LAFAYETTE, La. — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Football team looks to secure its second conference title in the past four seasons on Saturday when it plays host to Marshall in the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Football Championship at Cajun Field.
Louisiana (10-2, 7-1 SBC) earned its league-high fifth trip to the SBC Championship Game after defeating ULM, 37-23, in the regular-season finale. The Ragin’ Cajuns return to the championship game for the first time since defeating App State, 24-16, in the 2021 title game at Cajun Field.
Marshall (9-3, 7-1 SBC) enters the game on a six-game winning streak, capped by a thrilling come-from-behind victory at James Madison last week. The Thundering Herd, who is making their first trip in the SBC Championship Game, trailed 17-0 at halftime before rallying to earn a 35-33 double-overtime victory.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sideline) providing commentary.
Fans can listen to the game on the Ragin’ Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Jonut (analyst) and Dawson Eiserloh (sideline) on the call. Fans can also listen to the national broadcast on the Gridiron Football Network with Noah Britt (play-by-play), Jon Reynolds (color), Faxon Childress (sideline) on the call.
Live stats will be available at www.CajunStats.com.
2024 HERCULES TIRES SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Louisiana (10-2, 7-1 SBC) vs. Marshall (9-3, 7-1 SBC)
Location: Cajun Field (25,000) | Lafayette, La.
Date | Time: Saturday, December 7 | 6:30 p.m.
TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN
Talent: Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (color), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
Radio: Lafayette – Hot 107.9 FM; 103.3 The Goat, 1420 AM; New Orleans/Slidell – WGSO 990 AM; Worldwide – Varsity Network powered by Learfield
Talent: Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (color), Dawson Eiserloh (sideline)
National Radio: Gridiron Radio Network
Talent: Noah Britt (play-by-play), Jon Reynolds (color), Faxon Childress (sideline)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Overall: Louisiana leads, 2-0
In Lafayette: First meeting
In Huntington: Louisiana leads, 1-0
In New Orleans: Louisiana leads, 1-0
Streak: Louisiana +2
First meeting: Louisiana, 36-21 – 12/18/2021 in New Orleans
Last Meeting: Louisiana, 23-13 – 10/12/2022 in Huntington
LOUISIANA, MARSHALL TO MEET IN HERCULES TIRE SBC CHAMPIONSHIP
• SBC West Division champion Louisiana makes its fifth appearance in the Hercules Tire Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday when it faces East Division champion Marshall.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return to the SBC Championship Game for the first time since 2021 when they defeated App State, 24-16, at Cajun Field.
• Louisiana earned berths in the first four events in the game's seven-year history, falling to App State (2018-19) before the 2020 contest at Coastal Carolina was cancelled due to COVID.
• Louisiana and Marshall meet for the third time overall since first squaring off in the 2021 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl – a 36-21 Ragin' Cajuns victory.
A LOUISIANA WIN WOULD ...
• Officially be its 10th conference title in school history and fourth since joining the Sun Belt Conference.
• Mark the third time in school history with 11 or more wins in a season, joining the 2021 (13) and 2019 (11) squads.
• Improve its official record in SBC Championship Games to 2-2.
• Give the Ragin' Cajuns a 5-2 record at home – their most home wins since going 7-0 in 2021.
• Be head coach Michael Desormeaux's 24th career win.
UPCOMING LOUISIANA MILESTONES
• Kicker Kenneth Almendares and defensive lineman Mason Narcisse will each make their 61st career appearance - all at Louisiana - against Marshall.
• Redshirt freshman running back Bill Davis is 34 yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard mark in his career.
• Davis is one rushing touchdown shy of becoming the first Cajuns' back since Elijah Mitchell (16, 2019) to record 10-or-more rushing TDs in a single season.
• Senior linebacker K.C. Ossai will play in his 51st career game on Saturday.
• Ossai, with 266 career tackles, is four tackles shy of cracking the top-5 among linebackers in school history.
THE LOUISIANA-MARSHALL SERIES
• Louisiana and Marshall meet for the third time overall with the Ragin' Cajuns claiming the previous two meetings in the series.
• The teams first met in the 2021 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl where Louisiana claimed a 36-21 victory on December 19, 2021.
• The game marked the head coaching debut for Louisiana's Michael Desormeaux, who replaced Billy Napier (Florida) as head coach on December 5, 2021 - one day after Louisiana claimed the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Cajun Field.
• Louisiana and Marshall met for the first time as Sun Belt Conference opponents on October 12, 2022 with the Ragin' Cajuns claiming a 23-13 win in a nationally-televised contest in Huntington, W.Va.
LOUISIANA IN THE SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
• Louisiana's upcoming fifth appearance in the Hercules Tire Sun Belt Conference Championship is the most of all league institutions.
• Louisiana has faced App State (2018, 2019, 2021) the most of all schools in the league and were scheduled against Coastal Carolina (2020) in a game which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
• The Ragin' Cajuns traveled to face App State in both 2018 (Lost, 30-19) and 2019 (Lost, 45-38) before claiming their first title with a 24-16.
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