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Football – GOING BOWLING? UL seniors go out on top; see photo galleriesFenroy’s number retired, Desormeaux throws 4 TDs in career night as Cajuns hit magic number
The two men share a long hug, celebrating a Senior Night victory that snapped a three-game losing streak and helped the Cajuns gain bowl eligibility for the third time in four years. "For some reason, the past few weeks we hadn’t been playing well on Saturdays," Desormeaux said. "But tonight we found a way to turn it on and get it done. "And it feels so good." Desormeaux teamed with senior running back Tyrell Fenroy and an opportunistic defense to put UL (6-6 overall, 5-2 Sun Belt) in position to earn its first bowl bid in 38 years. Playing on a torn meniscus in his left knee, Desormeaux threw a career-best four touchdown passes against one of the league’s top defenses. The New Iberia native also completed 18 of 25 passes, a 72 percent clip, for 243 yards. Fenroy, meanwhile, rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns before 15,321 in the mid-week game at Cajun Field. In a move that caught him by surprise, the school retired Fenroy’s No. 32 jersey in a ceremony before his final home game that brought out the emotions in the normally stoic senior. "I don’t think it’s even really hit me," Fenroy said. "Right now, all I can say is that it’s really tremendous." UL, holding a 35-28 lead early in the fourth quarter, got tremendous play from its defense down the stretch. The Cajuns forced turnovers on MTSU’s final three possessions to pull away and survive a game filled with offensive fireworks. Those late turnovers snapped a three-game winning streak and ended any hopes the Blue Raiders (5-7, 3-4) had of going bowling in December for the second time in three years. "It adds to the disappointment, and it adds to the hurt," MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said. "I’m very disappointed because we lost the game, and we had a chance to get to a bowl game." UL took a 21-7 lead early in the first quarter but poor tackling allowed MTSU to tie it up twice in the second half. Momentum appeared to swing in favor of the Blue Raiders after Joe Craddock’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Sancho McDonald on the first play of the fourth quarter knotted the game at 28-28. That’s when the Cajuns took control on both sides of the ball. Desormeaux answered right back, hitting wide receiver Jason Chery with an 18-yard scoring strike to put UL ahead, 35-28. UL’s defense came up big on the ensuing drive as linebacker Jezreel Washington forced a Desmond Gee fumble that was recovered by free safety Gerren Blount. The Cajuns dug deep into the playbook on the next possession as Chery took the direct snap and tossed the ball to Desormeaux, who fired a 37-yard touchdown pass to Louis Lee for a 14-point lead. On the first play of MTSU’s next drive, UL linebacker Daylon McCoy picked off Craddock. The Cajuns ended up punting it away, but Craddock – who threw for 242 yards and two scores – lost a fumble that was scooped up by Washington. UL kept the ball on the ground to run the final 1:42 off the clock to seal the win. The defense also held MTSU running back Phillip Tanner to two touchdowns. He set a Sun Belt record two weeks ago against North Texas with six touchdowns. "We came out and played for each other and stuck to the scheme," said UL strong safety Derik Keyes. "Those turnovers came through at the right time." For now, UL must play the waiting game concerning its postseason fate. The Cajuns can still clinch a share of the league title if Arkansas State beats Troy on Saturday, but they need more than that to reach a bowl game. Current bowl talk involves possible openings in the Texas Bowl in Houston, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport and the PapaJohn’s.com Bowl in Birmingham. Regardless of whether UL gets to play in a bowl game, Fenroy was happy with his team’s effort. "We came out, fought and won," he said. "That’s what we wanted to do. We did everything we needed to do to put ourselves in position to go to a bowl game." Bustle believes the Cajuns should get one more game this season. "There’s no question that this football team deserves a 13th game," Bustle said. "I know if we get it, we’re going to make somebody happy because we’re going to have a lot of fans there." Click Below for MTS vs. Cajuns Photo Gallery:
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