Following their 23-13 loss to Idaho, the Ragin’ Cajuns football team finds themselves 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Sun Belt. We probably should’ve seen this coming, but we were blinded with our red and white glasses.
It would be one thing if the Cajuns dropped a 42-35 or 45-42 decision where the defense couldn’t come up with a stop against the Vandals offense, but that’s not how things went. The Cajuns listless offense scored 13 points and was shutout in the 2nd half by a team that surrenders more 35 points per game.
While I have no illusion the Cajuns can change from a RPO (run/pass option) offense to a Run & Shoot overnight, due to lack of time and talent, they need to do something to get the offense going . At very the least, they’ll show they are willing to try a different formula.
It starts with the quarterback. Statistically speaking, Anthony Jennings is much improved from a couple of years ago by completing almost 62% of his passes. That’s a drastic change when he couldn’t complete 50% for LSU in 2014.
Nonetheless, the defenses containing the UL offense aren’t exactly Alabama or Ohio State. They were all in the bottom 20 in the nation in terms of yardage allowed (New Mexico State, Texas State and Idaho – until they played the Cajuns) and it only gets harder from here on out. It starts on the road Thursday against Georgia Southern, back to Georgia the following week versus the Bulldogs, and with Arkansas State wrapping up the home schedule Thanksgiving weekend.
They finish the season at rival ULM in Monroe on December 3rd. The Warhawks allow over 490 yards per game, but based on what I’ve seen, I’m thinking it’s ULM licking their chops to face the Cajuns offense instead of the other way around.
Let’s see what Jordan Davis can do. I’d start him against Georgia Southern and ULM and open up the playbook as well. Instead of relying on the running game to open up the passing game, try doing it the other way around. Admittedly, the changes may not work, but I’ve also watched the same offense the last two seasons, more importantly, so has the rest of the Sun Belt.
They say (Who is they? In this case it’s me!) change comes hard, but if the Cajuns don’t try something, anything, the losses will hurt much, much more.
– Dave Schultz