Louisiana isn’t a marquee bowl opponent, but TCU football can’t overlook them
After weeks of looking over constant projections, the Horned Frogs finally found out where and who they’ll be playing in the postseason on Sunday.
TCU will face Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque on Dec. 28 at 1:15 p.m. CST. It was a bummer for many fans that were expecting the Horned Frogs to get a crack at the Ragin Cajuns in-state big brother LSU or any other SEC like Texas A&M and Florida.
It’s not a splashy matchup or destination, but it’s still a bowl berth. Over the last decade, Louisiana has emerged as one of the top Group of Five programs in the country and you know they would love to end their season on a high note with an upset win over a team from the Big 12.
The Horned Frogs will be heavy favorites, but it’s important the program doesn’t let apathy set in just because it’s not a marquee matchup. Here’s four things to know about Louisiana:
QB uncertainty
Injuries have hit the Louisiana quarterback room hard as Louisiana has been without Sun Belt Player of the Year Ben Wooldridge since Week 12. There’s a chance TCU could face a third-string quarterback in New Mexico. Backup quarterback Chandler Fields sustained an injury in the second quarter of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 31-3 loss to Marshall in the Sun Belt Conference championship game this past Sunday.
UL football head coach Michael Desormeaux said postgame that the injury seems like it could be a long term deal which puts Fields’ status in question for the bowl game. Fields led Louisiana to a 2-1 record as a starter in the regular season with wins over Troy and Louisiana-Monroe and a loss to South Alabama.
Fields averaged 232 yards passing in those games and his completion % average was around 74. He wasn’t prolific, but the senior quarterback was efficient and knew how to run an offense. UL turned to freshman quarter Daniel Beale and it went about as well as you might think. Beale finished the Marshall game just 9-of-24 for 95 yards and an interception. It’s unclear if Wooldridge will be available for the bowl game.
RB stable
With the injuries to the quarterback room, Louisiana has leaned heavily on the running game and has three quality backs. The Ragin’ Cajuns leading rusher is Elijah Davis, a freshman running back that has produced 775 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Davis has two 100-yard games this season and is a promising young running back, but he was held to -2 yards against Marshall.
Behind him is Zylan Perry, a change of pace back that is averaging more than six yards per carry. Perry has 646 yards on the season and led Louisiana in rushing against Marshall. Finally there’s also Dre’lyn Washington, another running back averaging better than six yards per carry. Washington is third on the team with 478 yards.
Neither of the trio is as good as some of the running backs TCU has faced this season, but Louisiana will still try and test TCU’s physicality with its run game.
Standout defenders
Louisiana finished with the third best scoring defense in the Sun Belt thanks to a few standout defenders on the roster. The Ragin’ Cajuns are led by K.C. Ossai at linebacker. Ossai is a tackling machine with 110 tackles, 56 solo stops and an interception on the season.
Ossai was one of four defensive players to earn All-Sun Belt conference honors with a first team selection. Jordan Lawson was also an All-SBC pick as Lawson finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks and also added 10 tackles for loss. Linebacker Cameron Whitfield leads Louisiana with six sacks.
In the secondary, Louisiana had two more all-conference selections with Tyrone Lewis and Tyree Skipper. Both players have four interceptions each and Lewis is one of the top tacklers on the team with 70 stops this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense isn’t elite, but has enough pieces to make things challenging early if TCU isn’t prepared.
X-factors at receiver
Louisiana has two quality receivers it can lean on, depending on its quarterback situation. Tight end Terrance Carter is one of the best in the country at his position and the first team All-SBC selection has 689 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Listed at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Carter could be a problem in the middle of the field if he’s matched up against TCU’s linebackers.
At receiver Maryland transfer Lance Legendre is finally having a breakout season with a career-high 814 yards and six touchdowns. The former quarterback has embraced the position change in Louisiana and gives the Ragin’ Cajuns a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Both players are productive and talented, but whether or not they’ll make an impact will come down to who’s playing quarterback.
