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Football: No. 23 Louisiana Cruises Past ULM, 70-20Season-high 70 points scored by the Ragin’ Cajuns the most in series history
MONROE, La. – No. 23 Louisiana scored a season-high 70 points behind five total touchdowns from quarterback Levi Lewis to cruise past in-state rival ULM, 70-20, on Saturday afternoon at Malone Stadium.
The 70 points scored by the Ragin’ Cajuns (8-1, 6-1 SBC) marks the most points scored by either team in the series and Louisiana’s most points since posting 77 against Texas Southern on Sept. 14, 2019. The 50-point margin of victory also marks series high.
Lewis did it all on Saturday, throwing for 147 yards and three scores, while rushing five times for 55 yards and two touchdowns, the first time in his career he has rushed for two scores in a single game.
With his three touchdown passes, Lewis passed Terrance Broadway to move into second place in all-time career passing touchdowns with 51, while becoming one of five Ragin’ Cajuns to account for five total scores in one game in the last 20 years.
Freshman Kyren Lacy was the recipient of a game-high five passes for 48 yards and a 22-yard touchdown, with tight ends Johnny Lumpkin and Neal Johnson each bringing in two passes and a touchdown in the contest. Kaleb Carter also hauled in a touchdown pass, the first of his career.
The dynamic rushing duo of Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell were both stellar against ULM. Ragas rushed for 95 yards and a score and Mitchell added 93 yards and a score of his own.
Mitchell’s touchdown was the 40th of his career, making him one five Ragin’ Cajuns with 40 or more career rushing scores, while also becoming the sixth player in program history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark. Ragas, on the other hand, continued to move up the all-time rushing list and further cemented himself into third place in all-time career rushing.
Louisiana finished the night with 511 total yards, 344 of which came on the ground, improving it to 14-1 when recording more than 500 yards.
Redshirt senior Blair Brooks had a career day on defense, leading the team with eight tackles, while Zi’Yon Hill added six tackles and 2.0 sacks, the first two-sack game of his career. The defense also forced three ULM fumbles, one of which was recovered by Lorenzo McCaskill.
Safety Bralen Trahan notched his fourth interception of the season, returning it 53 yards for the team’s first interception return for a touchdown since Taboris Lee against Arkansas State in 2016. Trey Amos recorded the team’s other interception, the first of his career.
After both teams went three-and-out on their first possessions, Louisiana opened the scoring with 11:26 showing on the clocked when Ragas waltzed his way into the end zone from 11-yards out to push his team ahead, 7-0.
Taking advantage of great field position following a recovered fumble by McCaskill, the offense took the ball into the red zone to set up an 11-yard rushing score from Lewis to double the advantage.
ULM scored its first touchdown of the day following a special teams turnover, but Mitchell was quick to respond on the next drive, bursting through a hole in the line and sprinting 44 yards to push the lead out to 21-7.
Following another Warhawk touchdown, the Ragin’ Cajuns scored 28 unanswered points over the final 11:50 of the half, including a 53-yard pick six by Trahan, to give the visitors a 49-14 lead at the break.
Lewis added another score on the team’s first drive on the second half, finding Lumpkin in the back of the end zone to push the lead to 56-14. ULM was able to muster up one score in the second half, but fourth quarter touchdowns by Michael Orphey, Jr., a 48-yard scamper, and Carter, wrapped up the 70-20 victory.
No. 23 Louisiana returns to action on Friday, Dec. 4, when it travels to Boone, N.C., to take on Appalachian State in a rematch of the last two Sun Belt Conference Championship Games. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date on Louisiana Football.
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