Football: 3-and-OH: Cajuns win 28-23

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • October 19, 2008

Amid the celebration, Rickey Bustle somehow avoided a water-cooler bath after one of the biggest wins in program history.

"Everybody was too excited," said the seventh-year UL head football coach. "You would have had to hit a moving target."

With a bull’s-eye square on their back Saturday night, the Ragin’ Cajuns made a statement that reverberated across the Sun Belt with a 28-23 win over Arkansas State before 23,684 at Cajun Field.

Two late touchdowns helped the Cajuns (4-3 overall, 3-0 Sun Belt) erase a nine-point deficit and remain tied for first in the league standings with Troy.

UL trailed 24-13 with 7:39 left to play after quarterback Brad McGuire was intercepted by Arkansas State linebacker Darius Glover, who ran it 29 yards for a touchdown.

McGuire responded after his mistake, engineering scoring drives on the team’s final two possessions. The redshirt freshman, making his first career start in place of an injured Mike Desormeaux, scored on a 4-yard keeper to make it a two-point game.

After a sack on a blitz by UL linebacker Daylon McCoy resulted in an Arkansas State punt, McGuire marched UL down the field again on the game-winning drive. He completed two passes on third-and-long to senior Derrick Smith to extend the possession.

Tyrell Fenroy, who ran for a game-high 128 yards, scored on a 9-yard run up the middle gave the Cajuns a 28-23 lead with 42 seconds left.

Arkansas State (4-3, 2-1) got the ball back at its own 18-yard line with one final shot to pull a miracle. UL’s defense held strong, stopping the Red Wolves at midfield to secure the historic win.

"Our defense worked hard in practice this week," Fenroy said. "They gave our offense a chance.

"Our defense gave us a chance to win."

UL struggled to maintain its furious offensive pace to open the season. The Cajuns were out-gained, 335-313, as McGuire went 9-of-16 passing for 106 yards and two interceptions. He ran for 54 yards and two touchdowns for the nation’s top rushing attack.

But with Desormeaux out, the Cajuns ran for 189 yards – about 143 yards below their per-game average.

With the offense getting slowed, UL’s defense forced two turnovers and made the biggest stop of the night on the game’s final drive. Arkansas State entered the weekend with only six turnovers this season.

"We know when we fly around we make things happen," McCoy said. "Tonight, that was what we did."

Arkansas State’s defense made things happen early.

Early in the first quarter, defensive end Alex Carrington picked off McGuire early in the first quarter to give the Red Wolves the ball near midfield. Josh Arauco booted a 20-yard field goal a few minutes later.

When Arkansas State quarterback Corey Leonard hit Brandon Thompkins with an 11-yard touchdown pass, the Cajuns trailed 10-0 with 6:57 before halftime.

UL answered right back using some trickery. McGuire pitched the ball to Jason Chery, who tossed it to fellow wide receiver Richie Falgout. He then fired the ball to tight end Luke Aubrey in the right corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass to trim UL’s deficit to 10-7.

On its second drive of the third quarter, UL took its first lead of the game. McGuire gained 32 of the team’s 43 yards, capping it with a 1-yard dive to put the Cajuns up, 14-10 midway through the third quarter.

Arauco added two field goals, from 42 and 41 yards, over the 10 minutes. That helped Arkansas State go ahead, 16-14, with 7:55 left.

On the first play of the next possession, McGuire got picked off by Arkansas State linebacker Darius Glover at UL’s 29-yard line. The sophomore from Bossier City raced untouched to the end zone to make it 23-14.

Down nine points with 7:39 remaining, UL needed a miracle. McGuire, Smith and Fenroy were among the Cajuns to make it happen.

"I am still in awe of the win and the team effort we put out there," McGuire said. "These guys fought hard and stuck behind me."

UL is off this week before returning to the field on Nov. 1 against Florida International. The homecoming game will give the Cajuns another chance to show they deserve to be atop the conference standings.

The open week should give UL’s players and coaches some extra time to relish the win.

"We’re going to get us an extra day of celebration," McCoy said. "Tomorrow, after church of course, we might have to get some extra celebration in."

Maybe the Cajuns can finally track down Bustle and give him that ice-cold bath.

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