Welcome everyone to the latest game preview for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns! This week, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns will look to start off conference play with a win when they host the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina on Saturday!
Without further ado, let’s go ahead with the preview!
Last Time Out:
The last time the Cajuns took the field, it was a rough one to say the very least. After taking an early 3-0 lead, the ballgame against Mississippi State went off the rails fast en route to a 56-10 loss in Starkville.
Coastal Carolina had a bizarre Wednesday afternoon matchup due to the impending hurricane that was about to hit the Carolinas. They were able to get the win though over Campbell by the score of 58-21.
Last Meeting:
This is actually the first ever meeting between the two teams on the gridiron.
What to Watch For:
Beware the Triple Option
One of the big things that the Chanticleers do a little differently than a lot of the Sun Belt Conference teams is they utilize the triple option and it works to great effect. Their run game just last Wednesday racked up 339 yards on the ground and currently lead the conference with an average of a little more than 250 yards per game.
While the level of talent on the offensive line is a step down compared to Mississippi State, allowing 358 yards on the ground last weekend is not a good sign for the Cajuns. If they can stop the run from getting past the second level, it’s a step in the right direction for this team as they get started with conference play.
Nunez Key for Offense
It seems too easy to bring this up, but Andre Nunez has shown that he can hold his own against an SEC-caliber program in Mississippi State this past Saturday. Yes, he threw a pick and only one touchdown through the air but he still put up some solid numbers with over 200 yards through the air.
Again, it sounds like an obvious statement to make but Nunez is a key part of this team’s offense. If he’s able to get it going through the air in Napier’s system that opens up a little more of the playbook and you see the Cajuns really pick up steam, especially if the run game can get some action as well.
Extended Layoff for Coastal
This may be the most interesting part of the ballgame for me. Once Hurricane Florence was barreling down the Carolina coast last week, that forced the Chanticleers to play Campbell on a Wednesday night and stay in Jacksonville for a few days. However, with everything going on with this program in the last seven days, the fact that they now have a few extra days to really look at the film from Mississippi State and have all the notes they could possibly need to take down the Cajuns.
Louisiana Will Win If:
The Cajuns can get off to a good start in conference play if they can find a balance like they did in the season opener. The balance for this team was as close to 50-50 as I’ve seen in the last seven or eight years and this could be a key for the Cajuns to come away with some solid wins down the line.
Coastal Carolina Will Win If:
The Chanticleers keep the run game going, this will be a huge win for Coastal Carolina. The front seven for the Cajuns was a sieve in Starkville and if those holes are big enough on Saturday
-Clint Domingue