Photo via Charlotte Athletics; Logos via sportslogos.net
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns defeated the Charlotte 49ers 34-7 on Saturday night inside Jerry Richardson Stadium. The win moves the Cajuns to 3-1 on the season and marks their last non-conference game before eight straight in the Sun Belt.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Louisiana and Charlotte both got off to a sluggish start offensively. The teams traded punts, and the Cajuns eventually struck first but had to settle for a field goal. Tony Sterner connected from 29 yards to make it 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
After another series of punts, Louisiana received good field position from a punt return by Brent Gordon Jr. A 37 yard scoring drive was capped with a touchdown pass from Lunch Winfield to Steven Blanco Jr, making it 10-0.
Despite dominating the half, the Cajuns would only take a three point lead into the break. While driving for more points late, Winfield fumbled and it was returned by Jaylon Johnson of Charlotte for a touchdown. That made the halftime score 10-7.
The Cajuns put together a statement drive to start the third quarter. They drove 10 plays and 83 yards, scoring on a rush by JJ Garner to make the advantage 17-7.
In the second half, the Louisiana defense continued to stifle Charlotte. The 49ers only made it into Louisiana territory once.
Offensively, the Cajuns converted a couple of drives off of short fields, with Winfield and Anthony Reagan scoring touchdowns. Louisiana cruised to a 34-7 victory.
BIG NUMBER: 137
The Louisiana defense allowed just 137 yards of offense to Charlotte. That number is the fewest in a game since 2001, when the Cajuns held Nicholls under 100 yards.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Brent Gordon Jr
Gordon was all over the field for the Cajuns. He had an interception, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two pass deflections, seven tackles, and one and a half tackles for loss. The Cajuns’ DB continues to lead a defense that is thriving.
UP NEXT: Louisiana will return home to open conference play in Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium next Saturday night against Arkansas State. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.
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