Ragin’ Cajuns host Warhawks in “Cajun Field” finale

Louisiana to honor Senior Class as 52-year old structure set for refurbishment

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns closes a chapter in its 52-year-old football history at Cajun Field on Saturday afternoon when it plays Sun Belt Conference and in-state opponent ULM in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp) and Eric Mouton (analyst) providing the commentary. Prior to kickoff, Louisiana will honor its senior class which played a vital role in the Ragin’ Cajuns 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Fans in the Lafayette area can listen to the call of Jay Walker (pxp), Gerald Broussard (analyst) and Cody Junot (sideline) on Hot 107.9 FM, 103.3 The Goat, KPEL 1420 AM or worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

The game against ULM (2-9, 0-7 SBC) marks the 288th and final contest for Louisiana (5-6, 2-5 SBC) at Cajun Field in the facilities’ current configuration. The venue, which has served as the home of Ragin’ Cajuns football since 1971, is set to undergo major renovations that will be completed in time for the 2025 season when it will be officially renamed as Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

Louisiana and ULM have played 21 times at Cajun Field dating back to 1971 with Louisiana holding a 13-8 lead. The in-state opponents meet for the 58th time overall in school history with Louisiana holding a 31-26-0 advantage and claiming 13 of the last 15 meetings since 2008. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won the previous two meetings in Lafayette, including a 21-16 victory during the 2021 season.

Thirty-three games in the all-time series between the Ragin’ Cajuns and Warhawks, which dates back to 1951, have been decided by eight points or less with 16 settled by at least a field goal.

With a win, Louisiana would become bowl eligible for a school-record sixth consecutive year and would join a deep Sun Belt Conference roster which could send a possible 12 of its 14 schools – the most of any FBS conference nationally – to the postseason.

Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@RaginCajuns) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Athletics.

GAME 12 PREVIEW – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (5-6, 2-5 SBC) vs. ULM Warhawks (2-9, 0-7 SBC)
Stadium/Location: Cajun Field (41,426) / Lafayette, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, November 25 at 2 p.m.

TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (PXP), Eric Mouton (Analyst)

Radio: Hot 107.9-FM, The GOAT 103.3, KPEL 1420 AM, Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (PXP), Gerald Broussard (Analyst), Cody Junot (Sideline)

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 31-26-0
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 16-13-0
In Troy: Louisiana leads, 14-12-0
Neutral Sites: Tied, 1-1
Streak: ULM +1
First Meeting: ULM, 13-7 – 9/15/51 in Lafayette
Last Meeting: ULM, 21-17 – 9/24/22 in Monroe

LOUISIANA CLOSES OUT REGULAR SEASON AGAINST ULM
• Louisiana closes out the regular season with its final game in Cajun Field in its current state as they take on ULM at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
• Louisiana is looking to register its sixth win of the year to become bowl eligible for the sixth consecutive season.
• Saturday’s finale is the 58th meeting all time between the two in-state schools with Louisiana winning four out of the last five and 13 of the last 15.

A LOOK AT THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
• Louisiana’s defensive has been a force on opposing quarterbacks, as the Cajuns have recorded 29 sacks. The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 2.55 sacks per game, which ranks tied for 34th nationally.
• Louisiana’s offense has been equally as impressive as the Ragin’ Cajuns average 30.5 points per game, which ranks fourth in the Sun Belt.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns rushing attack ranks 34th in the country and second in the Sun Belt at 179.3 yards per game.
• Jacob Kibodi, who was put on scholarship following the win at UAB, leads the team in rushing with 674 yards to go along with six touchdowns. Kibodi is averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
• Cameron Whitfield has made an impact defensively as he is the team’s leader in sacks with seven to go along with eight tackles for loss, which ranks second on the team. Whitfield was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week following his performance at South Alabama in which he had 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
• Kendre’ Gant has stepped up for the Louisiana defense as he ranks first on the team with 12 tackles for loss, second in sacks at 6 and third in tackles with 64. He has also forced three fumbles while recovering three, including one for a touchdown at South Alabama.
• Kenneth Almendares has continued his stellar play from a year ago as he enters Saturday’s contest 12-for-13 on his field goal attempts and tied the school record for most consecutive field goals made at 18.
• Chandler Fields, Louisiana’s third starting QB of the season, has thrown for 542 yards, five touchdowns and completed 68.8% (53 of 77) of his passes in his two starts against Southern Miss and Troy.

LOOKING BACK AT TROY
• Chandler Fields threw for a career-high 282 yards and three touchdowns as he completed passes to 12 different receivers.
• Fields set career bests in both attempts (39) and completions (29). His 29 completions against the Trojans were the most by a Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback since Blaine Gautier completed 30 passes (in 47 attempts) against ULM in 2011.
• Harvey Broussard led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 54 receiving yards as Neal Johnson, Terrance Carter and Robert Williams hauled in a touchdown.
• Zylan Perry was the team’s leading rusher with 44 yards on eight carries and also had a pair of receptions for 23 yards.
• Defensively, Tyrone Lewis Jr. registered a team-high 11 tackles as K.C. Ossai tallied eight. Keyon Martin recorded four pass breakups while Shadwel Nkuba II had three.

AGAINST THE WARHAWKS
• Saturday’s meeting is the 58th meeting all-time with Louisiana holding a 31-26 advantage over ULM.
• Louisiana has won four of the last five meetings and seven of the last nine.
• Five of the last six games in the series have been decided by six points or less. In 2020, the Ragin’ Cajuns defeated ULM, 70-20, in Monroe, marking the largest margin of victory in the series.

CHANDLER TAKES OVER AS STARTING QUARTERBACK
• Chandler Fields became the third Louisiana starting quarterback this season after making the start against Southern Miss where he threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns while completing 24 of his 38 passes.
• Fields threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns at Troy against a defense that had only allowed nine passing touchdowns all season heading into the game. Fields spread the wealth as he completed a pass to 12 different receivers.
• No stranger to the starting role, Fields opened the 2022 season as the starter before suffering an injury and regained the starting role for the last three games of the season, leading the Ragin’ Cajuns to a bowl game with a win over Texas State in the regular season finale.
• Last season, Fields threw for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns and completed 106 of his 182 attempts.
• For his career, he has completed 183-of-301 passes for 1,913 yards and 17 touchdowns.
• The New Orleans native was one of the top quarterback prospects in the state of Louisiana and helped Archbishop Rummel to a 9-3 record his senior year and was the quarterback for NFL star Ja’Marr Chase.

GRADUATES
• Twelve Ragin’ Cajuns proudly don the Sun Belt graduate patch on their jersey after graduating with their Bachelor’s degree.
• The list includes Kenneth Almendares, Jacob Bernard, Glenn Brown, Kaleb Carter, Alan Guerrieri, Jacob Kibodi, Thomas Leo, Patrick Mensah, Pearse Migl, James Ohonba, Nathan Thomas and Ben Wooldridge.

125TH ANNIVERSARY
• Throughout the 2023-24 athletics season, all Louisiana sports teams will celebrate the University’s 125th anniversary.
• The 125 logo will be displayed on Louisiana’s helmets and throughout Cajun Field.
• On July 14, 1898, Louisiana Governor Murphy J. Foster signed Act 162 to establish Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
• The University has been a staple in the Lafayette community and was designated as a Carnegie R1 university in 2022.