Football: Top 40 moments in Cajun Field history

Daily Advertiser, August 18, 2010

To commemorate UL’s 40th anniversary at Cajun Field, the school and a selected panel of long-time, local media have compiled a list of the top 40 moments in the stadium.

UL’s athletic department now wants the Cajun fans to rank those moments. The full list of those rankings are on Page 2D of today’s sports section. Send your rankings to CajunFieldTop40@gmail.com or fax them to 337-482-6529 before Aug. 20 to be included in the process.

The results will be announced in UL’s game-day program "Geaux" when the Cajuns play host to Arkansas State on Sept. 11 in their home opener, also their first Sun Belt game of the season. There’s more information about the process at ragincajuns.com.

Below is a list of the 40 games to choose from:

9/25/71 — Opening night at Cajun Field provides first shutout, UL 21, Santa Clara 0

10/26/74 — Harold Porter’s five-yard catch turns into 95-yard TD, UL 21, Chattanooga 20

10/5/74 — Rafael Septien kicks record 57-yard FG and 52-yarder, Lamar 38, UL 13

10/2/76 — Cajuns have big comeback win vs. La. Tech to finish 7-0 at home, UL 31, LT 26

11/25/77 — Cajuns play to 9-9 tie on ABC regional TV, set attendance mark with 25,224 per game

11/18/78 — Frank "The Tank" Bartley’s 30-tackle game, Southern Illinois 10, UL 9

11/2/79 — "Black Rose" game, 1st Cypress Knee trophy awarded as Acadiana High avenges ’78 loss to LHS

9/6/80 — Sam Robertson’s first game memorable, UL 14, New Mexico State 12

11/16/82 — Most left Homecoming game at halftime and missed amazing comeback, UL 40, ULM 26

11/12/83 — Cajuns shake 1-6 start with first win over long-time rival since ’72, UL 48, McNeese State 16

11/19/83 — Bad weather, no problem "» Thomas Jackson 35 carries for 175 yards, UL 13, La. Tech 9

9/6/86 — Hart Lee Dykes TD catch spoils Nelson Stokley’s first game, Oklahoma State 21, UL 20

11/21/87 — Brian Mitchell goes for 271 rushing and 205 passing and four TD, UL 35, Colorado State 28

11/19/88 — 5-foot-6 Joe Redding finishes career as NCA leader in career kick returns and yardage

11/11/89 — Brian Mitchell puts up five rushing TD’s, UL 42, Lamar 33

11/18/89 — Brian’s final game, 4 TD’s and the game-winner conversion—twice, UL 29, Arkansas State 28

10/6/90 — The rise of tailgating begins with Alabama visiting Cajun Field, Alabama 25, UL 6

11/3/90 — Brett Favre tallies late TD after weather kills scoreboard, USM 14, UL 13

11/21/92 — Tornado ends game and season seven minutes early

11/27/93 — Cajuns beat Tech to go 8-3 and win Big West, frosh QB Jake Delhomme goes 8-2 as starter

11/5/94 — Cajuns hang on to lock up second Big West title, UL 28, UNLV 27

11/4/95 — Delhomme (371), Prier (113), Stokley (12-147), Richard (117) historic stats in win over Tech

11/18/95 — Stokley caps greatest-ever NCAA freshman season without starting any games

9/14/96 — Britt Jackson’s 30-yard INT return is difference in only ranked-team win, UL 29, Texas A&M 22

9/14/96 — Goal post won’t fit in tunnel, so goes up the hill and out, UL 29, Texas A&M 22

11/9/96 — Jake Delhomme throws for five TD in last home game, UL 45, Northern Illinois 31

10/24/98 — Big Hype, Big Play—Daunte Culpepper has monster day, Central Florida 42, UL 10

11/21/98 — Both Stokley’s finale and Brandon becomes first-ever 100-yard career averager, UL 38, WKU 24

9/7/02 — Bustle’s first game buzz with Big 10 Minnesota, followed in two weeks by 34-0 shutout vs. UAB

8/22/03 — Saints Black and Gold Scrimmage brings capacity crowd

11/8/03 — Cajuns set NCAA record with second blocked FG touchdown in same season

10/29/05 — Sean Comiskey’s 40-yard FG in overtime is difference, UL 31, Troy 28

12/20/05 — Thanks, Katrina "» N.O. Bowl at Lafayette and Cajuns narrowly miss, USM 31, Arkansas State 19

12/2/06 — OL Brandon Cox starts record 46th straight game, the last one at wide receiver

9/20/08 — Michael Desormeaux goes for 150 rush/253 pass in first turf game, UL 44, Kent State 27

10/18/08 — Backup QB Brad McGuire leads rally from 23-14 down in final 4:16, UL 28, Arkansas State 23

11/1/08 — Fenroy is 4×1,000-yard rusher, 1000th game and Sun Belt-record 29,031 there, UL 49, FIU 20

12/3/08 — Fenroy’s jersey retired pregame, 2 TD & Desormeaux goes into QB rush record book

9/5/09 — Record 41,357 fans, Southern band salutes Michael Jackson and UL wins 42-19

9/12/09 — Tyler Albrecht’s 48-yard field goal at 0:32 is difference in upset, UL 17, Kansas State 15