2024 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team

The 2024 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will represent the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns are led by Michael Desormeaux in his third year as the head coach. The Ragin' Cajuns will play home games at Cajun Field, located in Lafayette, Louisiana.

2024 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Division	West Division
Record	3–1 (0–0 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Michael Desormeaux (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Tim Leger (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Jim Salgado (1st season)
Home stadium	Cajun Field

2024 Sun Belt Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Georgia Southern		1	–	0					3	–	2
James Madison		0	–	0					4	–	0
Coastal Carolina		0	–	0					3	–	1
Marshall		0	–	0					2	–	2
Old Dominion		0	–	0					1	–	3
Appalachian State		0	–	1					2	–	2
Georgia State		0	–	1					2	–	2
West Division
Louisiana–Monroe		1	–	0					3	–	1
South Alabama		1	–	0					2	–	3
Louisiana		0	–	0					3	–	1
Arkansas State		0	–	0					2	–	2
Texas State		0	–	0					2	–	2
Southern Miss		0	–	0					1	–	3
Troy		0	–	1					1	–	4
Championship: December 7, 2024
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant As of October 2, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll

Preseason

Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Ragin' Cajuns were picked to finish third place in the West division.

Media poll (West division)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Texas State	92 (9)
2	Troy	68 (4)
3	Louisiana	66 (1)
4	Arkansas State	65
5	South Alabama	54
6	Southern Miss	31
7	Louisiana–Monroe	16

Offensive lineman AJ Gillie and returner Zylan Perry were awarded to be in the preseason All-Sun Belt first team offense and special teams, respectively. Defensive lineman Jordan Lawson, linebacker KC Ossai, and defensive back Tyrone Lewis Jr. were named to the second team.

Schedule

The football schedule was announced on March 1, 2024.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	7:00 p.m.	Grambling State*	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN+	W 40–10	23,107
September 7	6:00 p.m.	at Kennesaw State*	Fifth Third Bank Stadium Kennesaw, GA	ESPN+	W 34–10	11,040
September 21	11:00 a.m.	Tulane*	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPNU	L 33–41	22,534
September 28	2:30 p.m.	at Wake Forest*	Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	ACCN	W 41–38	31,061
October 5	6:00 p.m.	at Southern Miss	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	ESPN+
October 12	6:30 p.m.	Appalachian State	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN+
October 19		at Coastal Carolina	Brooks Stadium Conway, SC
October 29	6:30 p.m.	at Texas State	UFCU Stadium San Marcos, TX	ESPN2
November 9		Arkansas State	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA
November 16		South Alabama	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA
November 23		Troy	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA
November 30		at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA (Battle on the Bayou)
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

Grambling State

See also: 2024 Grambling State Tigers football team

Game One – Grambling State Tigers (0–0) at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
Ragin' Cajuns	0	0	0	0	0

at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana

• Date: August 31st
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	GSU	UL
First downs
Plays–yards	–	–
Rushes–yards	–	–
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	––	––
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Grambling State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Kennesaw State

See also: 2024 Kennesaw State Owls football team

Game Two – Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (1–0) vs Kennesaw State Owls (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ragin Cajuns	0	20	14	0	34
Owls	7	0	0	3	10

at Fifth Third Bank Stadium • Kennesaw, Georgia

• Date: September 7th
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
• Game attendance: 11,040
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information

First quarter (6:19) KENN – Preston Daniels 3 yard run, Austin Welch kick (Drive: 16 plays, 74 yards, 8:32; KENN 0–7) Second quarter (13:55) UL – Kenneth Almendares 30 yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:15; KENN 3–7) (6:02) UL – Elijah Davis 1 yard run, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:47; UL 10–7) (1:54) UL – Zylan Perry 19 yard run, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:26; UL 17–7) (0:00) UL – Kenneth Almendares 26 yard field goal (Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:21; UL 20–7) Third quarter (9:02) UL – Robert Williams 3 yard pass from Ben Wooldridge, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:44; UL 27–7) (0:49) UL – Elijah Davis 1 yard run, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 6:03; UL 34–7) Fourth quarter (7:30) KENN – Austin Welch 30 yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 8:12; UL 34–10)

Statistics	Louisiana	Kennesaw State
First downs	21	12
Plays–yards	454	204
Rushes–yards	257	111
Passing yards	197	93
Passing: comp–att–int	17-22-0	7-13-0
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	32:04	27:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisiana	Passing	Ben Wooldridge	15/19, 189 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Zylan Perry	10 carries, 10 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jacob Bernard	4 receptions, 84 yards
Kennesaw State	Passing	Davis Bryson	7/13, 93 yards
	Rushing	Michael Benefield	9 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Tykeem Wallace	2 receptions, 34 yards

Tulane

See also: 2024 Tulane Green Wave football team

Game Three – Tulane Green Wave (1–2) at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Green Wave	0	17	21	3	41
Ragin' Cajuns	7	6	13	7	33

at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana

• Date: September 21st
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 92 °F (33 °C) • Wind: SE at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 22,534
• Referee: Trennis Livingston
• TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (7:26) UL – Ben Wooldridge 1-yard run, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:53; Louisiana 7–0) Second quarter (14:57) TUL – Ty Thompson 2-yard run, Ethan Head kick (Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:29; Tied 7–7) (9:14) UL – Kenneth Almendares 20-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:43; Louisiana 10–7) (2:02) TUL – Ethan Head 37-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 7:08; Tied 10–10) (1:40) TUL – Jack Tchienchou 38-yard interception, Ethan Head kick (Tulane 17–10) (0:03) UL – Kenneth Almendares 31-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 1:37; Tulane 17–13) Third quarter (14:47) TUL – Rayshawn Pleasant 94-yard kickoff return, Ethan Head kick (Tulane 24–13) (13:06) UL – Caden Jensen 1-yard pass from Ben Wooldridge (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:41; Tulane 24–19) (8:57) TUL – Reggie Brown 33-yard pass from Darian Mensah, Ethan Head kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:05; Tulane 31–19) (6:42) UL – Terrance Carter 36-yard pass from Ben Wooldridge, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 2:04; Tulane 31–26) (3:11) TUL – Makhi Hughes 1-yard run, Ethan Head kick (Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:26; Tulane 38–26) Fourth quarter (13:17) UL – Ben Wooldridge 2-yard run, Kenneth Almendares kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:54; Tulane 38–33) (5:42) TUL – Ethan Head 38-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 7:35; Tulane 41–33)

Statistics	TULN	UL
First downs	18	22
Plays–yards	64–355	63–413
Rushes–yards	47–272	28–175
Passing yards	83	238
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	11–17–0	19–35–2
Time of possession	33:57	26:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tulane	Passing	Darian Mensah	11/17, 83 yards, TD
	Rushing	Makhi Hughes	23 carries, 166 yards, TD
	Receiving	Reggie Brown	1 reception, 33 yards, TD
Louisiana	Passing	Ben Wooldridge	19/34, 238 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Bill Davis	9 carries, 103 yards
	Receiving	Terrance Carter	4 receptions, 79 yards, TD

at Wake Forest

See also: 2024 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

Game Four – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (2–1) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Louisiana	0	0	0	0	0
Wake Forest	0	0	0	0	0

at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

• Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
• Game time: 2:30 PM
• TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Coley Harvey (sideline)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	ULL	WAKE
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Wake Forest	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Southern Miss

See also: 2024 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Game Five – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (3–1) at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ragin' Cajuns	0	0	0	0	0
Golden Eagles	0	0	0	0	0

at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

• Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter Win Probability Line Over/Under

Statistics	ULL	USM
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southern Miss	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Appalachian State

See also: 2024 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

Game Six – Appalachian State Mountaineers (0–0) at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	0	0	0	0	0
Ragin' Cajuns	0	0	0	0	0

at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana

• Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
• Game time: TBD
• Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	APP	ULL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Appalachian State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving