Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the Ragin Cajuns preview where I take a look at each upcoming matchup! This week, it’s the Cajuns taking on the Idaho Vandals.
Last Week: Both teams were off last weekend, but the last time these two took the field, the Cajuns got a win on the road against a less than stellar Texas State defense after losing three straight. Idaho had a rough game two weeks ago against Appalachian State, losing 37-19.
Last Meeting: The last time the Cajuns and the Vandals faced off was back in 2004 when the Cajuns lost on the road by the score of 38-25. However, the Cajuns do hold a 3-1 lead in the overall series.
What to Watch For:
Run Eli Run: I’ve never supported the stance of how the Cajuns offense largely goes through one man in Eli McGuire, but sometimes you have to think that it’s the best way to go for this game. The senior running back has been given some time to rest up before a tough stretch of games bookended by relatively easy games starting with the Vandals. The Cajuns will be up against a middle of the road team in terms of run defense so perhaps you might need to feed him more.
Passing Defense Needs to Step Up: The Cajuns passing defense hasn’t been the best allowing 261 yards a game and the Vandals have been fairly consistent when you look at their Sun Belt counterparts. The Cajuns once again are well rested and ready to try and slow down one of the better passing games and they did just that against Texas State. Maybe Savion Brown was a bigger deal than the Cajuns expected.
Morale Boost: The Cajuns got a big boost of team morale after taking down Texas State two weeks ago. Expect to see the Cajuns play with more heart because of that win. Imagine what winning two in a row will do before they take on three tough teams, especially when the first one is only five days after homecoming. If you want to move towards becoming bowl eligible, this game needs to become a catalyst of what this team is in the second half.
The Cajuns Will Win If:
The Cajuns can get another win if they can get the offense firing on all cylinders. The crowd should be rocking on a Saturday afternoon as it’s homecoming and maybe the offense can feed off of that and get this second half of the season started on the right foot.
Idaho Will Win If:
If the Vandals can create problems and bring pressure to Anthony Jennings, a win is in their future. Jennings tenure with the Cajuns has been marred by poor offensive line efforts and Idaho looks like a team that could create some disruptions as the game progresses.
-Clint Domingue