Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #4Downs where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the Cajuns. This week, we look at the Cajuns loss to Idaho.
1st Down: Another Poor Offensive Showing
The Ragin Cajuns needed an offensive spark to get this team past Idaho on Saturday night. On the first offensive play, it looked like they had that with a great 52-yard pass to Michael Jacquet. After that the offense reverted to the same old song and dance. If you throw sideline passes and somehow expect to come away with a win, you’ve got to be out of your mind. It feels like the Cajuns offense has been conservative for some time and with that goal of a bowl game slipping away it seems like this team is content with running that kind of offense.
2nd Down: Defense Continues to Excel In Second Half
Going back to the App State game, the Cajuns have been stellar with their adjustments allowing six points in the last three matchups. The Cajuns allowed only 130 yards and two field goals. Most teams would have the opportunity to at least tie things up late in the game to get that second chance, but the offense continued to underperform and get nothing going to try and capitalize on the defense’s performance.
3rd Down: O-Line Crumbles to Vandals
One of the biggest question marks on this team has been the offensive line. Heading into this game, Idaho averaged 1.63 sacks a game. They got five sacks on Saturday and nine tackles for loss. The offensive line has been a case of mix and match, but none of the pieces are matching up. If the offensive line chemistry is unstable, there’s no way the QB can be kept vertical and give him time to get a pass off. Look back to the line that Hud had early on. It had great chemistry and an even better leader in the center Andre Huval. If you have a good leader on the line, everyone else will follow him and get better. You can look at the New Orleans Saints and how Max Unger has improved that offensive line in just two seasons in the black and gold.
4th Down: What About Eli?
It seems like the Cajuns performance has hinged on how well Eli McGuire plays.. The senior back had 17 carries for 55 yards his fifth game under 100 yards. The Cajuns lost each of those games. McGuire has been less than 100 percent since the Tulane game, but they still use him as a workhorse which is hurting him even more and therefore crippling the Cajuns offense. This was a player that just two seasons ago was the player of the year in the Sun Belt and looked to be a solid draft pick in his junior season. Now he’s become a shell of his former self and it’s costing this team a chance at a bowl game.
-Clint Domingue