Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the Cajuns preview! This week, we look into the Ragin Cajuns matchup against New Mexico State.
Last Week: The Cajuns suffered a tough loss last week against Tulane in a four-overtime battle by the score of 41-39. New Mexico State had a tough go of things last week, getting thrown around against Troy losing 52-6.
Last Meeting: New Mexico State took the last meeting in 2015 by the score of 37-34. Both teams are tied at four games apiece heading into this matchup.
What to Watch For:
Two of the Best Backs Face Off: If you like a solid matchup between two running backs, this one is for you. Mind you, both backs are coming off rough injuries, but based off of what’s being said about practice so far this week New Mexico State star back looks to be running just fine. It’s a bit more hush hush when it comes to seniors back for the Ragin Cajuns Elijah McGuire who was used a lot on Saturday with 38 carries and 4 receptions against Tulane. He got rocked on the final reception and it seemed like he had given his all in that game. It looks like he’ll show up but could be held to a pitch count which means you could expect seeing a healthy balance of Jordan Wright, Darius Hoggins, and Ray Calais.
Aggies Pass Happy Offense: The Cajuns secondary might be getting stretched out on Saturday night, but if they can get hands on some of those passes it could be a defensive turnaround for this team. Last week, Tyler Rogers threw for 445 yards but was picked off five times. The Cajuns defense, which has been improving the last few weeks could be having fun with this Aggies offense if they can shut down the run like they had been doing.
Cajuns Feast or Famine Offense: The Ragin Cajuns offense the last two weeks couldn’t be any different. Against South Alabama, this offense had a ton of big plays that gave them the edge at Cajun Field. In the Tulane game, they started out red hot, but petered out the rest of the way. If this offense can put together a complete game, New Mexico State will lose. But Jennings needs to get back on track after the last couple of games.
Cajuns Will Win If:
The Cajuns will improve to 2-0 in conference play if the offense can bounce back after a less than stellar showing in three out of four quarters against Tulane. The Aggies defense is towards the bottom in the conference and allowed on average 500 yards a game. If the game begins to look a lot like last week for New Mexico State, a W is on the board for the Ragin Cajuns.
New Mexico State Will Win If:
The Aggies can get back on track if Rogers doesn’t throw an interception. The numbers he had looked terrific against Troy, but five interceptions put the game out of reach.
-Clint Domingue