Football: UL defends turf in 30-22 win over McNeese

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Sept. 11, 2016

Their defense was different, and — although far from perfect — a difference-maker with the pass rush it produced.

Their offense got rolling, from quarterback Anthony Jennings leading the way, running back Elijah McGuire moving up in the school record and redshirt freshman Ja’Marcus Bradley having a breakdown.

And even a lightning delay wasn’t enough to slow down UL in just its second meeting with former rival McNeese State since 1986.

Two touchdown runs and one TD throw by Jennings carried the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 30-22 non-conference win over the Cowboys, lifting UL to 1-1 heading into the start of Sun Belt Conference play Saturday against South Alabama.

“I’m proud of the way the guys prepared,” said UL head coach Mark Hudspeth, who fired defensive coordinator Melvin Smith one day after a season-opening 45-10 loss to Boise State. “I was proud of the way they overcame adversity this week.

“That was the thing I told them I was most proud about, is the way … they rallied together this week and found a way to improve, and I think it was pretty evident on the field with some guys that had some pretty good efforts.”

Jennings finished 15-of-21 for 170 yards and ran 10 times for 47.

McGuire had 19 carries for 139 yards, passing Alonzo Harris (3,330 yards) and Brian Mitchell (3,335) to become UL’s No. 2 all-time rusher behind only Tyrell Fenroy (4,646).

“It feels good,” said McGuire, who walked into a news conference carrying a football. “I don’t think since the four years I’ve got a game ball yet, so to get that first one means something to me, man.

“Not just to me. To the whole team, showing we’re doing something right.”

UL also got 3.5 tackles-for-loss including three sacks from defensive end Trev Miller, one of several new starters on a Cajun defense ramped with several new starters.

Miller was ejected late in the fourth quarter with a targeting penalty, however, and will have to sit out the first half of the South Alabama game.

UL and McNeese State went into a 42-minute lighting delay with the Cajuns leading 27-15 with one minute and 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

“When we ran out for the lightning delay somewhat hurt us, because, man, we had really had the momentum all our way,” Hudspeth said. “We felt like we (were) starting to wear them down physically.

“Then obviously the delay gave them new energy, new juice. And you’ve got to give them credit. They’ve got an outstanding football team.”

Down 14-12 at halftime, McNeese State used a 28-yard field goal from Trent Manuel with 9:31 left in the third quarter to take a 15-12 lead.

But UL drove 61 yards in six plays the other way, going up 21-15 with a 7-yard touchdown run from Raymond Calais Jr. — the first TD as a Cajun for the true freshman from Cecilia High — and Stevie Artigue’s PAT.

The Cajuns pushed their lead to 27-15 as quarterback Jennings, diving to the corner at the end, ran in from 5 yards before the third quarter was done.

“The offensive line did a great job tonight. I give all the credit to those guys,” Jennings said of a line that was much-maligned in the loss to Boise State.

“We just executing plays that we have at hand, and it helped out. We got on a roll, and it was up from there.

A field goal from Artigue with 5:01 left, after the break, made it 30-15, and McNeese made it seem closer only after a 3-yard Dylan Long touchdown run with 12 seconds to go.

A Trev Miller coverage sack kept McNeese State out of the end zone on its opening drive of the night, but the Cowboys came away with a 34-yard Manuel field goal after going 59 yards in 14 plays and 6:27.

UL turned the ball over on downs when a high snap caused wildcat quarterback Jalen Nixon to be tackled for a loss, but the Cajuns got the ball back when juco-transfer defensive end Jarvis Jeffries recovered an errant McNeese State lateral pass.

On UL’s ensuing play, Jennings hit redshirt freshman Ja’Marcus Bradley with a 17-yard pass — Bradley’s first TD reception as a Cajun.

“I just stay humble,” said Bradley, who had six catches for 97 yards in just his second game for UL.

Artigue’s PAT put UL up 7-3 with 4:11 left in the opening quarter.

A second time-consuming drive for McNeese State ended with another Manuel field goal, this time a 40-yarder that made it 7-6 with 9:36 left in the second quarter.

The field goal came after 14 plays in a drive that went only 35 yards, but took 6:01.

UL extended its lead to 14-6 with a 10-play, 82-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Jennings and an Artigue PAT with 6:14 left in the first half.

McNeese answered with a 1-yard TD run from Long, then called timeout and decided to go for two points and the tie. But Tracy Walker broke up James Tabary’s conversion pass, leaving it 14-12 UL with 30 seconds left in the opening half.

“I just know how hard we worked his week, and coming into this game had to get the guys going on that Sunday after that loss,” Jennings said after a second straight no-turnover game for the UL offense.

“It just meant something  to me this week to get on a roll,” he added, “so we can give the confidence on this team a boost.”

Athletic Network Footnote by Ed Dugas.

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