Snyder’s 53-yard field goal lifts No. 19 Cajuns over Georgia Southern

The Ragin’ #Cajuns go 3-0 for the first time since 1988 as their Kicker Nate Snyder drills a 53-yard field goal in a walk-off the finish 🔥🦞 pic.twitter.com/39drvO58rA

— Off the Dome: Louisiana Sports Broadcast (@OTDsports09) September 26, 2020

LAFAYETTE – Redshirt junior placekicker Nate Snyder sent a 53-yard field goal sailing through the uprights as time expired to send No. 19 Louisiana past Georgia Southern, 20-18, on Saturday afternoon at Cajun Field.

Snyder’s made kick is just the seventh of 53-yards or more in program history and is the longest kick by a Ragin’ Cajun since Stevie Artigue drilled a 53-yarder during the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game at Appalachian State on Dec. 7, 2019.

Louisiana is now 3-0 on the year, its best start to a season since opening the 1988 campaign with the same record, while the victory marks the first time that the Ragin’ Cajuns have defeated both Georgia State and Georgia Southern in the same year.

Leading the charge for the Ragin’ Cajuns on defense was linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill, who posted a monster game with a career-high 14 tackles, his third-straight double-digit tackle performance. The 14 tackles are the most by a Ragin’ Cajun since Tracy Walker was credited with 15 at Appalachian State on Dec. 2, 2017.

Bralen Trahan also finished the game with double-digit tackles (11) and added an interception, the fifth of his career. He now has the second-most interceptions of any Ragin’ Cajun in the last five years behind Walker (6).

Senior running back Trey Ragas was a handful as both a rusher and receiver, carrying the ball 15 times for 52 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in a team-leading four passes for 54 yards. Sophomore Peter LeBlanc led the team in receiving yards with 64 and Chris Smith posted a team-best 54 rushing yards.

Errol Rogers, Jr., had a big day, catching three passes for 39 yards and his first career touchdown reception, while Kyren Lacy and Devon Pauley each notched two receptions for 47 yards.

Louisiana’s field general Levi Lewis threw for 290 yards, moving him ahead of Roy Henry for seventh all-time in career passing yards with 4,735. Lewis also added his fourth touchdown of the season and tacked on 15 yards on the ground.

After both teams traded 70-plus yard possessions to open the game, the visitors struck first on their second drive when J.D. King scored from two yards out to put Georgia Southern ahead, 7-0, and cap off an 85-yard drive.

Not to be outdone, Louisiana strung together a nine-play, 83-yard drive of its own on the next possession that was finished off by a 10-yard Ragas touchdown and tied the game.

With the score holding steady at halftime, the two teams tacked on a field goal each in the third quarter before Lewis connected with Rogers on a 27-yard touchdown pass to give Louisiana its first lead of the game at 17-10 with 10:34 left in the final quarter.

Georgia Southern looked to have stolen the game with 54 seconds remaining when Khaleb Hood scored a 28-yard touchdown and the Eagles converted on a two-point conversion to go ahead 18-17.

However, a composed Ragin’ Cajuns team took the ball 39 yards over the next 52 seconds to set up a 53-yard attempt for Snyder, who split the uprights with room to spare to snag the 20-18 win in the home opener.

No. 19 Louisiana returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 7, when it travels to Boone, N.C., to take off with Appalachian State. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

More information on Louisiana Football tickets can be obtained by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at the CAJUNDOME, (337) 265-2170. For information on parking passes, contact RCAF by phone at (337) 851-2903.

Louisiana Athletics does not currently anticipate changes to the 2020 football schedule, but in the event of modifications due to the coronavirus pandemic, the department will work to resolve outstanding account balances and if necessary, issue refunds.

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