Football: McGuire, Cadona Each Claim Sun Belt Honors

McGuire adds LSWA honors; Cadona tabbed by SBC for second time

NEW ORLEANS – Running back Elijah McGuire and punter Daniel Cadona each earned honors from the Sun Belt Conference on Monday as the league announced its Players of the Week.
 
McGuire, a sophomore from Houma, was named the SBC Offensive Player of the Week while Cadona, a senior from Darwin, N.T., Australia, was picked as the Special Teams Player of the Week. Texas State’s David Mayo was named the Defensive Player of the Week.
 
McGuire, who also earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) honors, rushed for a career-high 265 yards and rushed for four touchdowns in the Ragin’ Cajuns 55-40 nationally-televised victory over Arkansas State last Tuesday. He scored on TD runs of 74 (a career-long) and 13 yards in the second quarter before scoring twice in the final 3:30 of the game on runs of 43 and 54 yards.
 
His 265-yard performance was the eighth 200-yard rushing game in school history and the third-best overall behind Tyrell Fenroy (297 vs. ULM, 2008) and Brian Mitchell (271 vs. Colorado State, 1987). The performance moved McGuire into the FBS lead in yards per carry on the season (9.43 yards).
 
Cadona averaged 45.0 yards on six attempts, recording a long of 59 yards and placed five of his attempts inside the A-State 13-yard line (13, 5, 9, 10 and 7). The SBC award for Cadona was the second of the season after he claimed the award on Sept. 15 following the Ragin’ Cajuns road contest at nationally-ranked Ole Miss.
 
On the season, Cadona is second in the Sun Belt Conference, and 15th nationally, with a 44.8 average and has placed 18 of his 35 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
 
Louisiana (4-3, 3-0 SBC) will return to action on Saturday when it plays host to South Alabama (5-2, 4-1 SBC) in a 4:05 p.m. contest at Cajun Field.