2:15 p.m. | ESPN
University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico
SERIES HISTORY
• The Horned Frogs and Ragin’ Cajuns will be meeting on the gridiron for the first time.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Notes
LOUISIANA, TCU TO MEET IN 19TH ANNUAL ISLETA NEW MEXICO BOWL
• Louisiana makes its 14th bowl appearance in school history, and school-record seventh straight, when it faces Big 12 member TCU in the 19th annual Isleta New Mexico Bowl at the University of New Mexico’s University Stadium. • The bowl matchup for Louisiana is its first against a Power 4 conference member and its first-ever visit to Albuquerque.
A LOUISIANA WIN WOULD …
• 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. • Be head coach Michael Desormeaux’s 24th career win. • Improve Desormeaux’s bowl record to 2-2. • Snap a two-game losing streak in bowl games. • Be its first over a Big 12 opponent since a 17-15 win against Kansas State on Sept, 12, 2009. • Mark the first time in school history Louisiana defeated two P4 opponents in the same season.
BOWL GAME HISTORY
• Louisiana is making its school-record seventh consecutive bowl game and 14th all-time. • Louisiana has an official bowl record of 6-5.
“ROIS” (“KINGS” IN FRENCH) OF THE ROAD
• With a 6-0 record in road games during the 2024 season, Louisiana became the second team in school history and the first since the COVID 2020 season to win six or more games away from the friendly confines of Cajun Field. • The 1970 Louisiana team finished a perfect 5-0 on the road with three teams – 1908 (3-0), 1944 (3-0) and 1943 (2-0) – posting unbeaten records in seasons with multiple road games.
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 nine times during the 2024 season to rank tied for eighth among FBS schools. • Louisiana is +11 in turnover margin in 2024 to rank 11th 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 189.4 yards through the air on the season to rank second in the Sun Belt Conference and 30th nationally in passing yards allowed. • Louisiana is fourth nationally in red zone offense converting on 93.1 percent (54-for-58) of its opportunities. • Louisiana has controlled the clock during the 2024 season ranking 30th nationally in time of possession (31:27 per game). • Louisiana is third in the Sun Belt Conference and 48th nationally among FBS schools in total defense allowing 347.0 yards per game. • Louisiana ranks ninth among all FBS teams in tackles for loss allowed (3.77 per game). • 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) – 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.
POSITION NOTES –
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
• Ben Wooldridge recorded his fourth career 300-yard passing game after setting career-highs in both yards (373) and completions (27) in Louisiana’s 34-24 win at Coastal Carolina on Oct. 19. • Wooldridge tied Jon Van Cleave (2000-02) and Jerry Babb (2003-06) for fourth in Ragin’ Cajuns history in career 300-yard passing games. • Wooldridge connected on a career-long 74-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Carter against App State. • Wooldridge was one of eight quarterbacks to earn the Manning Award “Stars of the Week” on Sept. 30 after completing 20 of 29 passes for 257 yards and three TDs in a win at Wake Forest. • Chandler Fields, who started multiple games for Louisiana in both 2022 and 2023, completed 10 of 12 passes for 97 yards in three games as a backup before replacing an injured Wooldridge in the second half against South Alabama. • Fields finished 14-for-17 through the air for 185 yards and a touchdown against South Alabama and helping Louisiana erase a 24-3 halftime deficit. • Fields scored his first TD of the season with a 12-yard run in Louisiana’s 55-19 win over Arkansas State. • Fields recorded his first career 300-yard passing game against Troy completing 18 of 24 passes for 323 yards and two TDs. • In his career, Fields has completed 277 of 434 passes (63.8) for 3,211 yards and 23 TDs. • True freshman Daniel Beale made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter of the Arkansas State game going 1-for-2 for three yards. • Beale saw his most significant action in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game after Fields was lost to injury.
Running Backs
• Louisiana’s 278-yard performance on the ground against Arkansas State was a season-high. • Louisiana gained 257 yards on the ground against Kennesaw State with Zylan Perry posting his first career 100-yard rushing game with a career-high 104 yards. • Perry’s 150-yard performance at ULM was the first time a UL running back had reached the 150-yard mark in a game since Chris Smith (246) and current Florida running back Montrell Johnson (150) faced Arkansas State in 2021. • Bill Davis recorded the second 100-yard rushing game of his career with 103 yards on nine attempts against Tulane. The redshirt freshman set up a third-quarter TD drive with a career-long, 73-yard rush to the Tulane 2. • Davis led Louisiana with 95 yards on 13 carries at Wake Forest, with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. • Perry gained 78 yards on a career-high 11 attempts against Wake Forest and set up Davis’ TD with a career-best 30-yard carry. • Walk-on Tylon Citizen gained 29 yards on five carries against Kennesaw State in his second career game.
Offensive Line
• The offensive line came into the season-opener against Grambling with 177 career games played with 90 career starts. • Louisiana has used five different lineups during the season. • AJ Gillie (left guard) and Landon Burton (center) are the lone players to start every game at their current position. • Jax Harrington returned to the lineup against Wake Forest after missing the previous two games due to injury. • Bryant Williams, who made his first career start in the 2023 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, earned the start at left tackle in the season-opener against Grambling. • Kaden Moreau (right guard) and Quinton Williams (right tackle) each earned their first career starts against Kennesaw State after injuries to Bryant Williams and Harrington. • Harrington (33 starts), George Jackson (27 starts) and Landon Burton (19 starts) are next in the most career starts for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Receivers/Tight Ends
• Thirteen players had at least one reception in the win over Grambling with Caden Jensen (3), Ty Stamey (2), Dale Martin (1), Rahji Dennis (1) and Landon Baptiste (1) each recording their first career grabs. • Nineteen players (including running backs) have recorded at least one reception this season. • Tavion Smith’s two receptions against Grambling matched his total from 2023 while his 56-yard TD grab was a career-long. • Five players – Lance LeGendre (6), Terrance Carter (4), Harvey Broussard (3), Tavion Smith (3) and Caden Jensen (2) – have at least two TD receptions in 2024. • Caden Jensen recorded his first career touchdown catch against Tulane. • Lance LeGendre earned his second career start at wide receiver at Wake Forest and responded with career-highs in receptions (6), yards (123), touchdowns (2) and long reception (48). • Jacob Bernard’s 52-yard reception against Kennesaw State was a career-long. • Converted running back Chaz Ward became the 19th player to catch a pass this season for Louisiana and his first since the 2021 season when he played at Lamar.
POSITION NOTES –
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
• Mason Narcisse’s five tackles at Wake Forest were a season-best. • Jordan Lawson had 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in Louisiana’s win over Arkansas State. • Lawson leads all defensive linemen with 38 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on the season. • Louisiana native and Ball State transfer Kyron Mims tied a career-high with four tackles against Kennesaw State. • Lafayette native and LSU transfer Fitzgerald West, Jr., has 21 tackles on the season with a career-high five coming at Texas State. • Antoine Baylis notched Louisiana’s first sack of the season in the Game 5 win at Southern Miss. • Redshirt freshman Chase Edwards collected his first career sack in Louisiana’s win over App State. • Freshman Ashton Wright made his collegiate debut against Arkansas State and was credited with two tackles. • Tulane transfer and local product Maxie Baudoin IV collected his first tackle in a Louisiana uniform with a stop against Arkansas State.
Linebackers
• K.C. Ossai, the team leader with 95 stops in 2023, posted 17 tackles in the win at Coastal Carolina. • Ossai leads Louisiana with 110 tackles on the season – his first with 100+ stops on the year. • Ossai capped off the 2023 campaign with a career-high 18 stops against Jacksonville State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. • Cameron Whitfield is second among linebackers with 40 tackles with 7.5 TFLs and 6.0 sacks. • Whitfield’s 4.0 sacks at Southern Miss tied a school-record that was last set by Chauncey Manac at Liberty in 2021. • Caleb Kibodi’s first career interception was a 50-yard TD against Grambling. • Jaden Dugger (34 tackles, 3.5 TFL) played his first two seasons as a defensive back as FCS Georgetown before transferring to Louisiana.
Defensive Backs
• Keyon Martin recorded a team-high nine stops at Wake Forest to tie his career-best last set at Youngstown State in 2021. • Martin returned to the lineup after an injury at Texas State and picked off a pair of second-quarter passes against Troy. • Tyrone Lewis picked off his fourth pass of the season against Arkansas State. • Lewis leads all defensive backs in tackles (70) with Amir McDaniel (53) and Keyon Martin (50) next. • Skipper and Lewis had two interceptions each in Louisiana’s win over App State. • Amir McDaniel was credited with his second career sack against App State. • Lorenzell Dubose earned his first career start against A-State and added six tackles. • Redshirt freshman Kody Jackson picked off his first career pass in the fourth quarter against South Alabama. • Jackson earned his first career start at safety in the win over Troy. • Jackson picked off two passes at ULM and joined Lewis, Martin and Skipper as Cajuns with multiple interceptions in a game this season.
POSITION NOTES –
SPECIALISTS
Kickers/Punters/Returners
• Kenneth Almendares’ 53-yard field goal in the third quarter against App State was his second from 50-plus yards this season and the longest of his career. • Almendares’ lone misses this season have been from beyond 50 yards – a 60-yarder at the end of the first half against App State and a 53-yard attempt at Coastal Carolina. • Almendares is 68-for-79 (.859) in field goals in his career and ranks fourth in Sun Belt Conference history behind Louisiana’s Brett Baer (90.0, 45-50), 2009-12), Troy’s Brooks Buce (89.3, 25-28, 2021-22) and Younghoe Koo of Georgia Southern (88.6, 31-35, 2014-16). • Dalen Cambre’s blocked punt against Kennesaw State was the third of his career. The Lafayette native blocked punts against Texas State in 2022 and 2023 and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Liberty in 2021. • Cambre appeared in his 60th career game on November 16 against South Alabama. • Zylan Perry led all FBS players in kickoff return yards in 2023 (862) and enters leading the Sun Belt Conference and ranked No. 13 nationally in kickoff return average (24.9). • Robert Williams’ 180-yard performance in kickoff returns against Troy was the most by a Sun Belt player this season. • Williams’ 96-yard return against Troy – the first kickoff return for a TD since Perry’s 95-yard return against Southern Miss in 2023 – stopped a 16-point rally for the Trojans after cutting a 37-14 deficit to 37-30. • Perry’s 57-yard return at Wake Forest set up Almendares’ go-ahead 31-yard field goal in the final minute at Wake Forest. • Punter Nathan Torney was the “Maytag Repair Man” after attempting three punts through the first four games of the season. • Torney, the fourth Australian punter for UL since 2013, averaged 48.8 yards per attempt in games against Arkansas State and South Alabama. • Jacob Bernard’s 32-yard punt return against Arkansas State was the longest this season and tied for his career best.
TCU Horned Frogs Notes
ABOUT THE GAME
• With a three-game winning streak and victories in five of its last six games, TCU will face Louisiana on Dec. 28 in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. • TCU has won eight games for just the third time since 2015. Two of those occasions have come in the last three seasons under Head Coach Sonny Dykes. • A victory would give TCU its first season with exactly nine wins since going 9-2 under Head Coach Abe Martin in 1955.
HORNED FROG TO WATCH
• Quarterback Josh Hoover ranks seventh nationally in passing yards (3,697). He needs 205 to break Trevone Boykin’s TCU season record of 3,901 from 2014. Hoover is currently 1 yard behind Max Duggan (3,698, 2022) for second. 4Hoover tops the Big 12 and is tied for fourth in the FBS with 56 completions of 20-plus yards.
BOWL GAME NOTABLES
• Over the last 20 seasons, TCU is 11-4 (.733) in bowls, the best record by any team with at least 10 bowl appearances in that time. • This will be the 36th bowl game in TCU’s history. The Horned Frogs are 18-16-1 in those contests. Eleven of their last 12 bowl games and 13 of the past 15 have been decided by eight points or less. • TCU’s last bowl game was a 51-45 victory over Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl which was also a College Football Playoff Semifinal. • TCU’s Sonny Dykes is one of just six active FBS head coaches to take four different schools (Louisiana Tech, Cal, SMU, TCU) to a bowl game. The others are Hugh Freeze, Butch Jones, Brian Kelly, Lane Kiffin and Rich Rodriguez.
FAMILIAR NAMES AND FACES
• TCU leading receiver Jack Bech is a native of Lafayette, La., where the Ragin’ Cajuns are located. • Former TCU running back Emani Bailey, currently with the Carolina Panthers, began his career at Louisiana. • Bailey played two seasons at UL before transferring to TCU where he ran for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns last year. • Bailey’s younger brother, Jordyn, is a redshirt freshman wide receiver and primary kickoff returner for the Horned Frogs.
WHEN LAST IN ALBUQUERQUE
• TCU’s last game at University Stadium in Albuquerque set the stage for one of the more memorable moments in its history. • A 66-17 win over New Mexico in the 2010 regular-season finale clinched a Rose Bowl appearance for the Horned Frogs. TCU would go on to defeat Wisconsin 21-19 in Pasadena to complete a 13-0 season. • TCU’s path to the Rose Bowl was set up the night before the New Mexico game when Colin Kaepernick rallied Nevada from a 17-point second-half deficit for a 34-31 overtime win over a Boise State team that was gaining on TCU in the BCS Standings. • When the Wolfpack’s game-winning field goal split the uprights at 11:52 p.m. MST, TCU’s Albuquerque hotel exploded in a loud roar that necessitated hotel management to contact team personnel to quiet the players down. TCU had a 2 p.m. kickoff the next day. 4When the Horned Frogs won, players that included Andy Dalton ran off the field with roses in their mouths.
THE FUTURE
• Earlier this month, TCU signed the Big 12 Conference’s top-ranked recruiting class for the first time. Its No. 20 overall ranking by ESPN is also the highest in program history during the online recruiting services era.
ALL IN
• With the preliminary settlement of the House v. NCAA class-action lawsuit, TCU has announced that it will fully participate at the maximum level in the permissible revenue sharing plan with its student athletes.
