Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Louisiana Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 7-7 overall, 5-4
Head Coach: Billy Napier, 2nd year, 7-7
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOUISIANA OFFENSE
– The first year under head coach Billy Napier worked offensively. The offense averaged 424 yards and 32 points per game, the attack was balanced, and the scoring came in bunches … it needed too. ULL was 7-0 when scoring 31 points or more, and 0-7 when it failed to hit the 31 point mark.
– The O has a good-looking experienced quarterback in Levi Lewis, but he’s going to be pushed through fall camp. JUCO transfer Jai’ave Magalei brings the 6-3, 234-pound size – Lewis is a wiry 5-11, 185 – but the position will be good no matter who gets the call. The receiving corps has to come through, though, with four of the top eight pass catchers from last year done. Seniors Ja’Marcus Bradley and Jarrod Jackson are dangerous deep threats.
– The Ragin’ Cajun 1-2 rushing punch of Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell is special. The two 5-11, 225ish pounders combined for well over 2,000 yard with 21 touchdowns. There’s depth to keep everyone fresh with 754-yard, seven score, nine yard-per-carry No. 3 guy Raymond Calais in the mix, too. Best of all, this group gets to work behind a line that gets back all five starters.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOUISIANA DEFENSE
– The defense just needs to hold serve and let the offense take care of the rest. It struggled too much against the run – allowing 219 yards per game – and didn’t come up with enough big plays in the secondary. There’s just enough gone to be annoying – three of the top five tacklers are done – and more pass rushers have to emerge.
– Three starters return up front, needing senior Bennie Higgins and junior Chauncey Manac do more after combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss. They’re the pass rushers up front – with Manac really a linebacker and not a true defensive end – and there’s experienced bulk in 285-pound senior Tra’Vontae Booker and 283-pound sophomore Zi’Yon Hill for the inside.
– Leading tackler Jaques Boudreaux is back at middle linebacker after coming up with 93 tackles, and he’s got the veteran around him to fly around and start doing more – the linebackers other than Manac have to do more to get behind the line. This isn’t a big group, but around 315-pound all-star guard Kevin Dotson, it can move, and it has to hold up against the better pass rushing defenses.
– There have to be more picks. The Ragin’ Cajuns generated just eight interceptions on the year, with sophomore Eric Garror pushing for more time at one corner job after tying for the team-lead with two interceptions on the other side of Michael Jacquet … maybe. The 6-2, 200-pound Jacquet is better suited to safety, but there’s a bit of talent returning starting with Deuce Wallace at free safety.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP LOUISIANA PLAYERS
Best Louisiana Offensive Player
RB Elijah Mitchell, Jr.
Combine Mitchell and Trey Ragas for this spot. Ragas came up with 25 catches and two scores and ran for a team-high 1,181 yards and eight scores, working in the rotation with Mitchell, who averaged 6.7 yards per carry with 977 yards and 13 scores and caught 20 passes with three touchdowns. The difference? Mitchell is the more explosive of the two.
2. RB Trey Ragas, Jr.
3. OG Kevin Dotson, Sr.
4. OT Robert Hunt, Sr.
5. RB Raymond Calais, Sr.
Best Louisiana Defensive Player
DT Zi’Yon Hill, Soph.
Whether or not you want to call the 6-2, 283-pounder a 3-technique end or a defensive tackle, he’s the best player on the defensive front and the one who’ll be the all-star to work around. He only came up with one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, but he’s strong, active, and made 44 tackles on the way to All-Sun Belt honors.
2. LB Jacques Boudreaux, Sr.
3. DE Bennie Higgins, Sr.
4. CB/S Michael Jacquet, Sr.
5. LB Ferrod Gardner, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Louisiana Offense
The passing consistency has to be there. The running game will be fantastic, but when it didn’t run for more than 200 yards last season the Ragin’ Cajuns went 0-5. The passing attack has to be able to hold up its end of the bargain, and it has to be far more efficient after the quarterbacks combined for 14 picks overall and failed to hit the 50% completion mark three times in the final six games. The big plays were there and there’s a whole lot of explosion, but in this O, the quarterbacks are doing their job if they’re hitting 60% of their passes.
Biggest Key To The Louisiana Defense
Be more of a rock against the run. The Ragin’ Cajuns weren’t totally miserable against the good ground games, but they were steadily mediocre allowing 200 yards or more in nine of the last 13 games and giving up two touchdown runs or more 11 times.
There’s enough experience to know what to do, but there aren’t a slew of killers in the linebacking corps and the line has to start getting behind the line more. In the five games ULL allowed fewer than 200 rushing yards, the team went 4-1. And that’s why …
Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Tra’Vontae Booker, Sr.
Can he turn into a factor on the defensive interior? He only made 11 tackles behind LaDarrius Kidd on the nose, but Kidd is gone and now the team needs a force on the inside of the line to hold up. If it’s not Booker, then 6-3, 280-pound JUCO transfer Ja-Quane Nelson or one of the top freshmen have to fill the void.
Key Game To The Louisiana Season
at Arkansas State, Oct. 17
47-43. The shootout win over the Red Wolves was the big game and the big moment for the Ragin’ Cajuns on the way to taking the Sun Belt West title. The home team has won the last five games in the series since ULL last won at ASU in 2013. ULM will always be the big rivalry showdown, and South Alabama will be better, but this is likely the game for the division title.
– Louisiana Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Louisiana Fun Stats
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 21-of-29 (72%) – Opponents 8-of-19 (42%)
– Fumbles: Opponents 11 (lost 7) – Louisiana 14 (lost 3)
– Onside Kicks: Louisiana 2-for-2 – Opponents 0-for-0
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. LOUISIANA WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
The Ragin’ Cajuns should have a better team than the 2018 version, but there are just too many tough games to push too much further past the seven-win mark.
The quarterback play has to be a bit sharper, but the O will be explosive and dominant at times thanks to a loaded group of running backs working behind the line that get everyone back.
Now the defense needs to be a whole lot tougher and do a whole lot better against the stronger offenses.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Starting out against Mississippi State in the Mercedes-Benz Dome in New Orleans is at least a fun big game, but the road games at Ohio, Georgia Southern, and Arkansas State in a run of three in four games will be the real problem.
Worst of all, the home date in the middle of that run is against Appalachian State.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are going to be good enough to go bowling and be deep in the mix for the West title again, and they’ll come up with a win or two against the better teams and in the dangerous road games.
This is the year when head coach Billy Napier shows the world that he’s ready for a major gig, but before that, it’ll be a fun year.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
