LAFAYETTE — A lot of good came out of Louisiana's 49-21 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, but the bad weighed just as heavy.
The Cajuns drew 12 total penalties including eight in the first half.
After looking back at the film, head coach Michael Desormeaux saw that each mistake is correctable and assured that those things are cleared up.
“You try to coach the technical part of it,” Desormeaux said. “It’s not just oh it’s the penalty don't do it. It's how can we avoid it next time and how can we do a better job of it. That's part of coaching right as you go back and review it. The answer is not don't do it. The answers are how can we fix it with a technical correction.”
Louisiana now shifts its focus to Rice who knows about both sides of a blowout.
The Owls lost to USC in week one, 66-14, and ran past McNeese on Saturday, 52-10.
“They're a well-coached team,” Desormeaux said. “They're the best team we've played so far three weeks into the season. For us, we've got to execute and communicate at a high level and make sure that we find a little more consistency.”
Rice can do a little of everything on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, in the words of Desormeaux, the Owls are multiple. Led by quarterback junior TJ McMahon, Rice’s offense averages 383.5 yards and 33 points per game.
“Those guys have a good scheme,” Desormeaux said. “Their players understand that. They're more gap oriented than zone oriented which is a little bit different. When a team plays with a true fullback at times, that's unique in today's game. You don't see it a whole lot.”
Defensively, Rice sacked McNeese five times and allowed just one touchdown in the win on Saturday.
“They pressure a lot more,” Desormeaux said. “They're doing some of those things. We got to be sound and be prepared to handle the movement and be prepared to handle the pressures. This is also UL's first road game of the season, but Desormeaux tells us that the Cajuns' gameday routine won't change.
The Cajuns (2-0) will kick off with the Owls (1-1) at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. The game will air on ESPN+.
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