Louisiana Football Final – Late Night For the Ragin’ Cajuns
(KMDL-FM) The second week of the NCAA Football season played out over the weekend. The action included an in-state matchup between two Louisiana programs and a rare trip for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a very late-night affair on the West Coast.
The game that drew the most national attention was LSU versus Louisiana Tech, played Saturday night in Baton Rouge. I don't think the national interest was because it was the Tigers versus the Bulldogs; I think most of the interest was in how LSU would play following a week that saw the Southeastern Conference threaten the university with expulsion.
READ MORE: How Much Is LSU Really Worth to the Southeastern Conference?
That didn't happen, but the game did. And to no one's surprise at all, LSU had the bigger number on the scoreboard when the game was over. The final score was LSU 45 and Louisiana Tech 14. By most accounts, the Tigers played like a distracted team in the first half. But managed to come roaring out during the second half, and that's where they put the game away. See the Full Game Highlights.
Ragin' Cajuns Prove to Be Strong Test for USC Trojans
The other intriguing match-up on the national and Louisiana scene was the Ragin' Cajuns versus the Trojans of Southern California. On paper, the game looked to be lopsided, with Southern Cal a four-touchdown-plus favorite.
The Cajuns certainly demonstrated they did not read any of the pregame predictions as they gave Southern California a very good game. In the end, it was the Trojans who prevailed. But UL more than covered the oddsmaker's point spread. The final score was Southern California 49 - Louisiana 19. See the Full Game Highlights
The Tulane Green Wave played South Alabama on Saturday, and that game was one of the closer contests of the weekend for Louisiana teams. The Jaguars out of the Sun Belt Conference opened the game strong, building a 10-0 lead, but the Green Wave came roaring back in the second quarter.
Each team added 14 points in the second half. This meant that when the final gun sounded, it was Tulane on top of South Alabama by a score of 28 to 24. Both teams leave the weekend with a record of 1 and 1. See the Full Game Highlights.
Monroe Misery Continues as Warhawks Drop Another Game
Louisiana-Monroe was on the road in Birmingham, Alabama. They took on the UAB Blazers. The Warhawks were coming off a thumping at the hands of Mississippi State last week. They played better and played this game a lot closer, but in the end it was UAB with the bigger number at the end of the evening. The final score was Alabama-Birmingham 26 and Louisiana-Monroe 20. See the Full Game Highlights.
The Southern Jaguars visited the nationally ranked Cougars of Houston on Saturday. It was not a good time for Jags fans. The Cougars rolled Southern 77 to 6. The score was 49-0 at halftime. If this had been an LHSAA game, the clock would have been rolling to help ease the carnage. But this is big-boy football, and the Jags, I'm sure, will learn from the defeat as they move into their HBCU schedule later in the season. They are not pretty, but you can see the Full Game Highlights here.
Nailbiter for McNeese on Saturday Night
Tarleton State was the guest of the McNeese Cowboys in Lake Charles on Saturday. The guests unfortunately left with a win, but not without a fight from the 'Pokes. McNeese actually held the lead going into the 4th quarter, but Tarleton State managed to put 6 points on the board in the final frame to claim the win, 27-24. See the Full Game Highlights here.
There was a king-of-the-beasts battle in Hammond on Saturday. The Lions of North Alabama met the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions won. Now, which Lions are we talking about? The Louisiana Lions prevailed. The final score in a game that almost got away from Southeastern, but didn't, was 30-25 in favor of the team from Hammond. See the Full Game Highlights here.
The Nicholls State Colonels hosted the team from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. The Colonels never trailed in the game, but they never quite had the game put out of reach either. The Vaqueros, which is the mascot for UTRGV, kept the game close but could not top the team from Thibodaux. The final score was 31 to 28 in favor of the Colonels. See the Full Game Highlights here.
Northwestern State Stays Consistent - Unfortunately It's Consistently Bad
Northwestern State continued down the wrong path, dropping their 3rd game this season. This time the Demons fell to Texas A&M-Commerce. The final score was 38 to 14. The Demons have been in a downward spiral for several seasons. While this loss wasn't good, it wasn't the worst loss the Demons have suffered this year.
They dropped their season opener to NAIA Louisiana Christian University, which should give you an idea of just how far the Northwestern State program has fallen through the years. See the Full Game Recap here.
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The big game is next week: LSU versus Ole Miss, with a lot more than a "football game" on the line. The Ragin Cajuns will face UAB, the team that defeated Louisiana-Monroe. Louisiana Tech is on another "guarantee game" weekend. They will be in Waco to face Baylor.
The Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe will face Southeastern Louisiana; McNeese will travel to UTRGV; Nicholls is at Sam Houston; Southern will take on Louisiana Christian, and the Northwestern State Demons will travel to Weber State.
Now, if the way your team has been playing has made you gun-shy on Saturdays, you can always fill the void with some live music. Here's what we suggest.
2026 Country Concert Calendar for South Louisiana
Gallery Credit: Jude Walker