Takeaways from Louisiana football's loss in 68 Ventures Bowl
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It wasn’t a flashy showing for Louisiana football in the 68 Ventures Bowl. The Ragin’ Cajuns (6-7, 5-3 Sun Belt Conference) traveled to Mobile, Alabama, looking to spoil the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens’ first bowl game appearance.
The football gods had other plans.
Louisiana trailed for the entirety of the game and fell to Delaware 20-13.
“I’m heartbroken for these guys — everything they’ve done to get here and then to come up a little bit short, it’s just tough,” Louisiana coach Michael Desormeaux said. “But I couldn’t be more proud of this group and the way they battled through everything, from 2-6 to having the opportunity to be here today. I’m really proud of them.”
From untimely turnovers to missed opportunities in the red zone, the Cajuns struggled to find their footing at Hancock Whitney Stadium — the same venue where their four-game win streak began on Nov. 1.
Ironically, that’s where the streak also ended. While Delaware celebrated its first bowl victory, Louisiana closed the season with a bitter taste. For the fourth consecutive year, the Cajuns finished trophyless after a bowl loss.
A struggling Louisiana football offense
For three quarters, the Cajuns offense couldn’t find the end zone. Louisiana opened the game with back-to-back red-zone drives that ended scoreless. Kicker Tony Sterner missed a 39-yard field goal on the opening possession, and quarterback Lunch Winfield threw an interception in the end zone on the next drive.
“We were really just missing little things — timing things,” Winfield said. “We had big plays out there, but we were just a little off.”
Ball security also plagued the offense. Winfield finished the game with two turnovers, fumbling twice in the second half during Louisiana’s comeback attempts. Freshman running back Darrell Smith added to the miscues with a first-half fumble on a punt return that was recovered by Delaware.
Pressure on the defense
With Winfield and the Cajuns’ ground game struggling, the pressure shifted to the defense. Louisiana answered early, but the Blue Hens soon found their rhythm. Delaware running back Jo Silver broke free for a 61-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Delaware rushed for 158 yards, led by Silver’s 119 on 14 carries. Once the running game took hold, quarterback Nick Minicucci was able to settle in, finishing with 176 yards passing and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Cajuns held Minicucci well below his season average of nearly 300 passing yards per game. Defensive end Jordan Lawson stood out with three tackles for loss, five total tackles and a blocked punt.
“We knew they wanted to move the pocket, so we just had to stay disciplined,” Lawson said. “We focused on cutting off angles and creating space — those were the main things in our pass rush.”
What’s next?
For the third time under Desormeaux, Louisiana finished the season with a 6-7 record. It also marked the program’s fourth consecutive bowl loss. With the transfer portal set to open Jan. 2, the Cajuns will soon learn which players will remain and which may depart.
Either way, Desormeaux and his staff are focused on turning the disappointment into motivation during the offseason.
“We know what it takes now,” Winfield said. “We know what it takes to get to this level, and we’re going to learn from our mistakes and be better next season.”
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football bowl game woes continue vs Delaware
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