Louisiana to Face App State Tuesday in Nationally Televised Contest
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Coming off a thrilling 20-18 victory over South Alabama on Saturday night, Louisiana Football returns to Cajun Field for a weekday showdown with Sun Belt East preseason favorite App State at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN2.
Since 2019, the two programs have been the standard-bearers of the conference, owning a combined 51-10 record and having faced off in the league's championship game in both 2018 and 2019.
The Ragin' Cajuns enter the contest at 4-1 on the season and are looking to extend an active four-game win streak. Since taking over the program in 2017, head coach Billy Napier is 15-3 in games played in Lafayette.
A Louisiana victory would mark the program's first win over the cross-division opponent at Cajun Field.
Last season, the Ragin' Cajuns prevailed in Boone, N.C., 24-21 as a Mountaineers' 30-yard game-tying field goal attempt sailed wide left.
App State also comes into Tuesday's contest at 4-1 with the one blemish coming at the hands of the then-No. 22 ranked Miami Hurricanes.
The Ragin' Cajuns will look to slow down the Mountaineers' offense which ranks second in the conference averaging 35.2 points per game.
Who: Louisiana (4-1, 2-0 Sun Belt) vs. Appalachian State (4-1, 1-0 Sun Belt)
Where: Cajun Field – Lafayette, La.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. (CST)
Watch: ESPN2
On the Call: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Cole Cubelic (analyst)
Listen: ESPN1420
On the Call: Jay Walker (play-by-play), Richie Falgout (analyst), Cody Junot (sideline)
All-Time Series: App State leads, 8-1
Last Meeting: W, 24-21 (12/4/20)
Game Notes:
Play it in Primetime
• Since 2018, Louisiana is 16-4 when playing in games at 6 p.m. or later.
Clutch Gene
• The Ragin' Cajuns own a 12-3 record in one-possession games since the start of the 2018 season.
Bring the Heat
• Louisiana's defense has held its opponents under 25 points for four consecutive games. Since 2018, the Ragin' Cajuns are 23-1 when holding opponents to 25 points or fewer.
Into the Record Books
• Levi Lewis needs four passing touchdowns to set the program record for career passing scores. The current record of 64 is held by Ragin' Cajun legend Jake Delhomme.
• Lewis also sits 174 yards behind Terrance Broadway for the second-most career passing yards.
In the Trenches
• Four of Louisiana's offensive linemen have started in at least 29 games over the last two years. Ken Marks leads the way with 32 starts, while Shane Vallot has started in 30 games and Max Mitchell and O'Cyrus Torrence have each started in 29.
Can't Touch Chris
• Last week, Chris Smith joined Ohio's De'Montre Tuggle as the only two players in the country this season who have rushed for more than 40 yards and recorded more than 130 kickoff return yards in the same game.
• Smith is averaging 28.0 yards per kick return, good for second in the Sun Belt and 17th nationally.
Put up Points
• Louisiana is 32-5 when scoring 20 or more points in the Napier era.
Run it Back
• Per ESPN's Bill Connelly, Louisiana returned a nation-high 96 percent of its production from a season ago, including 93 percent of its offensive production and 98 percent of its defensive production.
