Saturday’s meeting between Marshall and Louisiana will be the third all-time meeting between the teams with all three taking place in the last four years. It started with the 2021 New Orleans Bowl and continued with the Herd’s first SBC game in 2022. Louisiana has won both meetings between the two programs.
MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD NOTES
Down To The Tiebreaker!
Both Marshall and Louisiana finished the Sun Belt Conference slate at 7-1 in league play, but did not play each other, which brought about a tiebreaker into the mix to determine that Louisiana would serve as host. The SBC tiebreaker scenario included the composite average of four computer ratings: Anderson & Hester, Colley Matrix, Wolfe and Massey Ratings.
At Home On The Road!?!
It wasn’t so long ago that Marshall was answering questions about not being able to win games on the road. Those questions are now in the rear-view mirror for the Thundering Herd, who has won three road games in the last four weeks, including impressive wins at Old Dominion (42- 35) and James Madison (35-33, 2OT) that helped secure the 2024 SBC East Division title. Now, after losing nine straight road or neutral-site games dating back to the early stages of the 2023 season, Marshall has a chance to win its fourth straight away from Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Another Fun Fact: With a pending neutral site game in the Herd’s bowl matchup, it will mark the second straight season that Marshall football has played five road games in a six-game stretch.
With a win on Saturday…
…Marshall would clinch the first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship in program history, earning the title in only its third year in the league. …Marshall would also secure a 7-game winning streak – the team’s first in-season streak of that length since 2020. …A win would also give Marshall 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2015.
LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS NOTES
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), 2019 (11) and 2020 (10) 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.
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 have 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.
CHAMPIONSHIP CAJUNS
• In its 123-year history on the gridiron, Louisiana has recorded 10 conference titles, including four Sun Belt Conference crowns. • Louisiana claimed back-to-back titles (1993-94) as members of the Big West Conference and claimed its first SBC title in 2005. • The 2021 SBC title saw Louisiana finish with 13 straight victories, including a New Orleans Bowl victory over Marshall in Michael Desormeaux’s head coaching debut.
TEAM NOTES
• Louisiana became the last FBS team nationally to lose a fumble this season in its Week 12 game against South Alabama. • The Ragin’ Cajuns are second behind San Diego State (1) in lost fumbles on the season. • Louisiana has turned the ball over eight times during the 2024 season to rank behind Army (5) and Vanderbilt (7) among FBS schools. • Louisiana is +12 in turnover margin in 2024 to rank ninth nationally. • The Ragin’ Cajuns have 84 players on its roster from the state of Louisiana to lead all instate FBS schools. • The Ragin’ Cajuns have allowed 189.1 yards through the air on the season to rank second in the Sun Belt Conference and 29th nationally in passing yards allowed. • Louisiana is second nationally in red zone offense converting on 94.7 percent (54-for-57) of its opportunities. • Louisiana has controlled the clock during the 2024 season ranking 21st nationally in time of possession (31:54 per game). • Louisiana enters the week second in the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 44th nationally among FBS schools in total defense allowing 341.8 yards per game. • Louisiana ranks fourth among all FBS teams in tackles for loss allowed (3.58 per game). • Louisiana’s third-down conversion percentage (.464) is second in the Sun Belt and is 18th among FBS programs. • Eight players – King McGowen (OT), Kaden Moreau (OG), Quinton Williams (OT), Caden Jensen (TE), Zylan Perry (RB), Lorenzell Dubose (CB), Cody Jackson (S) and Carmycah Glass (LB) – have each earned their first career starts during the 2024 season. • Fourteen players – Ben Wooldridge (QB), Lance LeGendre (WR), Terrance Carter (TE), Bill Davis (RB), Dre’lyn Washington (RB), Harvey Broussard (WR), Tavion Smith (WR), Robert Williams (WR), Landon Burton (C), Caleb Kibodi (LB), Chandler Fields (QB), Zylan Perry (RB) and Caden Jensen (TE) – have scored at least one touchdown this season for Louisiana. • Louisiana’s four interceptions against App State equaled its most in a game since October 30, 2010 at Ohio. • Louisiana had a string of 18 consecutive quarters with a score snapped after going scoreless in the third quarter of its 34-24 win at Coastal Carolina.
