Logos from sportslogos.net and New Mexico Bowl
After a 10-3 regular season and an appearance in the Sun Belt title game, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Isleta New Mexico Bowl against the Horned Frogs of TCU. Josh Hoover had four touchdowns and broke the TCU single-season passing yards mark in a 34-3 victory over the Cajuns.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
TCU started the game with the football and had their way early, marching 75 yards in 11 plays before finding DJ Rogers for the three-yard score. On the drive, Josh Hoover passed Heisman finalist Max Duggan for the second-most passing yards in a single season in TCU history.
Louisiana’s first offensive drive found some success, going 38 yards in seven plays, but Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares banked a 54-yard field goal off the upright and no good. It was just his third miss of the season, with all of them coming from 50+ yards.
TCU responded with another quick 10-play, 63-yard drive that resulted in a fourth and goal touchdown that Louisiana had very well covered after three straight run stops inside the five-yard line. Hoover scrambled away from pressure and found Eric McAlister for the score and a quick 14-0 lead for the Horned Frogs.
Louisiana was forced to punt on their next three drives with the longest being just five plays. TCU added field goals on their next two series to take a 20-0 lead late in the second quarter.
The Horned Frogs were forced to put for the first time today by the Louisiana defense, but on the first play of the series for Louisiana, Ben Wooldridge’s pass was tipped at the line and intercepted. Off the interception, TCU went 28 yards on four plays that ended with a 20-yard catch from JP Richardson for a 27-0 lead. On the touchdown, Hoover became the program leader in passing yards in a single season at 3,915, breaking Trevone Boykin’s record from 2014.
After a punt on UL’s first drive of the third quarter, the Horned Frogs rolled down the field once again, scoring in 4 plays and 54 yards before a 20-yard pitch and catch to Blake Nowell to make it 34-0.
Louisiana finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter with a 24-yard field goal from Almendares to make the score 34-3 early in the fourth quarter.
As the fourth quarter ran on, Louisiana was able to get a look at their future as Lunch Winfield, Daniel Beale, and several other reserves got playing time in a 34-3 final score.
BIG NUMBER: 6
Between the Sun Belt Championship game and the New Mexico Bowl, Louisiana’s offense, who was a top offense in the country during the season, only managed 3 points in each game as they were outscored by 59 in the two games.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Josh Hoover
Hoover was outstanding once again on Saturday, completing 20-32 passes for 252 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He broke the TCU single-season passing yards record and came just 51 yards short of 4,000 on the season.