University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, October 10
Ruston, La.
6:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Louisiana Tech
2026 Louisiana Football Preview - The Louisiana Tech Game
10/8/2026 3:18:00 PM | Football
Louisiana, Louisiana Tech resumes state's second-oldest rivalry on Saturday in Ruston
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana renews its oldest football rivalry Saturday when it travels north to face Louisiana Tech in a matchup between in-state foes at Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+, with Malcolm Butler handling play-by-play and Luke McCown serving as the analyst. 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.
Louisiana (4-1, 1-0 SBC) and Louisiana Tech (2-2, 0-0 SBC) will meet for the 88th time in a series that dates to 1910. The Cajuns-Bulldogs rivalry is the second-oldest in-state series, trailing only the 98-game series between LSU and Tulane.
Louisiana opened SBC play last Saturday with a 23-20 victory over Arkansas State, as Tony Sterner connected on a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Ragin' Cajuns controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes and scored on all four of their second-half possessions to secure the win.
Quarterback Lunch Winfield completed 18 of 21 passes for 184 yards and added 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. Louisiana finished with a season-high 251 yards on the ground, led by redshirt freshman JJ Garner, who rushed for a career-best 78 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Micah Johnson recorded a career-high 10 tackles to lead a Louisiana unit that held Arkansas State to 293 yards of total offense, including 87 rushing yards. The Ragin' Cajuns have limited their opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards in four of their five games this season. Brent Gordon Jr. added nine tackles, while Jake St. Andre finished with seven.
Louisiana Tech returns to the Sun Belt after being a member from 1991-2001, before the league began sponsoring football. The Bulldogs opened the season with a victory over in-state opponent Northwestern State before dropping road contests at LSU and Baylor. Louisiana Tech bounced back last week, edging Army, 31-29, in Ruston.
Running back and receiver Dylone Brooks delivered a career performance against Army, totaling 200 all-purpose yards to become the first Bulldog to reach that mark in a game since 2023. Brooks rushed for 119 yards and added 81 receiving yards.
The Bulldogs have established themselves as one of the Sun Belt's top defensive teams, ranking first in the conference with 39 tackles for loss and second with five interceptions. Louisiana Tech also ranks third in passing defense, allowing 207 yards per game, fourth in total defense at 374 yards per game and fifth with 11 sacks.
Louisiana Tech's defensive front has been particularly disruptive. Alonzo Jackson Jr. leads the way with seven tackles for loss, while Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield have recorded 5.5 apiece. Jackson's 1.75 tackles for loss per game ranks seventh nationally and leads the trio's pursuit of the conference's top individual marks.
The Bulldogs' 39 tackles for loss are tied for 10th nationally, while their average of 9.8 per game is tied for second in the country with East Carolina, behind Virginia Tech's 10.2.
Jackson also leads Louisiana Tech with four sacks, tying for fourth in the Sun Belt and ranking among the top 20 players nationally. His average of one sack per game is tied for eighth among FBS defenders.
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 6 PREVIEW – Louisiana (4-1, 1-0 SBC) at Louisiana Tech (2-2, 0-0 SBC)
Location: Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium (28,562) | Ruston, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 10 | 6:30 p.m.
TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Malcolm Butler (play-by-play), Luke McCown (analyst); Kennedy Boughton (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 Tech leads, 48-33-6
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 21-19-2
In Ruston – Louisiana Tech leads, 29-12-4
Last 10 Meetings – Louisiana Tech, 8-2
Streak – Louisiana Tech +8
KICKING OFF
• Louisiana renews its oldest gridiron rivalry when it travels to face Sun Belt Conference newcomer Louisiana Tech on Saturday in Ruston.
• The game is the 88th edition of the all-time series that dates back to 1910.
LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• The game marks the 66th all-time meeting between Louisiana and Louisiana Tech in conference play, spanning the Southern Intercollegiate (1921-1938), Louisiana Intercollegiate (1939-47), Gulf States (1948-70), Southland (1971-81), Big West (1993-95) and Sun Belt (2026-present) conferences.
• The 87-game series between Louisiana and Louisiana Tech is the second-longest among in-state programs after LSU-Tulane (98 games).
• It is the first conference meeting between the two programs since 1995 - a 40-33 UL victory at Cajun Field.
• The meeting is the fifth between the schools since the turn of the century.
• The schools played on a yearly basis from 1924-1986 before resuming the series from 1988-2000.
• Louisiana will look to snap an eight-game losing streak to its North Louisiana neighbors with its last victory coming in 1996 in a 37-31 contest.
• Eleven of Louisiana's 68 in-state players on the 2026 roster hail from the I-20 corridor.
• Louisiana comes into the 2026 season with 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.
• Louisiana 4-1 start to the season is its first since 2024 when it finished 10-2 during the regular season and earned a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game.
• 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.
• With his next victory, head coach Michael Desormeaux will move into a sixth-place tie with Clement J. McNaspy (33 wins - 1908-11, 1913, 1917-18) on the program's all-time list.
• Louisiana is one of 11 FBS teams that are perfect in the red zone (20-for-20) this season and is fourth overall in completion percentage (.739).
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
• Louisiana is one of 11 FBS teams that is perfect in red zone offense through Week 5 of the 2026 season.
• The Cajuns have converted on all 20 trips to the red zone with 15 resulting in TDs.
• Louisiana quarterbacks are completing 74 percent of their passes to lead the Sun Belt Conference and rank fourth among FBS programs.
• Louisiana (.750) ranks tied with James Madison (.750) for fourth-down conversions and rank 12th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns top the SBC in total defense, allowing 267.2 yards per game to rank 19th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns allow 19.4 points per game to rank 42nd nationally and third in the SBC behind JMU (13.2) and Georgia State (19.0).
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 175.8 yards passing per game to rank second in the SBC and 33rd 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' 10 turnovers gained lead the SBC and ranks fourth among FBS programs.
• The UL defense has allowed 10 trips into the red zone in 2026 and rank sixth in the league (8-for-10) and 47th in FBS.
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 1-for-10 (.100) on fourth down to rank fifth nationally.
"SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ..."
• Louisiana Tech makes its debut as a Sun Belt Conference football school as it returns to the league after being a member from 1991-2001.
• The Bulldogs moved over to the premier non-autonomy FBS league in the College Football Playoff era after competing in Conference USA from 2013-25.
• Under head coach Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech has earned home wins over Northwestern State and Army with losses at Power 4 programs LSU and Baylor.
• Louisiana Tech went 8-5 in 2025, closing the season on a three-game winning streak. The Bulldogs earned a 23-14 win over Coastal Carolina in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, their first bowl championship since a string of six-straight under Skip Holtz from 2014-19.
• Since rejoining the FBS ranks in 1989, the Bulldogs are 224-220-4, including reaching a bowl game in nine of the past 12 seasons.
• Quarterbacks Trey Kukuk and Blake Baker direct an offense that ranks third in the Sun Belt in scoring (36.0).
• Preseason All-SBC linebacker Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield are the leaders on a stingy Bulldog defense that ranks second among FBS schools in tackles for loss (9.8 per game) and second in the SBC behind Louisiana (10) in turnovers gained (8).
CAJUNS FACE THE SBC WEST GUANTLET
• For Louisiana to return to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game for the sixth time since 2018, it will have to go through an SBC West Division gauntlet that includes six straight games.
• Louisiana opened with Arkansas State on Oct. 3 and will face Louisiana Tech (Oct. 10), defending SBC West champ Troy (Oct. 17), Southern Miss (Oct. 24), South Alabama (Nov. 7) and ULM (Nov. 12).
• The Ragin' Cajuns close out the 2026 regular season with games against SBC East Division foes – Coastal Carolina (Nov. 21) and Georgia State (Nov. 28).
THE OLDEST IN-STATE GRIDIRON RIVALRIES
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series is one of three in-state rivalries that have surpassed 80 games.
• A look at the longest in-state rivalries are listed below:
LSU-Tulane – 98
Louisiana-Louisiana Tech – 87
Louisiana Tech-Northwestern State – 81
McNeese-Northwestern State – 74
Louisiana-Northwestern State – 73
Southeastern Louisiana-Northwestern State – 72
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 6:30 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+, with Malcolm Butler handling play-by-play and Luke McCown serving as the analyst. 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.
Louisiana (4-1, 1-0 SBC) and Louisiana Tech (2-2, 0-0 SBC) will meet for the 88th time in a series that dates to 1910. The Cajuns-Bulldogs rivalry is the second-oldest in-state series, trailing only the 98-game series between LSU and Tulane.
Louisiana opened SBC play last Saturday with a 23-20 victory over Arkansas State, as Tony Sterner connected on a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Ragin' Cajuns controlled the ball for more than 34 minutes and scored on all four of their second-half possessions to secure the win.
Quarterback Lunch Winfield completed 18 of 21 passes for 184 yards and added 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. Louisiana finished with a season-high 251 yards on the ground, led by redshirt freshman JJ Garner, who rushed for a career-best 78 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Micah Johnson recorded a career-high 10 tackles to lead a Louisiana unit that held Arkansas State to 293 yards of total offense, including 87 rushing yards. The Ragin' Cajuns have limited their opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards in four of their five games this season. Brent Gordon Jr. added nine tackles, while Jake St. Andre finished with seven.
Louisiana Tech returns to the Sun Belt after being a member from 1991-2001, before the league began sponsoring football. The Bulldogs opened the season with a victory over in-state opponent Northwestern State before dropping road contests at LSU and Baylor. Louisiana Tech bounced back last week, edging Army, 31-29, in Ruston.
Running back and receiver Dylone Brooks delivered a career performance against Army, totaling 200 all-purpose yards to become the first Bulldog to reach that mark in a game since 2023. Brooks rushed for 119 yards and added 81 receiving yards.
The Bulldogs have established themselves as one of the Sun Belt's top defensive teams, ranking first in the conference with 39 tackles for loss and second with five interceptions. Louisiana Tech also ranks third in passing defense, allowing 207 yards per game, fourth in total defense at 374 yards per game and fifth with 11 sacks.
Louisiana Tech's defensive front has been particularly disruptive. Alonzo Jackson Jr. leads the way with seven tackles for loss, while Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield have recorded 5.5 apiece. Jackson's 1.75 tackles for loss per game ranks seventh nationally and leads the trio's pursuit of the conference's top individual marks.
The Bulldogs' 39 tackles for loss are tied for 10th nationally, while their average of 9.8 per game is tied for second in the country with East Carolina, behind Virginia Tech's 10.2.
Jackson also leads Louisiana Tech with four sacks, tying for fourth in the Sun Belt and ranking among the top 20 players nationally. His average of one sack per game is tied for eighth among FBS defenders.
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 6 PREVIEW – Louisiana (4-1, 1-0 SBC) at Louisiana Tech (2-2, 0-0 SBC)
Location: Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium (28,562) | Ruston, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 10 | 6:30 p.m.
TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Malcolm Butler (play-by-play), Luke McCown (analyst); Kennedy Boughton (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 Tech leads, 48-33-6
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 21-19-2
In Ruston – Louisiana Tech leads, 29-12-4
Last 10 Meetings – Louisiana Tech, 8-2
Streak – Louisiana Tech +8
KICKING OFF
• Louisiana renews its oldest gridiron rivalry when it travels to face Sun Belt Conference newcomer Louisiana Tech on Saturday in Ruston.
• The game is the 88th edition of the all-time series that dates back to 1910.
LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• The game marks the 66th all-time meeting between Louisiana and Louisiana Tech in conference play, spanning the Southern Intercollegiate (1921-1938), Louisiana Intercollegiate (1939-47), Gulf States (1948-70), Southland (1971-81), Big West (1993-95) and Sun Belt (2026-present) conferences.
• The 87-game series between Louisiana and Louisiana Tech is the second-longest among in-state programs after LSU-Tulane (98 games).
• It is the first conference meeting between the two programs since 1995 - a 40-33 UL victory at Cajun Field.
• The meeting is the fifth between the schools since the turn of the century.
• The schools played on a yearly basis from 1924-1986 before resuming the series from 1988-2000.
• Louisiana will look to snap an eight-game losing streak to its North Louisiana neighbors with its last victory coming in 1996 in a 37-31 contest.
• Eleven of Louisiana's 68 in-state players on the 2026 roster hail from the I-20 corridor.
• Louisiana comes into the 2026 season with 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.
• Louisiana 4-1 start to the season is its first since 2024 when it finished 10-2 during the regular season and earned a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game.
• 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.
• With his next victory, head coach Michael Desormeaux will move into a sixth-place tie with Clement J. McNaspy (33 wins - 1908-11, 1913, 1917-18) on the program's all-time list.
• Louisiana is one of 11 FBS teams that are perfect in the red zone (20-for-20) this season and is fourth overall in completion percentage (.739).
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
• Louisiana is one of 11 FBS teams that is perfect in red zone offense through Week 5 of the 2026 season.
• The Cajuns have converted on all 20 trips to the red zone with 15 resulting in TDs.
• Louisiana quarterbacks are completing 74 percent of their passes to lead the Sun Belt Conference and rank fourth among FBS programs.
• Louisiana (.750) ranks tied with James Madison (.750) for fourth-down conversions and rank 12th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns top the SBC in total defense, allowing 267.2 yards per game to rank 19th nationally.
• The Ragin' Cajuns allow 19.4 points per game to rank 42nd nationally and third in the SBC behind JMU (13.2) and Georgia State (19.0).
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 175.8 yards passing per game to rank second in the SBC and 33rd 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' 10 turnovers gained lead the SBC and ranks fourth among FBS programs.
• The UL defense has allowed 10 trips into the red zone in 2026 and rank sixth in the league (8-for-10) and 47th in FBS.
• Louisiana is holding opponents to 1-for-10 (.100) on fourth down to rank fifth nationally.
"SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ..."
• Louisiana Tech makes its debut as a Sun Belt Conference football school as it returns to the league after being a member from 1991-2001.
• The Bulldogs moved over to the premier non-autonomy FBS league in the College Football Playoff era after competing in Conference USA from 2013-25.
• Under head coach Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech has earned home wins over Northwestern State and Army with losses at Power 4 programs LSU and Baylor.
• Louisiana Tech went 8-5 in 2025, closing the season on a three-game winning streak. The Bulldogs earned a 23-14 win over Coastal Carolina in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, their first bowl championship since a string of six-straight under Skip Holtz from 2014-19.
• Since rejoining the FBS ranks in 1989, the Bulldogs are 224-220-4, including reaching a bowl game in nine of the past 12 seasons.
• Quarterbacks Trey Kukuk and Blake Baker direct an offense that ranks third in the Sun Belt in scoring (36.0).
• Preseason All-SBC linebacker Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield are the leaders on a stingy Bulldog defense that ranks second among FBS schools in tackles for loss (9.8 per game) and second in the SBC behind Louisiana (10) in turnovers gained (8).
CAJUNS FACE THE SBC WEST GUANTLET
• For Louisiana to return to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game for the sixth time since 2018, it will have to go through an SBC West Division gauntlet that includes six straight games.
• Louisiana opened with Arkansas State on Oct. 3 and will face Louisiana Tech (Oct. 10), defending SBC West champ Troy (Oct. 17), Southern Miss (Oct. 24), South Alabama (Nov. 7) and ULM (Nov. 12).
• The Ragin' Cajuns close out the 2026 regular season with games against SBC East Division foes – Coastal Carolina (Nov. 21) and Georgia State (Nov. 28).
THE OLDEST IN-STATE GRIDIRON RIVALRIES
• The Louisiana-Louisiana Tech series is one of three in-state rivalries that have surpassed 80 games.
• A look at the longest in-state rivalries are listed below:
LSU-Tulane – 98
Louisiana-Louisiana Tech – 87
Louisiana Tech-Northwestern State – 81
McNeese-Northwestern State – 74
Louisiana-Northwestern State – 73
Southeastern Louisiana-Northwestern State – 72
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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