The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns opened up the season at the newly renovated Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday night with a 14-12 defeat at the hands of the visiting Rice Owls. The loss snapped an eight-game streak of winning season openers for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Rice received the opening kickoff, but the Owls’ opening drive ended before reaching midfield as Terrence Williams sacked Chase Jenkins on third down to force a punt.
Louisiana proceeded to drive the ball down to inside the Rice 40-yard line, but the drive stalled. The Ragin’ Cajuns settled for a 47-yard field goal by Tony Sterner.
Rice responded with a 13-play, 72-yard drive, which was capped with a one-yard touchdown run by Quinton Jackson. The Owls ran rush plays on that drive.
The Owls got the ball right back as Walker Howard’s deep pass to Shelton Sampson Jr. was picked off by Jack Kane. That turnover did not result in points as the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense forced a punt.
That was not the case for the next turnover.
The Ragin’ Cajuns drove down inside the Owls’ 30-yard line, but Howard was sacked and stripped of the ball by Tony Anyanwu. Blake Boenisch recovered it.
The Owls then went 66 yards on eight plays and capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by Aaron Turner. The Ragin’ Cajuns managed to put together a scoring drive before halftime as Sterner made a 51-yard field goal. At the break, Rice led Louisiana 14-6.
The Ragin’ Cajuns finally found the end zone with their second drive of the second half. Louisiana went 98 yards and capped the drive with a 25-yard run up the middle by Howard. The Ragin’ Cajuns went for two, but the pass was incomplete.
Rice appeared to have put the game away late in the fourth when it drove all the way down to the one-yard line. The Owls opted to go for it on fourth and one, but Jenkins lost four yards on the run as Jake St. Andre took him down.
With 1:56 left in the game, Louisiana got the ball on its own five-yard line and a chance to win the game. Howard completed a 25-yard pass to Sampson Jr., but the former St. Thomas More Cougar was injured on the play and forced to leave the game.
Daniel Beale came into the game and tried to drive the Ragin’ Cajuns down the field for the win. The backup quarterback was unable to complete a pass (0-for-6) as Rice dialed up the pressure.
With facing fourth and ten at the UL 35-yard line, Beale’s pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete. Rice took two kneel-downs to seal the win.
BIG NUMBER I: 206
The Rice Owls leaned on their option-based offense and racked up 206 yards on the ground, and ran it 55 times for a 3.7 yards per carry average. That rushing attack allowed Rice to control the clock for 36:24 compared to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 23:36.
BIG NUMBER II: 22,148
The official attendance for the inaugural game at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium was 22,148. The capacity of the newly renovated stadium is right at 31,000.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: TONY STERNER
The Ragin’ Cajuns kicker proved that he was more than capable in filling the big shoes left behind by Lou Graza Award winner Kenneth Almendares. Sterner made two long field goals of 47 and 51 yards.
UP NEXT: Louisiana (0-1) will host old Interstate 10 rival McNeese (1-0) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.