LAFAYETTE – Coming off a convincing 41-21 win at American Athletic Conference member UAB, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Football team returns to the friendly confines of Cajun Field on Saturday when it plays host to Mid-American Conference member Buffalo.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald (pxp) and Eric Mouton (color) providing the commentary.
Fans can listen to the game in the Lafayette area on Hot 107.9 FM, 103.3 The Goat, 1420 AM, and globally on the Varsity Network app with Jay Walker (pxp), Gerald Broussard (color), and Cody Junot (sideline) on the call.
Louisiana (2-1), which will host a MAC opponent for the third consecutive season, broke open a scoreless battle with a 24-point, second-quarter outburst in its third consecutive win over UAB.
Zeon Chriss came in for an injured Ben Wooldridge on Louisiana’s opening drive and posted career-highs in both passing yards (174) and rushing yards (103). The redshirt freshman tossed an 11-yard TD pass to Terrance Carter while rushing for a pair of scores – including an electrifying 80-yard scramble in the second quarter.
Jacob Kibodi rushed for a career-high 108 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown in a Ragin’ Cajuns uniform with a 30-yard gallop while the Louisiana defense forced a pair of turnovers and sacked UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno seven times.
Buffalo (0-3) opened its season at Wisconsin before dropping home games to Fordham and Liberty. The Bulls will make their debut in the state of Louisiana and have played a team from the Sun Belt Conference five of the last six years.
Last season, UB dropped a regular-season contest at Coastal Carolina before beating Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl.
Cole Snyder is the first UB quarterback since Tyree Jackson in 2018 to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of the first three games of the season. Snyder had two TD passes at Wisconsin, three against Fordham and four against Liberty.
Snyder leads the MAC and is tied for eighth in the nation in touchdown passes with nine.
The meeting between Louisiana and Buffalo is the first-ever between the schools on the gridiron. The Ragin’ Cajuns have faced nine of the 12 schools currently in the MAC in their history and will host a league school for the third consecutive season (Ohio in 2021, Eastern Michigan in 2022).
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date on Louisiana Football.
GAME 4 PREVIEW – Louisiana (2-1) vs. Buffalo (0-3)
Stadium/Location: Cajun Field (41,426); Lafayette, La.
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (play-by-play), Eric Mouton (analyst)
Local Radio: Hot 107.9-FM, The GOAT 103.3, KPEL 1420 AM, Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (play-by-play), Gerald Broussard (analyst), Cody Junot (sideline)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: First meeting
A LOOK AT THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
• Through the first three games, Louisiana's defensive has been a force on opposing quarterbacks, as the Cajuns have recorded 15 sacks, which ranks second in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Jordan Lawson has been a catalyst for the defense, accounting for 4.0 sacks, which ranks tied for third nationally.
• Jacob Kibodi was put on scholarship following the win at UAB and in the last two games has rushed for 162 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.
• Zeon Chriss dazzled after coming in during the first quarter of Louisiana's win at UAB to account for three touchdowns and 277 yards of total offense.
• Cameron Whitfield was stellar against the Blazers as he tied for second on the team with five tackles and registered his first career sack in the first quarter and finished the game with 2.5.
• Kendre' Gant was a menace at UAB as all three of his tackles were for loss combining for 19 yards as he tallied a pair of sacks for -13 yards.
• Robert Williams, Harvey Broussard, Tavion Smith, Terrance Carter and Elijah 'Bill' Davis have registered their first career touchdowns this season while Jacob Kibodi scored his first touchdown in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform against ODU.
• Kenny Almendares has continued his stellar play from a year ago as he enters Saturday's contest 4-for-4 on his field goal attempts, extending his consecutive field goals made to 16.
• Zylan Perry has excelled in the kickoff return game as he is averaging 26.7 yards on his nine returns, which ranks seventh nationally among players with seven-or-more returns.
• In his first season handling punting duties, Thomas Leo ranks 31st nationally and second in the Sun Belt with a 43.2 average.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers