Welcome everyone the final Ragin Cajun preview where I break down every game on the schedule! In this edition, we preview the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns matchup against Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl.
Last Time Out: The last time these two took the field, the Ragin Cajuns were able to get bowl eligible after a big win over UL Monroe highlighted by a pair of defensive touchdowns. It was the same result for the Golden Eagles as they took down Louisiana Tech to become bowl eligible with a 39-24 win.
Last Meeting: The last time these two teams faced off, the Golden Eagles led by Larry Fedora in his first season and they blew out the Ragin Cajuns back in 2008 by the score of 51-21. Southern Miss has won the last eight matchups and holds the overall series lead 38-11-1.
What to Watch For:
Dangerous Back in Smith: The Golden Eagles have a slight edge when it comes to the offensive side of the ball because they have a solid quarterback alongside a running back like Ito Smith. With that good balance, having a back like Ito Smith could prove to be too much for this Cajuns defense that has improved over the course of the season thanks to a change at defensive coordinator early on in the season. The junior back averaged 110 yards this season and has a tendency to go off on big runs. The Cajuns run defense has been good and if they can hold him down it may be a better situation once it becomes a one-dimensional game.
Golden Secondary: The offense isn’t the only thing that Southern Miss is good at as they have a good secondary. The Golden Eagles have a total of nine picks this season with two of them being taken to the house. They might be having a field day with Anthony Jennings who has been intercepted 12 times. Thankfully this won’t be like the UL Monroe game where he threw for zero yards in a wet and wild game.
Will QB Gameplan be Modified? Speaking of the quarterback position, the Ragin Cajuns have put themselves in an interesting position. Do you go with what’s brought you back from the proverbial grave or do you give Dion Ray a chance to throw the ball? The Cajuns won’t be having Anthony Jennings next season so why not test the waters and see what Ray can do outside of running the ball. The Golden Eagles know what he can do with his legs based off the film they have looked at since they found out who their opponent was, and will try and keep that part of his game to a minimum. It’s not about a lack of faith in Jennings to lead this team, it’s about the future of this team at what is undoubtedly the most important position in football.
The Cajuns Will Win If:
The Cajuns can get above .500 for the fifth time in six years if the defense can shut down Ito Smith. The Cajuns may not have the best secondary, but forcing any team, especially a team like Southern Miss to be one-dimensional can lead to a successful game. Another key to victory is capitalizing on any opportunity that you’re given by the defense. If there’s a turnover, points need to be put on the board.
The Golden Eagles Will Win If:
Southern Miss will win if Nick Mullins can get things going through the air. Mullins has hovered around 200 yards most games with an outlier against Rice where he threw for nearly 600 yards. He has been playing through a gruesome injury to his thumb but if it doesn’t affect him on Saturday, the Cajuns secondary needs to be ready to go.
-Clint Domingue