The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (9-2, 6-1 SBC) will look to clinch the Sun Belt West division title and clinch a berth in the SBC Championship game when they face the ULM Warhawks (5-6, 3-4 SBC) on Saturday morning in a divisional matchup.
The Cajuns bounced back to beat Troy 51-30 on Senior Day last week. Chandler Fields stepped into the starting lineup and delivered as the Cajuns got back on the winning side of things.
ULM started the season strong at 5-1, but have fallen off since then. Five straight losses have the Warhawks at 5-6, looking to snap a five-game losing streak.
Kickoff inside Malone Stadium is set for 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 30th.
ITS COMPLICATED
The simple part is that the Cajuns need a win or a South Alabama loss to clinch the SBC West and play for a conference championship.
What is more complex is the scenario of who would host the conference championship. If UL and Marshall both win, they would go down to the tiebreaker that uses averages of the four BCS-era polls. Right now UL leads by almost seven spots, but Marshall plays JMU, who is ranked highly and could give them a boost. Ultimately, it seems likely that the SBC Championship game would be at Cajun Field of Louisiana wins on Saturday. However, that is not a definite.
PLAYING FOR A BOWL (AND BRAGGING RIGHTS)
After a 5-1 start, ULM was just one win from bowl eligibility. However, their long losing streak has meant that they still have not clinched a postseason chance.
That likely means they will be a motivated group on Saturday. Additionally, the rivalry between the Cajuns and Warhawks always adds to the matchup. Expect two teams that are plenty focused on Saturday morning.
THE RUNNING GAME
Despite Louisiana scoring more than 50 points last week, the Trojans were able to contain the running game. UL was held under 100 yards rushing for the first time this season.
Additionally, Dre’lyn Washington went down with injury and Zylan Perry missed last week’s game. The only two running backs left are Bill Davis and Tylon Citizen. If the Cajuns are not able to get Perry and/or Washington back this week, they may be very thin at an important position.
SERIES RECORD: Louisiana leads 33-26
Last 5 Meetings:
2023: LOUISIANA 52 – ULM 21
2022: LOUISIANA 17 – ULM 21
2021: LOUISIANA 21 – ULM 16
2020: LOUISIANA 70 – ULM 20
2019: LOUISIANA 31 – ULM 30
STAT LEADERS:
Louisiana
Ben Wooldridge: 185-271, 2,392 Yards, 17 TD, 5 INT
Bill Davis: 133 Carries, 699 Yards, 8 TD
Lance LeGendre: 40 Catches, 699 Yards, 5 TD
Cameron Whitfield: 5 Sacks
K.C. Ossai: 90 Tackles (50 Solo), 1 FF
Tyree Skipper & Tyrone Lewis Jr: 4 INT
Kenneth Almendares: 25-of-27 Field Goals, Long of 53, 42-of-42 PAT
ULM
Aidan Armenta: 89-159, 1,124 Yards, 8 TD, 7 INT
Ahmad Hardy: 209 Carries, 1,179 Yards, 12 TD
Davon Wells: 27 Catches, 259 Yards, 2 TD
Billy Pullen: 6 Sacks
Wydett Williams Jr: 91 Tackles (53 Solo)
Wydett Williams Jr: 3 INT
Max Larson: 11-of-14 Field Goals, Long of 47, 25-of-26 PAT