Football: Cajuns Continue Rewriting History

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, November 16, 2013

 ATLANTA — With their 35-21 win Saturday at Georgia State, UL – depending on how ones looks at it – either tied or set its school record for same-season victories.

The 8-2 Ragin’ Cajuns have won eight in a row.

UL opened its 1976 season 8-0, but two of those games were later forfeited due to ineligible-player use.

So take your pick: Record tied, and record set.

This, though, is not open to debate, at least according to the record book: The Cajuns did tie their overall record for consecutive victories.

UL won its final seven games in 1916, when it finished 7-1 with only a season-opening 24-0 loss at LSU. It also won its first game of 1917, beating St. Charles College 26-0 before losing its next outing 20-6 at LSU and eventually finishing 8-2.

That 1916 team, incidentally, was coached by T.R. Mobley.

The 1917 team was coached by Clement J. McNaspy, whose name was on the stadium UL played in prior to the opening of current-home Cajun Field in 1971.

JOHNSON STEPS UP:

Out-for-the-season senior safety Rodney Gillis (ankle/leg surgery) and injured junior linebacker Tig Barksdale (hand) both traveled but did not play.

Barksdale’s injury is not thought to be season-ending, and he could return as soon as UL’s Nov. 30 game vs. UL Monroe.

With Barksdale out, Trae Johnson started instead and made his first start of the season.

He went into the game with seven total tackles this season – and picked up his seventh of the game in Saturday’s third quarter. Johnson finished with a team-high 12 total tackles.

WHITE OUT:

UL defensive lineman Marquis White did not travel with the team and did not play Saturday due to undisclosed violation of team rules.

White does remain with the program, though, a team spokesman said.

The sophomore from Orlando started UL’s last three games, including two that Christian Ringo missed due to a high ankle sprain.

With White out, Ringo – who did play in a Nov. 7 win over Troy – returned to the starting lineup for the first time since he hurt the ankle in an Oct. 15 win at Western Kentucky, and produced a fumble recovery.

DOME SWEET DOME:

By beating Georgia State in their first-ever appearance in the Georgia Dome, the Cajuns improved to 8-10 all-time while playing indoors.

The Georgia Dome is fourth indoor stadium in which they’ve played, joining the Superdome in New Orleans (where they are 6-7, including New Orleans Bowl wins in 2011 over San Diego State and 2012 over East Carolina), the Metrodome in Minneapolis (0-2 vs. Minnesota) and Idaho’s Kibbie Dome (1-1).

The visiting Cajuns used the Atlanta Falcons’ NFL locker room in the Georgia Dome for Saturday’s game.

ESPN BLUNDER:

ESPN3 used the wrong UL logo for a graphic on its online coverage of Saturday’s game, incorrectly using a leopard representing FCS-member Lafayette College of Pennsylvania.

SENIORS STRONG:

With Saturday’s win, UL’s seniors are now 29-19 over the last four years. That surpasses the 28 games won over four years by the 1970 Cajun team that went 28-14.

LAGNIAPPE:

Cajun captains were linebacker Justin Anderson, tight ends Ian Thompson and Jacob Maxwell, and defensive lineman Brandon McCray.… Anderson recorded his 100th tackle of the season in Saturday’s first quarter, giving him at least 100 in two straight seasons. He finished with eight. … The Cajuns wore black pants, white jerseys and white helmets.