The 2023 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana, and competed in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Michael Desormeaux. The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team drew an average home attendance of 16,664 in 2023.
Preseason Recruiting class
Source:
Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released
Preseason Warrick Dunn Award D'Wayne' Winfield QB FR Outland Trophy AJ Gillie OL RS-JR Lou Groza Award Kenneth Almendares K RS-JR Wuerffel Trophy Ben Wooldridge QB RS-SR Mackey Award Neal Johnson TE SR Ray Guy Award Thomas Leo K/P RS-SR Doak Walker Award Dre'lyn Washington RB RS-SO Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Neal Johnson TE SR
Media poll In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Ragin' Cajuns were picked to finish in third place in the West division.
Tight end Neal Johnson was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team. Offensive lineman AJ Gillie was named to the second team.
Personnel
Schedule The football schedule was announced February 24, 2023.
Game summaries
Northwestern State
Statistics Northwestern StateLouisiana First downs 8 20 Total yards 187 429 Rushing yards 77 206 Passing yards 110 223 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 32:58 27:02
Team Category Player StatisticsNorthwestern State Passing Tyler Vander Waal 12/28, 110 yards, 1 TD Rushing Scooter Adams 8 carries, 33 yards Receiving Scooter Adams 2 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TDLouisiana Passing Ben Wooldridge 14/32, 223 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Dre'lyn Washington 8 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD Receiving Peter LeBlanc 2 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD
at Old Dominion
Statistics LouisianaOld Dominion First downs 24 20 Total yards 454 392 Rushing yards 169 145 Passing yards 285 247 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 37:31 22:29
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Ben Wooldridge 25/36, 285 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Jacob Kibodi 10 carries, 54 yards Receiving Jacob Bernard 3 receptions, 70 yardsOld Dominion Passing Grant Wilson 13/19, 247 yards, 4 TDs Rushing Keshawn Wicks 17 carries, 104 yards Receiving Reymello Murphy 2 receptions, 97 yards, 2 TDs
at UAB
Statistics LouisianaUAB First downs 22 21 Total yards 513 396 Rushing yards 305 116 Passing yards 208 280 Turnovers 3 2 Time of possession 29:05 30:55
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 14/20, 174 yards, 1 TD Rushing Jacob Kibodi 7 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD Receiving Harvey Broussard 3 receptions, 65 yardsUAB Passing Jacob Zeno 27/38, 280 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Jacob Zeno 17 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD Receiving Semario Rudolph 8 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
Buffalo
Statistics BuffaloLouisiana First downs 19 24 Total yards 373 518 Rushing yards 178 269 Passing yards 195 249 Turnovers 2 3 Time of possession 33:22 26:38
Team Category Player StatisticsBuffalo Passing Cole Snyder 17/34, 198 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Mike Washington 13 carries, 88 yards Receiving Cameron Ball 2 receptions, 51 yardsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 22/29, 249 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Dre'lyn Washington 13 carries, 103 yards Receiving Charles Robertson 4 receptions, 58 yards
at Minnesota
Statistics LouisianaMinnesota First downs 15 26 Total yards 349 347 Rushing yards 177 201 Passing yards 172 146 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 24:25 35:35
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 14/25, 172 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Zeon Chriss 10 carries, 74 yards Receiving Jacob Bernard 2 receptions, 48 yardsMinnesota Passing Athan Kaliakmanis 12/14, 146 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Zach Evans 15 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD Receiving Daniel Jackson 5 receptions, 89 yards, 2 TDs
Texas State
Statistics Texas StateLouisiana First downs 29 21 Total yards 530 423 Rushing yards 204 218 Passing yards 326 205 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 33:27 26:33
Team Category Player StatisticsTexas State Passing TJ Finley 30/40, 326 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Ismail Mahdi 34 carries, 188 yards, 1 TD Receiving Joey Hobert 8 receptions, 132 yards, 1 TDLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 13/17, 205 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Zeon Chriss 12 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD Receiving Robert Williams 5 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD
Georgia State
Statistics Georgia StateLouisiana First downs 16 15 Total yards 343 289 Rushing yards 129 165 Passing yards 214 124 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 27:48 32:12
Team Category Player StatisticsGeorgia State Passing Darren Grainger 17/22, 211 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Marcus Carroll 26 carries, 110 yards Receiving Tailique Williams 6 receptions, 81 yardsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 14/28, 106 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Zeon Chriss 17 carries, 119 yards Receiving Jacob Bernard 3 receptions, 30 yards
at South Alabama
Statistics LouisianaSouth Alabama First downs 19 25 Total yards 348 498 Rushing yards 203 117 Passing yards 145 381 Turnovers 0 5 Time of possession 34:44 25:16
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 13/17, 145 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Jacob Kibodi 23 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD Receiving Peter LeBlanc 2 receptions, 37 yardsSouth Alabama Passing Carter Bradley 29/49, 381 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing La'Damian Webb 16 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD Receiving Jamaal Pritchett 11 receptions, 168 yards, 2 TDs
at Arkansas State
Statistics LouisianaArkansas State First downs 20 26 Total yards 327 426 Rushing yards 64 232 Passing yards 263 194 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 25:07 34:53
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Zeon Chriss 12/17, 171 yards, 1 TD Rushing Dre'lyn Washington 23 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD Receiving Peter LeBlanc 6 receptions, 129 yards, 1 TDArkansas State Passing Jaylen Raynor 18/28, 194 yards Rushing Zak Wallace 15 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD Receiving Ja'Quez Cross 6 receptions, 66 yards
Southern Miss
Statistics Southern MissLouisiana First downs 22 20 Total yards 390 390 Rushing yards 229 130 Passing yards 161 260 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 33:33 26:27
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Billy Wiles 10/16, 105 yards, 1 TD Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 33 carries, 158 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Jakarius Caston 3 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TDLouisiana Passing Chandler Fields 24/38, 260 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Dre'lyn Washington 12 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD Receiving Harvey Broussard 5 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD
at Troy
Statistics LouisianaTroy First downs 22 23 Total yards 348 367 Rushing yards 66 148 Passing yards 282 219 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 31:46 28:14
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana Passing Chandler Fields 29/39, 282 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Zylan Perry 8 carries, 44 yards Receiving Harvey Broussard 3 receptions, 54 yardsTroy Passing Gunnar Watson 17/31, 199 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Kimani Vidal 27 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD Receiving Jabre Barber 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
Louisiana–Monroe
Statistics Louisiana–MonroeLouisiana First downs 16 29 Total yards 239 476 Rushing yards 153 230 Passing yards 86 246 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 30:20 29:40
Team Category Player StatisticsLouisiana–Monroe Passing Jiya Wright 6/10, 66 yards, 1 INT Rushing Bennett Galloway 16 carries, 87 yards Receiving Tyrone Howell 2 receptions, 40 yardsLouisiana Passing Chandler Fields 18/20, 246 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Elijah Davis 14 carries, 109 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Neal Johnson 3 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TDs
vs. Jacksonville State (New Orleans Bowl)
Statistics Jacksonville StateLouisiana First downs 31 14 Total yards 526 247 Rushing yards 290 92 Passing yards 236 155 Turnovers 4 0 Time of possession 33:00 27:00
Team Category Player StatisticsJacksonville State Passing Zion Webb 14/26, 156 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Ron Wiggins 27 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD Receiving Quinton Lane 7 receptions, 86 yardsLouisiana Passing Chandler Fields 13/26, 155 yards Rushing Dre'lyn Washington 16 carries, 73 yards Receiving Pearse Migl 2 receptions, 34 yards
References