Louisiana Blows by Texas State 44-34
Louisiana didn't play their best football on Halloween, but in the end, they still handled their business against an outmatched Texas State club, as the Ragin' Cajuns improved to 5-1 on the season with a 44-34 victory.
"Defensively, we gave them quite a bit. We had miscues on special teams, and we turned the ball over," said Louisiana head coach Billy Napier. "We've got work to do to clean that up."
Louisiana racked up 614 yards of offense. (282 rushing, 332 passing)
Senior running back Trey Ragas led the way, rushing for 131 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Elijah Mitchell finished with 96 yards on the ground.
"Obviously, we didn't some things pretty well tonight (too)," explained Napier. "We played well enough to win."
Quarterback Levi Lewis tossed 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, going 22 of 32 for 332 yards. He also added a rushing touchdown.
Jalen Williams led the receiving core with 85 yards on 3 receptions. Calif Gossett also reeled in 2 catches for 52 yards, including a 46 yarder for a touchdown.
The Cajuns had uncharacteristic mistakes, turning it over 4 times (3 fumbles, 1 interception), and committing 11 penalties for 112 yards.
"We showed up and competed, but we just weren't always disciplined and poised," said Napier. "That's on the coaches. We've got to do a better job."
Defensively, Louisiana picked off Texas State quarterback Brady McBride 3 times, as Eric Garror reeled in 2 interceptions, and Bralen Trahan procured 1. They also turned over the Bobcats on downs once and held them to 2-13 on third down.
The Bobcats finished with 382 total yards, 60 of which came on their final drive, something Napier wasn't thrilled about.
"We gave up too many yards and tackled poorly (on that drive)," explained Napier. "Imagine what we could do if we played really efficient and didn't give the other team much."
Louisiana (5-1) returns home next Saturday for an 11 am kickoff at Cajun Field against Arkansas State (3-4).