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Football: Rally Keeps UL Perfect in Sun Belt Play
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football team scored 14 points in the game’s final 7:39 to rally and defeat Arkansas State 28-23 here Saturday evening at Cajun Field.
The victory keeps the Cajuns undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play at 3-0. Louisiana improved to 4-3 overall.
Tyrell Fenroy gained 128 yards on the ground moving within 30 yards of 1,000 and was the hero as he broke through the Arkansas State defensive line with 42 seconds remaining in the game to score the winning touchdown.
When Arkansas State’s Darius Glover intercepted a Brad McGuire pass and returned it 29 yards to put ASU up 23-14 with 7:39 remaining, it seemed as though the Red Wolves (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) had escaped with a victory.
McGuire and the Ragin’ Cajuns responded to Glover’s pick with a 9 play, 57-yard drive over 3:23 to trim the Red Wolves lead to 23-21. McGuire had six carries for 32 yards on the drive including a four-yard touchdown run.
The Cajuns defense clamped down and forced ASU to a three-and-out. A Daylon McCoy sack for a 12-yard loss on second-and-six trapped the Red Wolves at their own three-yard line. A punt returned the ball to UL and set up the game-winning drive.
Faced with a third down-and-eight situation McGuire connected with Derrick Smith for a 14-yard pickup and a first down. McGuire would hit Smith on third-and-14 moments later, this time a 30-yard gain that moved Louisiana down to the ASU 9. That’s when the ball was given to Fenroy who bounced off tackles and rolled nine yards into the end zone to vault UL in front 28-23 with 42 seconds left to play.
McGuire, filling in for Michael Desormeaux, completed 9-of-16 passes for 106 yards – with 86 passing yards in the second stanza. He also gained 54 yards rushing.
Fenroy’s touchdown pulled him into a tie with Eugene Gross for the Sun Belt Conference rushing touchdown record with 41. Fenroy will enter the FIU game on Nov. 1 with 4,241 career rushing yards.
Before the final, dramatic seconds, the game maintained a tense back-and-forth nature. For the sixth time this season, the Cajuns allowed their opponent to strike first.
ASU got on the board thanks to an interception by Alex Carrington with a return to the Cajuns 18-yard line. A pass interference call on the Cajuns on third-and-11 moved the Red Wolves to the Cajuns 10-yard line. The defense was stout for three more plays, limiting ASU to a 20-yard field goal by Josh Arauco.
Daylon McCoy stopped a Red Wolves drive early in the second quarter with a fumble recovery at the Cajuns 20-yard line. The play was challenged by ASU head coach Steve Roberts, but the call on the field was upheld.
The Red Wolves struck midway through the second stanza. Another pass interference penalty on the Cajuns helped set-up an 11-yard pass from Corey Leonard to Brandon Thompkins.
Tyrell Fenroy put the Cajuns into the ASU red zone for the first time in the game thanks to a 52-yard gallop off the right side. Fenroy was pushed out of bounds at the Red Wolves 18-yard line. Two plays later, wide receiver Richie Falgout stopped short of the line of scrimmage on a reverse and lofted a perfect pass to tight end Luke Aubrey for a touchdown.
In his career, Falgout is 3-for-3 passing for 68 yards and three touchdowns. He is still looking for his first career touchdown reception.
Trailing 10-7, the Cajuns mounted a 10 play 44-yard scoring drive on their second possession of the second half to take a 14-10 lead. The Cajuns converted three third down attempts on the drive en route to the score. The key play on the drive was a 14-yard reception by Falgout on third-and-10 down to the seven yard line to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, quarterback Brad McGuire snuck the ball up the middle for a one-yard touchdown run – his first rushing TD of his career.
Arkansas State trimmed the Cajuns’ lead to 14-13 on their next possession with a 42-yard field goal with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter. The field goal capped a seven-play 46 yard scoring drive by ASU.
The Cajuns began the next drive on their own 31, following a 12-yard Jason Chery return on the kickoff. The Red Wolves snuck through the offensive line to drop McGuire for a loss of six yards on the first play from scrimmage, and despite an eight-yard rush from McGuire and a two-yard completion to Fenroy, the Cajuns were forced to punt. Spencer Ortego’s punt went 51-yards to put Arkansas State at their own 18.
Arkansas State picked up two consecutive first downs before the third quarter ended on two Leonard passes, for 11 and 27 yards to Thompkins and Johnson, respectively.
After pinning the Cajuns at their own 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter, the Red Wolves took advantage of a short punt by Spencer Ortego that landed at the UL40. Six plays later Josh Arauco gave ASU a 16-14 lead with a 41-yard field goal.
Louisiana has an open date next week. The Ragin’ Cajuns next time out will be Saturday, Nov. 1 at Cajun Field for a 4 p.m., contest with FIU. The game will serve as UL’s homecoming.
Arkansas State 3 7 3 10 23 Attendance: 23,684 Louisiana 0 7 7 14 28 Final
ASU Arauco 20 field goal, 6:24, 1st
ASU Thompkins 11 pass from Leonard (Arauco kick), 6:57, 2nd
UL Aubrey 18 pass from Falgout (Edmiston kick), 5:43, 2nd
UL McGuire 1 run (Edmiston kick), 6:05, 3rd
ASU Arauco 42 field goal, 3:03, 3rd
ASU Arauco 41 field goal, 7:55, 4th
ASU Glover 29 interception return (Arauco kick), 7:39, 4th
UL McGuire 4 run (Edmiston kick), 4:16, 4th
UL Fenroy 9 run (Edmiston kick), 00:42, 4th — Ragin’ Cajuns — Matthew L. Hebert Cox Communications Athletics Center Office: (337) 482-6330 — Office: (337) 482-6330
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