Cajuns improved to 2-0, defeating Kennesaw State

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana - During their first away game of the 2024 college football season, Louisiana football demonstrated their seriousness.

The Ragin’ Cajuns journeyed to Kennesaw State and convincingly defeated the Owls with a score of 34-10. Although their initial defensive drive appeared unsteady, they quickly improved, ultimately ruining the Owls' FBS home opener in front of a packed crowd at Fifth Third Stadium.

Having secured two victories, here are three insights we gained about UL football as it heads into a bye week for Week 3.

1. Questions in the backfield answered

The Ragin’ Cajuns struggled to establish their running game against Grambling State last week. Although they started with a rushing touchdown, redshirt senior quarterback Ben Wooldridge took charge in the air, throwing for over 300 yards. However, in the game against Kennesaw, the ground game shined as a dynamic duo led the way.

Redshirt Sophomore Zylan Perry and redshirt freshman Elijah “Bill” Davis alternated in exploiting the Owls' defense, collectively gaining 185 yards on the ground. Their efforts contributed to a significant increase in the team's rushing yards, boosting it from 129 yards in Week 1 to 260 yards the following week.

“I was excited to see Bill and Zylan take advantage of their opportunity,” UL head football coach Michael Desormeaux said. “I thought they both played really well and saw it really well for us. I think they both matured a lot, and we’ve talked a lot about how they’ve grown up these last couple of years.”

During the bye week, the running backs will have the opportunity to recuperate following a strong performance and gear up for a tougher test in Week 4 when Tulane visits.

2. Ragin’ Cajuns slow burner on defense

At the beginning of the game, Kennesaw State's offense advanced down the field gradually, facing three third-down situations in the initial drive. The Owls successfully converted all three third downs, resulting in their sole touchdown of the game to establish a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Desormeaux acknowledged the challenge of containing the opposing quarterback on third downs and credited him for making key plays in the passing game. Once they managed to contain him, the defense performed admirably. The pivotal moments came with two consecutive three-and-out stops in the second quarter, which effectively sealed the game.

The Ragin' Cajuns have developed a tendency to start games slowly defensively, evident in their Week 1 match against Grambling where they allowed the opposition to advance down the field in the opening drive. Despite the sluggish start, the defense has shown resilience and improvement as the games unfold. Senior linebacker K.C. Ossai has been instrumental, accumulating a team-leading 12 total tackles against the Owls and nearly 20 tackles in total for the season after two games.

3. Special teams making an impact

During UL football’s Week 2 victory, a standout moment was witnessed in the special teams department. Holding a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, the Ragin’ Cajuns were dominating and sealed their strong performance with a game-changing move by redshirt senior Dalen Cambre.

As the captain of the special teams, Cambre broke through the Owls' punt unit to block Kennesaw State’s punt, positioning his team for a scoring opportunity at the 10-yard line. This marked the first blocked punt of the season for the Ragin’ Cajuns, emphasizing the impact of special teams in securing a win.

“Our special teams have shown significant improvement from Week 1 to Week 2,” stated Desormeaux. “The blocked punt just before halftime played a crucial role in increasing our points. It was executed flawlessly, strategically planned, and provided us with a chance to score additional points.”