The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Defense Needs To Show Up Against UAB

Following Week 1 the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns offense needed to find more consistency.

They did.

Following Week 2, the defense needs to show up against UAB.

To quote the great philosophers Asia - Only Time Will Tell.

OId Dominion quarterback Grant Wilson, making just his second start ever in college football, torched the Cajuns defense for 4 touchdown passes.  The shortest one was 30 yards long.

If Louisiana expects to bounce back, on the road again, this time in Birmingham, against Trent Dilfer’s UAB Blazers, the defense is going to have to improve. Exponentially.

They are getting help with the return of Mason Narcisse.  Due to the passing of his father, Narcisse was excused from the Northwestern State and Old Dominion games.  He should help the defensive line, considered a strength of the team coming out of camp, with getting pressure on UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno. In two ball games this season, Zeno is averaging 338 yards per game.

As for the Cajuns offense, Ben Wooldridge and Co. almost finished last week’s game with a pair of 90 touchdown drives.  Unfortunately, the last one ended at the 7-yard line as the Cajuns fell 38-31.

The offense line did a much better job of protecting Wooldridge and was more consistent in their run blocking.  They improved so much, Cajuns center Landon Burton was rated the #1 center in the country by Pro Football Focus.

With running back Dre’lyn Washington out again, it’s time for Zylan Perry to step up.  Officially Parry has rushed for 16 yards on 12 carries.  Some of that is due to a 17-yard loss on a reverse against Old Dominion.  However, that was Perry’s second fumble of the season.  Let’s see if the redshirt freshman can have himself a game against the Blazers.

Based on the first two games of the season, for both teams, this game could very well come down to who has the ball last or who can make a stop when it counts the most.

While the Cajuns season isn’t on the line with the outcome of this game, it’ll certainly be headed in the wrong direction   I’m thinking (hoping) they bounce back.

Louisiana 42-35

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