Southern Miss 22, Louisiana 10 — Golden Eagles Pull Away Late in Lafayette

Photo By: Louisiana Athletics

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LAFAYETTE, La. — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns suffered another tough setback Saturday night, falling 22-10 to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. The loss dropped the Cajuns to 2-5 overall (1-2 Sun Belt), while Southern Miss improved to 5-2 (3-0 Sun Belt) and remained unbeaten in conference play.

First Quarter — Cajuns Strike First

Louisiana opened the game with its best drive of the night — a methodical 16-play, 85-yard march capped by a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Lunch Winfield, giving the Cajuns an early 7-0 lead. The defense held strong through the first quarter, forcing a Southern Miss punt and a turnover on downs to preserve the advantage.

Score after 1: Louisiana 7, Southern Miss 0

Second Quarter — Eagles Find Momentum

Southern Miss flipped the momentum in the second quarter. Quarterback Braylon Braxton capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to tie the game. Louisiana’s offense stalled on the next series, and the Golden Eagles tacked on two field goals from Creighton Wilbanks — from 32 and 52 yards — to take a 13-7 lead into halftime.

Halftime: Southern Miss 13, Louisiana 7

Third Quarter — Record-Setting Play Breaks It Open

The Golden Eagles delivered a huge blow midway through the third. Facing pressure deep in their own territory, Braxton hit Micah Davis on a deep shot that turned into a 98-yard touchdown, the longest pass in Southern Miss program history. The big play stunned the crowd and pushed the lead to 20-7.

Louisiana responded with a solid drive ending in a 43-yard field goal by Kenneth Alvarez, cutting the deficit to 20-10, but the Cajuns couldn’t find the end zone again.

Score after 3: Southern Miss 20, Louisiana 10

Fourth Quarter — Defense Seals It for Southern Miss

The Cajuns had multiple chances to climb back in, including a drive that reached midfield early in the fourth, but turnovers ended each threat. With less than three minutes remaining, the Golden Eagles’ defense sacked Winfield in the end zone for a safety, extending the final margin to 22-10.

Final: Southern Miss 22, Louisiana 10

Stat Leaders

Louisiana (Lafayette)

• Lunch Winfield: 19 carries, 98 yards rushing; 12-of-21 passing for 135 yards

• Bill Davis: 11 carries, 62 yards

• Total Offense: 352 yards (217 rushing, 135 passing)

Southern Miss

• Braylon Braxton: 13-of-18 passing, 238 yards, 1 TD / 1 rushing TD

• Micah Davis: 3 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD

• Creighton Wilbanks: 3-for-3 FG (32, 52, and 44 yards)

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Post-Game Takeaways

Despite outgaining Southern Miss on the ground and controlling the ball for more than 35 minutes, Louisiana failed to finish drives, committing two costly turnovers in plus territory. Head coach Michael Desormeaux cited execution as the deciding factor

Up Next

Louisiana (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) travels to face Troy next Saturday, October 25, at 7 p.m.Southern Miss (5-2, 3-0 Sun Belt) will host South Alabama in Hattiesburg as they continue their impressive start.