NEW ORLEANS – After helping the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to a 49-27 victory over Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams, quarterback Jalen Nixon and defensive back Jeryl Brazil each earned SBC Player of the Week honors in a release by the league office on Monday.
 
Nixon, a junior from Carencro, La., was named the SBC Offensive Player of the Week with Brazil, a junior from Loranger, La., being selected as the SBC Special Teams Player of the Week. The awards were the first
 
Nixon, who was making his second career start for the Ragin’ Cajuns, completed 22 of 29 passes for 238 yards and three TDs, while rushing for 45 yards on seven carries with a TD. The junior set career-best for completions, passing yards and touchdowns and helped the Ragin’ Cajuns score 28 unanswered points that erased a 14-7 deficit in the second quarter.
 
His 22-yard scoring pass to Al Riles tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter before his 17-yard TD pass to Jamal Robinson knotted the game at 14-14 heading into the half. Nixon later connected with Robinson on a 31-yard scoring pass in the third quarter that gave the Ragin’ Cajuns the lead for good before adding an 18-yard TD run that gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a 35-14 lead in the third quarter.
 
Brazil tied a school-record with a 100-yard kick return in the third quarter that gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a 42-21 lead. Brazil’s TD – the first of his collegiate career – followed a 95-yard kickoff return by Texas State’s Brandon Smith that had cut the lead to 35-21 with 2:17 remaining in the period.
 
The return by Brazil, who is eighth among FBS players with a 32.0 average, was the first kickoff return scored by the Ragin’ Cajuns since Darryl Surgent returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score at Kansas State in 2013.
 
Louisiana (2-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) will return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 20 when it travels to face Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Conference game that will be televised on ESPN2.