The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns enjoyed a breakout season under coach Michael Desormeaux in 2024. They went 10-3, won the Sun Belt West, and appeared in the Sun Belt Championship Game.
With their bowl destination now lined up, let’s take a look back at how we got to this point:
WOOLDRIDGE WINS ANOTHER QB BATTLE
Seniors Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields both returned to the Cajuns’ program despite speculation that they might call it a career. Coming off of another brutal injury, Wooldridge won the starting QB battle over Fields during fall camp. He got off to a strong start to the season, helping the Cajuns to wins over Grambling and Kennesaw State.
THE FIRST SETBACK, FOLLOWED BY A POWERFUL RESPONSE
The Cajuns faced a talented Tulane team inside Cajun Field and fell for the first time 41-33. However, they bounced back the next week against a Power Four opponent. A wild game led to a 41-38 win over Wake Forest on the road. It represented a signature win in the tenure of Desormeaux so far.
HITTING THEIR STRIDE IN SBC PLAY, BUT THEN INJURY STRIKES
The Cajuns started Sun Belt play on a tremendous run. They won their first five games, including a huge road win over Texas State. Wooldridge was playing at an extremely high level, and then the South Alabama game happened. With the team struggling, injury was added to insult as Wooldridge went down with an injury. Fields was inserted and attempted to lead the comeback, but the Cajuns fell short with their first conference loss.
SBC WEST CHAMPIONS AGAIN
Fields was ready for his opportunity and the defense stepped up as well. Louisiana found victories over Troy and ULM to clinch the West division and secure a spot in the SBC Championship Game. It marks the fifth time in seven years that they have won the West. Additionally, they were named the host team for the title game with Marshall winning the East.
ULTIMATE HEARTBREAK IN TWO WAYS
Unfortunately for the Cajuns, their season did not end in storybook fashion. After a slow start in the SBC Championship, Fields went down with a similar injury to Wooldridge. He left the game, throwing true freshman Daniel Beale into the fire. Ultimately, Louisiana fell to the Thundering Herd, not securing the Sun Belt Championship that they were after.
UP NEXT: The Cajuns travel to Albuquerque to play in the Nex Mexico Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs. Kickoff is set for 1:15 PM on Saturday, December 28th.
