FLYOVER
• UL alumnus and current Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will attend Saturday's game and participate in the pregame coin toss.
• The 159th Fighter Wing of the Louisiana Air National Guard will conduct an F-15 flyover at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium prior to kickoff.
• The two F-15s, based in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, will conduct the flyover during the national anthem.
LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• Louisiana and Troy meet for the 27th time in a series that dates back to 1946.
• The series with Troy is Louisiana's 11th-longest in program history.
• Since 2004, the teams have played each season with the exception of 2016-17 and 2020.
• Louisiana's top-ranked SBC run defense (100.7 faces the league's top rushing offense (220.4).
• The Cajuns' top-ranked offense in the red zone (.958) faces the league's stingiest red zone defense (.632)
• Redshirt freshman JJ Garner (Timpson, Texas) has scored a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games (Charlotte, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech).
• With his next victory, head coach Michael Desormeaux will move into a sixth-place tie with Clement J. McNaspy (34 wins - 1908-11, 1913, 1917-18) on the program's all-time list.
• Freshman Mason Golding (Perth, Australia) is tied for the Sun Belt Conference lead with 11 punts inside the 20-yard line.
• Brent Gordon Jr. (Breaux Bridge, La.) and Avery Demery (Manvel, Texas) are first (9) and eighth (5) in the Sun Belt Conference in passes defended.
• Seven players on the Ragin' Cajuns roster hail from the state of Alabama.
• Louisiana ranks in the top 10 among FBS programs in 4th-Down Conversion Defense (.182), completion percentage (.713), fumbles recovered (6), red zone offense (.958) and turnovers gained (12).
• Lunch Winfield (Lutcher, La.) leads the league and is eighth nationally in completion percentage (.724).
• Louisiana looks to extend an eight-year active streak of competing in a bowl game, currently the ninth-longest streak in the FBS.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 41 letterwinners and 15 starters from the 2025 season.
• Sixty-eight players on the current Ragin' Cajuns roster hail from the state of Louisiana.
• Ninety-three of Louisiana's 108 players on the 2026 roster were recruited as high school products, with the remaining 15 coming through the transfer portal or junior college.
THE CAJUNS ARE "BORN IN THE BOOT"
• Louisiana has always prided itself on taking an "inside-out" approach when it comes to recruiting in-state products.
• When the 2026 season officially kicks off against Lamar, the Ragin' Cajuns will have 68 of their 108 players (.630 percent) currently on the roster hail from the Bayou State.
• In 2025, Louisiana led all in-state FBS programs in the total number (59) and percentage (55.1) of in-state players on the roster.
LOUISIANA TEAM NOTES
• The Cajuns have converted on 23 of 24 trips to the red zone with 17 resulting in TDs.
• Louisiana quarterbacks are completing 71 percent of their passes to lead the Sun Belt Conference and rank 10th among FBS programs.
• Louisiana (.750) trails James Madison (.778) for in the SBC in fourth-down conversions and rank 11th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are second in the SBC in total defense, allowing 303.5 yards per game to rank 30th nationally.
• Louisiana's 137 yards allowed against Charlotte on Sept. 26 currently ranks among the 10 fewest total yards allowed by an FBS team in a single game during the 2026 season.
• The Cajuns' 12 turnovers gained lead the SBC and ranks seventh among FBS programs.
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 2-for-11 (.182) on fourth down to rank eighth nationally.
"SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ..."
• Reigning SBC West Division champion Troy opened league play with a 55-34 win over Southern Miss in a nationally-televised contest on October 6.
• The Trojans opened the season at home with wins over Sam Houston (24-21) and Alabama State (34-17) before dropping road games at nationally-ranked Missouri and at Utah State.
• Dual-threat quarterback Goose Crowder has tossed nine touchdowns on the season and added a pair on the ground.
• Four players – Howard Kinchen (13), Jace Petty (12), TK Keyes (12) and Noreel White (11) – have recorded double-digit receptions for the Trojans while Gavin Griffin (67.4) leads a ground game that leads the Sun Belt Conference (220.4) and is 20th among FBS programs.
• The Trojans rank fourth in the league in total offense (429.8) and are fourth nationally in time of possession (34:37).
EIGHT STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES
• Since the 2018 season, Louisiana has appeared in a bowl game, setting a school-record for most consecutive bowl appearances.
• The list of Louisiana bowl game appearances since 2018 is listed below:
2018 – AutoNation Cure Bowl (Tulane)
2019 – LendingTree Bowl (Miami [Ohio])
2020 – SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (UTSA)
2021 – R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Marshall)
2022 – Radiance Independence Bowl (Houston)
2023 – R+L Carrriers New Orleans Bowl (Jax State)
2024 – Isleta New Mexico Bowl (TCU
2025 – 68 Ventures Bowl (Delaware)
THE LONGEST ACTIVE BOWL STREAKS
• Louisiana's eighth consecutive bowl appearance places the Ragin' Cajuns in some illustrious FBS company for active postseason streaks.
• Below are the schools with the longest active streaks in reaching the postseason.
School Year Started (Bowl)
Georgia – 1997 (Outback Bowl)
Oklahoma – 1999 (Independence Bowl)
Alabama – 2004 (Music City Bowl)
Clemson – 2005 (Champs Sports Bowl)
Iowa – 2013 (Outback Bowl)
Ohio State – 2013 (Orange Bowl)
Memphis – 2014 (Miami Beach Bowl)
Oregon – 2017 (Las Vegas Bowl)
LOUISIANA – 2018 (Cure Bowl)
THE MOST UNIQUE NICKNAME IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
• Referred to as the Ragin' Cajuns, the University of Louisiana has perhaps the most unique and fitting nickname in all of collegiate athletics.
• In 1921, the University adopted the nickname and mascot Bulldogs.
• Beginning in 1963, Louisiana's (then Southwestern Louisiana) football team were dubbed the "Raging Cajuns" by then-Sports Information Director Bob Henderson and head football coach Russ Faulkinberry.
• In addition, the team switched from gold helmets to white helmets with an Acadian flag. At the time, more than 90 percent of Faulkinberry's teams were composed of Louisiana high school players, many with French-speaking Acadian backgrounds.
• The nickname stuck, and in 1967 the second 'g' was dropped to make Ragin'.
• In the early 70's other sports teams began to adopt the Ragin' Cajuns nickname.
• The University's full switch to Ragin' Cajuns was part of "Operation Turnaround" during the 1974-75 school year.
• In fact, the Ragin' Cajuns were voted as the best collegiate team nickname by Sporting News in 1998 and by an ESPN SportsNation survey in 2006.
Players Mentioned
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/ Football
RB
/ Football
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/ Football
CB
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QB
/ FootballMonday, October 12
Monday, October 05
Sunday, October 04
Sunday, October 04
