Football: No. 8″”One for the Ages + photo galleries of tailgating, senior day, game images 11/6/11

Football: No. 8""One for the Ages � photo galleries of tailgating, senior day, game images 11/6/11

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Nov. 6, 2011

UL tight end Ladarius Green (89) breaks the tackle of ULM defensive player Darius Prelow (37) for a touchdown during their game at Cajun Field Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, in Lafayette. (Photo by Brad Kemp/ bkemp@theadvertiser.com)

Tyrell Gaddies was flat on his back, hands over his face. Le’Marcus Gibson was down on his knees, so overwhelmed others had to hold him. Devon Lewis-Buchanan, Qyen Griffin and Marcus Jackson hugged and bounced in a circle of three, somewhere near the 50.

Their emotion was pure.

It was raw.

It was almost too much to handle after UL rallied from 11 points down with just more than two minutes remaining Saturday, beating UL Monroe 36-35 in front of 28,176 on Senior Day at Cajun Field to cap the program’s first undefeated season at home since 1987.

"Wow," coach Mark Hudspeth said after the Cajuns closed 5-0 at home.

"I cried, man," said Lewis-Buchanan, a senior linebacker actually short of breath more than half-an-hour later. "Aw, man; I couldn’t believe it. This was the best game ever in Cajun Field history I’ve been a part of. "» Aw, man. It’s crazy."

It was the eighth win in their last nine outings for the 8-2 Cajuns, who got 355 yards and four touchdowns on 30-of-47 passing from quarterback Blaine Gautier, 13 catches for 136 yards and two TDs from tight end Ladarius Green, a last-minute touchdown from Alonzo Harris and one

incredible memory-maker on a night 16 seniors represented UL for the final time at Cajun Field.

"The way the game ended: storybook," said Gaddies, a defensive lineman. "Storybook, man."

"The whole team left it on the field," linebacker Gibson, still stunned, added before heading one last up the stadium’s tunnel leading to UL’s lockerroom. "And I thank all these juniors and sophomores and freshmen — for ballin’ for us seniors, man. We needed this one."

With it, the bowl-bound Cajuns’ hopes for winning the Sun Belt Conference championship — or at least a share of it, based largely on the outcome of next Saturday’s visit to league-leader Arkansas State — remain alive.

Only, though, by the hair of a Brett Baer onsides kick recovered by Green and two late UL touchdowns.

With Monroe (2-7, 1-4 in the Sun Belt) up 35-24 after three straight Warhawk second-half scores erased a 24-14 UL halftime lead, Gautier — his mobility somewhat limited by a knee injury sustained earlier in the game — threw a 16-yard TD pass to Darryl Surgent with two minutes and five seconds remaining.

The Cajuns (6-1 in the Sun Belt) went for two points afterward, but Gautier’s throw to the back of the end zone fell incomplete.

Baer then lined up for the ensuing kickoff, his special tee for onsides deliveries rescued from the locker room by e-x-Cajun punter Spencer Ortego.

After going more than 10 yards, Baer’s kick deflected off of Brad McGuire and into the hands of Green.

"I was praying the whole time that we could catch a break," Gaddies said, "and thank God we got that break."

They took advantage of it, too.

"I knew once we recovered (it) that Blaine (Gautier and them were going to do an awesome job," Baer said. "And they did."

UL got the ball at Monroe’s 39, and after Gautier completed passes of 12 yards to Rob Walker and 24 yards to Javone Lawson freshman tailback Harris ran in from 3 yards out.

UL again went for two, and this time Harris was stopped short, allowing Monroe 59 seconds to drive from their own 28 for a game-winning field goal.

Six plays, later, though Warhawks quarterback Kolton Browning ran out of bounds near midfield as time expired — sending Hudspeth’s club into what surely ranks as one Cajun Field’s wildest celebrations ever.

Cajun players did a postgame lap, slapping hands with fans who lined the stadium’s lowest row.

Later, in a trailer where postgame interviews are held, Hudspeth patted Green’s head and Lewis-Buchanan shook his.

"I was thinking about it," Green said, "all day: ‘It’s our last game; we’ve got to out with a bang.’ "

Did they ever, though only after some early fizzing.

Monroe jumped to a 14-0 lead behind two first-quarter touchdown runs, a 62-yarder up the middle by Browning and a 4-yarder up the middle by running back Jyruss Edwards.

Then the Cajuns shook their early game grogginess.

After a 1-yard rugby-style punt by Aaron Munoz, Gautier found Green wide open on the right side. Green ran untouched most of the most of the way, then made a mini cutback near the goalline to complete a 22-yard touchdown pass.

That was the first in a string of three straight Cajun touchdowns, all scoring strikes thrown by Gautier.

The junior QB hit Lawson on the left side of the end zone with 7:38 left before halftime, a 17-yard TD set up by Gautier’s own 42-yard run up the middle.

Just more than two minutes later, Gautier and Green teamed again — this time on a 43-yard TD pass that was UL’s only play of the drive.

Green’s defender fell, allowing the Cajuns tight end to stroll in with his 21st career touchdown — now No. 2 behind Brandon Stokley (25) on UL’s all-time TD receptions list.

Before the half was done, Baer would add a field goal — a 41-yarder, his sixth of the season from 40-plus — to make it 24-14 Cajuns.

Monroe did storm back, though, going up 11 behind Edwards’ 5-yard touchdown run, Browning’s 12-yard scoring pass to Edwards and Edwards’ fourth TD of the game, a 3-yard run with 3:08 left.

And then that was all erased.

"These are the games you kind of dream about," Gautier said. "We didn’t think we’d be in this position, but we definitely knew that no matter what we were going to win that fourth quarter."

"I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry after this game, but there was just so much emotion," Green added. "You see all the people that you work hard with, you play hard with, you bleed with, and you can’t help but get emotional about it."

Plenty of Cajuns did.

"We’re blessed, man," Gaddies said. "We’re so blessed right now, and I’m so happy we got this done.’

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here for the Tailgating Photo Gallery of Saturday’s ULM game.

Click here for the on-the-field  #1 Photo Gallery  which includes the Senior Day images.

Click here for the #2 photo gallery.

Click here for the #3 photo gallery.

Click here for the #4 photo gallery.