Football – Finishing strong: Cajuns beleaguered ‘D’ rallies to save season

Bob Heist • bheist@theadvertiser.com • December 4, 2008

The stats aren’t misleading. Middle Tennessee became the fourth straight team to run up more than 400 yards of total offense on the UL defense.

But there was one difference between losses the three previous games against UTEP (37-24), Florida Atlantic (40-29) and Troy (48-3) on Wednesday night against the Blue Raiders. This time, with possible history hanging in the balance for the program, the Cajun defense finished.

"We knew it was on us," said strong safety Derik Keyes following the 42-28 victory at Cajun Field that kept UL (6-6) alive for its first bowl berth in 38 years. "It was a shootout for three quarters, but then we got some things done and took control.

"As a defense, we just said enough and finished this thing."

In the three consecutive losses as the season was winding down, UTEP, FAU and Troy riddled the Cajuns for 1,390 yards and 16 offensive touchdowns. A 5-3 season dropped to 5-6.

It looked like 5-7 was possible after MTSU rattled off three touchdowns on four possessions that spanned 46 plays and 273 yards over the course of the second and third quarters. The only failed drive ended on a missed field goal right before halftime. The final score came on a 15-yard pass from Joe Craddock to Sancho McDonald to tie the game at 28 just seven seconds into the fourth quarter.

Then the tide turned.

"It was frustrating, but all week we just talked about taking it one play at a time and finding a way," UL linebacker Daylon McCoy said. "The first turnover was the key. After that the ball just kept going our way."

While the Cajuns were salting away the win with a pair of Michael Desormeaux touchdown passes to Jason Chery and Louis Lee in the fourth quarter, MTSU was giving it away. First was a fumble recovery by Gerren Blount … then a McCoy interception … then a Jez Washington fumble recovery.

MTSU ran just 10 plays for 55 yards until the final horn sounded.

"When it got to a two-score game late, we knew we couldn’t run it like we had been," Blue Raiders coach Rick Stockstill said. "Then they just did a good job of being around the ball."

"All we talked about this week is doing whatever it takes. That’s what those guys did," Desormeaux said. "The turnovers at the end of the game were huge. I mean, we won by two touchdowns and those were potentially three scores for them. I’m proud of them. They never get enough credit on defense, but tonight, you can’t deny them. They got it done when we needed it and that’s all that matters in football."