Football: How a field goal at the end decided pressured filled Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns spring game

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, April 23, 2021

If facing pressure situations and handling them well was what he wanted out of UL’s 2021 spring game, Ragin’ Cajuns coach  Billy Napier got it.

Chandler Fields completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Bernard with 27 seconds left to pull his White team to within one, then followed with a two-point conversion throw to tight end Pearse Migl for the lead.

But Levi Lewis drove the Vermilion in position for a 51-yard game-winning field goal from Kenneth Almendares, who had missed from 45 earlier. Almendares nailed it as time expired in the 13-11 win Thursday night at Cajun Field.

“You couldn’t draw it up much better,” Napier said of the way it ended.

It was a fitting end for a team as experienced as the Cajuns, who have starters at every position on offense except running back and every position on defense except Jack outside linebacker returning. Top running backs Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas are 2021 NFL draft prospects, and linebacker Joe Dillon is done too.

But Lewis is back for his third season as a starter and leading 2020 tacklers Lorenzo McCaskill and Ferrod Gardner, who were both injured and out Thursday, return too. 

Some takeaways from Thursday:

Lewis got going late

Lewis looked less than sharp on his Vermilion’s team first drive, but he sure did heat up late.

The initial drive started with an incomplete pass thrown over the head of tight end Neal Johnson, and ended with Lewis getting intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Kris Moncrief.

Before the first half was done, however, Lewis connected with Johnson on a 5-yard TD throw and piloted a two-minute offense drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal from Almendares.

Lewis finished 15 of 26 for 167 yards on a night that could help him in the fall.

“It’s real valuable,” he said of the having to come from behind late, “mainly just being out there, getting the competitive experience out of everyone.”

Next step:How the Cajuns football can use ‘the deep shot’ to improve offense

Experience:Why Cajuns nose tackle Tayland Humphrey decided to wait for NFL Draft

Fields opened with accuracy

White starter Fields looked sharp from the get-go.

Fields, who shared backup duties and ran UL’s scout team last season, went 5 of 5 for 41 yards on his first drive, which ended in a punt.

Fields has been battling two newcomers, former Maryland backup Lance LeGendre and former Fresno State Ben Wooldridge, to be UL’s No. 2 in 2021.

Napier called Fields the clubhouse leader for the job early in the spring, and he appeared to help his cause while moving the chains Thursday. Fields finished 12 of 15 for 136 yards, which did not seem surprising at all to the Cajuns coach.

“What you saw today is what we’ve been seeing behind the scenes,” Napier said.