Football:Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football gets 3 TDs from Levi Lewis in homecoming win over Texas S

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Oct. 30, 2021

UL road the arm of quarterback Levi Lewis, who threw three touchdown passes, to a 45-0 homecoming win over Texas State on Saturday at Cajun Field.

UL (7-1, 5-0 Sun Belt) won its seventh straight. Texas State (2-6, 1-3) lost its third straight and for the fifth time in its last six games.

It was the first time UL, which now leads the all-time series 9-0, has shut out Texas State and the largest margin of victory in the series. It also was the first time the Bobcats have been shut out since Portland State did it in 2002, when Texas State was still an FCS program, and the first UL shutout since it beat Lamar in 2012.

Up 17-0 at halftime, the Ragin’ Cajuns extended their lead to 28-0 behind a 32-yard Nate Snyder field goal early in the third quarter followed by a 3-yard Lewis TD pass to receiver Jalen Williams and a 2-point Lewis pass to Peter LeBlanc later in the quarter.

Chris Smith had a 3-yard TD run late the third and Snyder a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth to make it 38-0. Homecoming king T.J. Wisham added a 3-yard TD run on fourth down for his first career touchdown with 59 seconds left.

After a scoreless first quarter Lewis threw a 2-yard TD pass to Smith to open the second. Lewis followed later in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown throw to tight end Hunter Bergeron.

Texas State played quarterback Tyler Vitt because usual starter Brady McBride was out with an ankle injury.

Attendance was an announced 28,794, the 14th-largest crowd crowd in Cajun Field history.

Levi Lewis produced

Lewis’ touchdown pass to Bergeron was the 64th of his career, tying the school record held by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme. He broke the record with his throw to Williams.

Lewis was 14-of-19 for 109 yards and the two TDs at halftime. He finished and 22-of-32 for 228 yards.

Record-breaking score:Watch Levi Lewis break Jake Delhomme’s Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football passing TD record

Smith effective again

Smith followed up his 238-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance at Arkansas State with another strong showing.

With co-backup Emani Bailey injured and out, Smith had 70 yards on nine carries.

His touchdown catch was the first of the season by a UL running back.

UL kicking still an adventure

Kicking continues to be somewhat inconsistent.

UL safety Percy Butler recovered a fumble to give Snyder an early field goal attempt, but he missed from 44 yards. That made Snyder 0-of-3 on field goal tries in four games since taking over as the starter in place Kenneth Almendares, who suffered a season-ending injury.

Snyder atoned, however, with the 45-yarder with one second left before halftime. His two second-half field goals gave the Indiana graduate transfer a single-game career-high three.

Big plays help UL

UL defensive players came up with some big plays.

In addition to forcing the fumble Butler recovered, defensive lineman Tayland Humphrey also partially blocked a field attempt that Lorenzo McCaskill returned 29 yards in the second quarter.

Also in the second quarter, safety Bralen Trahan forced a Brock Sturgis fumble that safety Kam Pedescleaux recovered. Neither first-half fumble recovery led to a Cajuns score, but the blocked field goal produced the UL drive that ended with Lewis’ touchdown throw to Bergeron.

Cornerback Eric Garror added a second-half interception of Vitt.