# 2024 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team

The 2024 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by Michael Desormeaux in his third year as the head coach. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field, located in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The Cajuns compiled a 10–2 regular-season overall record on the season, the most successful under Desormeaux's tenure as head coach. The Cajuns also played in the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game for the fifth year out of the seven total seasons the game has been played. In the postseason, the Cajuns made their first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl, becoming the first Sun Belt team to play in that bowl.

## Preseason
### Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Ragin' Cajuns were picked to finish third place in the West division.
Media poll (West division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Texas State | 92 (9) |
| 2 | Troy | 68 (4) |
| 3 | Louisiana | 66 (1) |
| 4 | Arkansas State | 65 |
| 5 | South Alabama | 54 |
| 6 | Southern Miss | 31 |
| 7 | Louisiana–Monroe | 16 |
Offensive lineman AJ Gillie and returner Zylan Perry were awarded to be in the preseason All-Sun Belt first team offense and special teams, respectively. Defensive lineman Jordan Lawson, linebacker KC Ossai, and defensive back Tyrone Lewis Jr. were named to the second team.

## Schedule

The football schedule was announced on March 1, 2024.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Grambling State* | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | W 40–10 | 23,107 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at Kennesaw State* | Fifth Third Bank StadiumKennesaw, GA | ESPN+ | W 34–10 | 11,040 |
| September 21 | 11:00 a.m. | Tulane* | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPNU | L 33–41 | 22,534 |
| September 28 | 2:30 p.m. | at Wake Forest* | Allegacy Federal Credit Union StadiumWinston-Salem, NC | ACCN | W 41–38 | 31,061 |
| October 5 | 6:00 p.m. | at Southern Miss | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | W 23–13 | 24,041 |
| October 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Appalachian State | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | W 34–24 | 14,058 |
| October 19 | 11:00 a.m. | at Coastal Carolina | Brooks StadiumConway, SC | ESPNU | W 34–24 | 17,812 |
| October 29 | 6:30 p.m. | at Texas State | UFCU StadiumSan Marcos, TX | ESPN2 | W 23–17 | 16,831 |
| November 9 | 4:00 p.m. | Arkansas State | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | W 55–19 | 16,451 |
| November 16 | 6:00 p.m. | South Alabama | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | L 22–24 | 16,063 |
| November 23 | 4:00 p.m. | Troy | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | W 51–30 | 15,501 |
| November 30 | 11:00 a.m. | at Louisiana–Monroe | Malone StadiumMonroe, LA (Battle on the Bayou) | ESPNU | W 37–23 | 15,006 |
| December 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Marshall | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA (Sun Belt Championship Game) | ESPN | L 3–31 | 20,067 |
| December 28 | 1:15 p.m. | vs. TCU* | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM (New Mexico Bowl) | ESPN | L 3–34 | 22,827 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Grambling State (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers (FCS) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 40 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday August 31, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 23,107
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan McDonald (play-by-play) and Eric Mouton (analyst)
| Statistics | GRAM | LA |
| First downs | 12 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 48–241 | 66–481 |
| Rushes–yards | 20–75 | 28–118 |
| Passing yards | 166 | 363 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–28–1 | 29–38–1 |
| Time of possession | 25:42 | 34:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Grambling State | Passing | Myles Crawley | 19/28, 166 yards, INT |
| Grambling State | Rushing | Ke'Travion Hargrove | 12 carries, 61 yards, TD |
| Grambling State | Receiving | Nick Howard | 5 receptions, 68 yards |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 25/33, 308 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 5 carries, 45 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Harvey Broussard | 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD |

### at Kennesaw State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin Cajuns | 0 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Owls | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
at Fifth Third Bank Stadium • Kennesaw, Georgia
* Date: September 7th
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 11,040
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (analyst) and Dawson Eiserloh (sideline)
| Statistics | LA | KSU |
| First downs | 21 | 12 |
| Plays–yards | 454 | 204 |
| Rushes–yards | 257 | 111 |
| Passing yards | 197 | 93 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17-22-0 | 7-13-0 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 32:04 | 27:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 15/19, 189 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 10 carries, 10 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Jacob Bernard | 4 receptions, 84 yards |
| Kennesaw State | Passing | Davis Bryson | 7/13, 93 yards |
| Kennesaw State | Rushing | Michael Benefield | 9 carries, 31 yards |
| Kennesaw State | Receiving | Tykeem Wallace | 2 receptions, 34 yards |

### Tulane

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Green Wave | 0 | 17 | 21 | 3 | 41 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 33 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: September 21st
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 92 °F (33 °C) • Wind: SE at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
* Game attendance: 22,534
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
| Statistics | TULN | LA |
| First downs | 18 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 64–355 | 63–413 |
| Rushes–yards | 47–272 | 28–175 |
| Passing yards | 83 | 238 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–17–0 | 19–35–2 |
| Time of possession | 33:57 | 26:03 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tulane | Passing | Darian Mensah | 11/17, 83 yards, TD |
| Tulane | Rushing | Makhi Hughes | 23 carries, 166 yards, TD |
| Tulane | Receiving | Reggie Brown | 1 reception, 33 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 19/34, 238 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Bill Davis | 9 carries, 103 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Terrance Carter | 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD |

### at Wake Forest

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 14 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 41 |
| Demon Deacons | 3 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
* Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 PM
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: SW at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 31,061
* Referee: Nate Black
* TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Coley Harvey (sideline)
| Statistics | LA | WAKE |
| First downs | 24 | 28 |
| Plays–yards | 62–466 | 73–472 |
| Rushes–yards | 33–209 | 37–218 |
| Passing yards | 257 | 254 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–29–0 | 29–36–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:01 | 30:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 20/29, 257 yards, 3 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Bill Davis | 13 carries, 95 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 6 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD |
| Wake Forest | Passing | Hank Bachmeier | 29/35, 254 yards, TD, INT |
| Wake Forest | Rushing | Demond Claiborne | 12 carries, 94 yards, TD |
| Wake Forest | Receiving | Horatio Fields | 6 receptions, 81 yards |

### at Southern Miss

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
* Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) • Wind: NE at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
* Game attendance: 24,041
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Baker (play-by-play) and Austin Davis (analyst)
| Statistics | LA | USM |
| First downs | 22 | 8 |
| Total yards | 410 | 177 |
| Rushing yards | 188 | 37 |
| Passing yards | 222 | 140 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–30–0 | 15–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 41:35 | 18:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 22/30, 222 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Dre'lyn Washington | 12 carries, 91 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Terrance Carter | 7 receptions, 64 yards |
| Southern Miss | Passing | Tate Rodemaker | 15/21, 140 yards |
| Southern Miss | Rushing | Rodrigues Clark | 7 carries, 61 yards |
| Southern Miss | Receiving | Kenyon Clay | 1 reception, 31 yards |

### Appalachian State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 14,058
* Referee: Steven Robinson
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | APP | LA |
| First downs | 25 | 19 |
| Total yards | 391 | 364 |
| Rushing yards | 155 | 166 |
| Passing yards | 236 | 198 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–42–4 | 14–23–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:40 | 29:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 20/42, 236 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Kanye Roberts | 26 carries, 148 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 7 receptions, 96 yards |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 14/23, 198 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 14 carries, 53 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Terrance Carter | 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD |

### at Coastal Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 34 |
| Chanticleers | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 17,812
* Referee: Tim Barker
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
| Statistics | LA | CCU |
| First downs | 26 | 19 |
| Total yards | 516 | 400 |
| Rushing yards | 143 | 208 |
| Passing yards | 373 | 192 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–36–0 | 19–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 38:32 | 21:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 27/36, 373 yards, 3 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Bill Davis | 19 carries, 110 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Terrance Carter | 7 receptions, 149 yards, TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Passing | Noah Kim | 16/25, 182 yards, 2 TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Rushing | Braydon Bennett | 13 carries, 132 yards, TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Receiving | Bryson Graves | 3 receptions, 54 yards |

### at Texas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| Bobcats | 6 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 17 |
at UFCU Stadium • San Marcos, TX
* Date: Tuesday October 29, 2024
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) • Wind: N 19 miles per hour (31 km/h)
* Game attendance: 16,831
* Referee: Jay Hagood
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst)
| Statistics | LA | TXST |
| First downs | 20 | 26 |
| Total yards | 423 | 378 |
| Rushing yards | 171 | 177 |
| Passing yards | 252 | 201 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–28–0 | 23–32–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:52 | 29:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 18/28, 252 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Dre'lyn Washington | 10 carries, 94 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 3 receptions, 76 yards |
| Texas State | Passing | RJ Martinez | 11/14, 113 yards, INT |
| Texas State | Rushing | Ismail Mahdi | 14 carries, 82 yards, TD |
| Texas State | Receiving | Kole Wilson | 6 receptions, 57 yards |

### Arkansas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Red Wolves | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 10 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 55 |
at Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
* Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: W 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
* Game attendance: 16,451
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan McDonald (play-by-play) and Eric Mouton (analyst)
| Statistics | ARST | LA |
| First downs | 27 | 27 |
| Total yards | 401 | 579 |
| Rushing yards | 209 | 278 |
| Passing yards | 192 | 301 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–37–2 | 22–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:23 | 30:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Arkansas State | Passing | Jaylen Raynor | 23/35, 167 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Arkansas State | Rushing | Ja'Quez Cross | 14 carries, 81 yards |
| Arkansas State | Receiving | Corey Rucker | 6 receptions, 73 yards |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 17/26, 264 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Dre'lyn Washington | 8 carries, 123 yards, 2 TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 4 receptions, 58 yards |

### South Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 22 |
at Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 69 °F (21 °C) • Wind: W 5 mph
* Game attendance: 16,063
* Referee: Steven Robinson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan McDonald (play-by-play), Eric Mouton (analyst) and Ben Schafer (sideline)
| Statistics | USA | LA |
| First downs | 19 | 22 |
| Total yards | 353 | 413 |
| Rushing yards | 68 | 137 |
| Passing yards | 285 | 276 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–34–1 | 22–30–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:10 | 32:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Alabama | Passing | Gio Lopez | 24/34, 285 yards, INT |
| South Alabama | Rushing | Fluff Bothwell | 9 carries, 38 yards |
| South Alabama | Receiving | Jamaal Pritchett | 11 receptions, 170 yards |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 14/17, 185 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Bill Davis | 16 carries, 50 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Harvey Broussard | 6 receptions, 84 yards |

### Troy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 14 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 30 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 27 | 3 | 14 | 51 |
at Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: NE 1 mph
* Game attendance: 15,501
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan McDonald (play-by-play), Eric Mouton (analyst) and Ben Schafer (sideline)
| Statistics | TROY | LA |
| First downs | 22 | 17 |
| Total yards | 394 | 417 |
| Rushing yards | 135 | 94 |
| Passing yards | 259 | 323 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–44–0 | 18–24–2 |
| Time of possession | 33:37 | 26:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Troy | Passing | Matthew Caldwell | 26/42, 230 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Troy | Rushing | Damien Taylor | 16 carries, 67 yards |
| Troy | Receiving | Devonte Ross | 8 receptions, 95 yards, TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 18/24, 323 yards, 2 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Bill Davis | 19 carries, 64 yards, 3 TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 6 receptions, 109 yards, TD |

### at Louisiana–Monroe (Battle on the Bayou)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 6 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
| Warhawks | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Wind: SE 8 mph
* Referee: Scott Broadway
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
| Statistics | LA | ULM |
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Total yards | 411 | 335 |
| Rushing yards | 223 | 167 |
| Passing yards | 188 | 168 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17-26-1 | 15-31-3 |
| Time of possession | 31:00 | 29:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 17/26, 188 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 19 carries, 150 yards, 2 TDs |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Jacob Bernard | 3 receptions, 42 yards |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Passing | Aidan Armenta | 15/31, 168 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Rushing | Ahmad Hardy | 28 carries, 172 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Receiving | Nate Sullivan Jr. | 2 receptions, 39 yards |

### Marshall (Sun Belt Championship)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 45 °F (7 °C) • Wind: W 2 mph
* Game attendance: 20,067
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | MRSH | LA |
| First downs | 25 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 410 | 255 |
| Rushes–yards | 217 | 56 |
| Passing yards | 193 | 199 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18-26-0 | 13-32-1 |
| Time of possession | 33:56 | 26:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 18/26, 193 yards, 2 TDs |
| Marshall | Rushing | Jordan Houston | 17 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Tychaun Chapman | 8 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 4/8, 104 yards |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 6 carries, 25 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance LeGendre | 4 receptions, 81 yards |

### TCU (New Mexico Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Horned Frogs | 14 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
at University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday, December 28, 2024
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. CST
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Louisiana | Passing |
| Louisiana | Rushing |
| Louisiana | Receiving |
| TCU | Passing |
| TCU | Rushing |
| TCU | Receiving |