Football: Cajuns win a wild one with Arkansas State

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Nov. 26, 2016

UL won a wild one Saturday, holding on to beat Arkansas State 24-19 at Cajun Field.

The Red Wolves had about three minutes left to drive 80 yards on its final possession.

Quarterback Justice Hansen ran right past the line of scrimmage on 4th-and-10 from the 11, then lateraled the ball backward knowing he was going down.

An Arkansas State player ran in the ball, and the Red Wolves started to celebrate what they thought was a win.

But it was ruled upon review that Hansen’s knee was down before he heaved the ball, giving UL the win.

The 5-6 Cajuns now can become bowl-eligible with a win Dec. 3 at UL Monroe.

Arkansas State fell to 6-5 and lost for the first time in seven Sun Belt Conference games.

After two punts each by both teams on their first two possession, Arkansas State struck first with a 24-yard touchdown pass – thrown on 4th-and-8 – from Justice Hansen to wideout Dijon Pashal.

The PAT was good, putting the Red Wolves up 7-0 with six minutes and 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Cajuns tied it less than two minutes later after a jarring hit from linebacker Otha Peters on Christian Booker popped the ball into the hands of defensive lineman Taboris Lee, who ran in from 19 yards out for a pick-six that marked UL’s first defensive touchdown of the season.

UL followed that with a goal-line stand that featured key stops from Peters, linebacker Tre’maine Lightfoot and defensive end Joe Dillon.

The Cajuns got the ball at the 1, then drove 99 yards on a second-quarter drive that was capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Jennings to Elijah McGuire set up by a 30-yard throw from Jennings to Ja’Marcus Bradley.

UL, up 14-7 at the break, punted out of its first possession of the second half, and Arkansas State made it 14-10 on a 20-yard J.D. Houston field goal with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

The Cajuns responded with a two-play, 76-yard touchdown drive – a 42-yard throw from Jennings to Bradley followed by a 34-yard slant pass to slot receiver Al Riles that helped to put UL up 21-10.

Houston missed a 40-yard field goal attempt later in the third quarter, but he hit a 30-yarder to open the fourth, making it 21-13 Cajuns.

A 34-yard Stevie Artigue field goal later made it 24-13.