The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (2-3, 1-0 SBC) travel for their first road test of the Sun Belt schedule when they face the James Madison Dukes (4-1, 2-0 SBC) on Saturday. The matchup is the first ever between the two programs.
The Cajuns won an incredible game before their bye week, defeating Marshall 54-51 in double overtime. Louisiana erased a 17-point second-half deficit on their way to a monumental win in the rematch of the 2024 Sun Belt Championship game.
The Dukes have had a hot start to the season, with a 4-1 record and their only loss coming to ACC foe Louisville. They defeated Georgia State 14-7 last week to earn their second SBC win of the season.
Kickoff between Louisiana and James Madison from Bridgeforth Stadium is set for 11 AM central on Saturday.
IT’S LUNCH TIME
The Louisiana offense has been looking for a spark for multiple weeks now. Down 17 against Marshall, they may have found it. Lunch Winfield was inserted into the game at quarterback, and he went onto account for five touchdowns in one of the more thrilling comeback wins in program history.
Winfield is now the starter, but he is dealing with a lower-body injury that he sustained during the comeback. Operating as the starter is a whole new adventure, and Lunch will have to do it against one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt.
FAVORITES COLLIDE
Saturday is a matchup of the two preseason favorites in the Sun Belt. JMU was picked to win the East division while Louisiana was picked to win the West.
For the Dukes, their season has gone as expected given their status as the favorites. Their 4-1 overall mark is impressive, and the 2-0 start to SBC play reflects what many thought of them preseason.
As for the Cajuns, 2-3 is a notch below what people were expecting. It has been an adversity filled season so far, but Louisiana used the fresh slate to start SBC play by getting the dramatic win over Marshall. While it may not seem as likely as it did preseason, this still could be a preview of the 2025 SBC Championship game.
BYE WEEK AT A GOOD TIME
The Cajuns desparately needed the bye week to try to get healthier. In addition to all of the players that were already missing, 5-6 key contributors got banged up in the Marshall game.
The outlook does look better now, as the majority of those guys are back in the mix. However, Zylan Perry is listed as doubtful, meaning the Cajuns could be without their top running back. That is made even more difficult by the fact that UL faces the top ranked run defense in the SBC, as JMU gives up just 2.6 yards per carry.
SERIES RECORD: First Ever Meeting
STAT LEADERS:
Louisiana:
Daniel Beale: 42-84, 395 Yards, 1 TD, 4 INT
Lunch Winfield: 9-21, 129 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Zylan Perry: 59 Carries, 411 Yards, 5 TD
Shelton Sampson Jr: 8 Catches, 150 Yards, 0 TD
Jaelen Crider: 1.5 Sacks
Jaden Dugger: 40 Tackles (20 solo)
3 Players Tied: 1 INT
Tony Sterner: 8-of-11 Field Goals, Long of 51, 15-of-15 PAT
James Madison:
Alonza Barnett III: 68-116, 667 Yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Wayne Knight: 61 Carries, 426 Yards, 4 TD
Landon Ellis: 13 Catches, 183 Yards, 2 TD
Trent Hendrick: 3 Sacks
Trent Hendrick: 38 Tackles (15 solo)
3 Players Tied: 1 INT
Morgan Suarez: 2-of-4 Field Goals, Long of 39, 19-of-19 PAT