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LOUISIANA La. — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette experienced the favorable side of a lopsided score Saturday.
After being outscored 96-10 in its first two games, the Cajuns celebrated their 2006 home opener, routing North Carolina A&T, 48-7, before 15,041 at Cajun Field.
The outcome took longer than expected after game officials delayed the start by 45 minutes and mandated another 30-minute halt in the first quarter because of nearby lightning strikes.
UL coach Rickey Bustle said it was obvious how he felt following the win.
“It was awesome. The (first two) teams we played didn’t cut us any slack,” Bustle said.
North Carolina A&T (0-3) had 195 offensive yards against the Cajuns, who scored on their first five offensive possessions.
The Aggies, from Division I-AA Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, finished with 195 total offensive yards, while ULL gained 408.
<center><p><a href="http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/4219531.html?showAll=y&c=y" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
By BOB ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate
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A&T didn’t score until 5:28 remained in the game when quarterback Wayne Campbell threw a 2-yard pass to wide receiver Andre Garth.
UL-Lafayette obtained most of its yards from a zone option rushing attack that produced 330 yards.
Sophomore running back Tyrell Fenroy produced the seventh 100-yard-plus rushing game of his career, gaining 104 against the Aggies.
The Cajuns threw only 11 passes as quarterback Jerry Babb completed five.
Babb said the offense, which had its problems against LSU and Texas A&M, needed a game like this.
“It always feel good to finally get a game like this after you seem to be stuck in a rut. I thought the offensive line created some holes for us.
“We were really able to get our running game going because of those holes and the receivers who were really blocking downfield,” Babb said.
Fenroy also gave credit to the UL-Lafayette blockers.
“I really have to give it to the offensive linemen. They stepped forward and made the blocks all game, even though it was just run, run, run for us,” Fenroy said.
Bustle said he was proud of the way the Cajuns kept their minds on the game despite two different delays.
“That was tough, but the team did a heck of a job staying focused. At the start they were ready to go, but they had to go back in and stay for 45 minutes.
“Then the second time they also showed they could stay focused. We were driving for a touchdown at that point and they didn’t let up,” Bustle said.
Bustle said the game and the victory were significant.
“Our team did what it should have done. We had some long drives in which we executed without turnovers, we had a big play in the kicking game and the defense had a shutout going until late there in the fourth quarter,” he said.
UL-Lafayette’s first touchdown came off a special teams play when the Cajuns’ Jason Chery blocked a first quarter Lee Woodson punt at the Aggies’ 18.
Defensive back Johnny Felders scopped the ball up at that point and scored.
“That was huge,” Felders said. “That was something we practiced coming in.
“I was coming in from the other side of the block. We sort of stretched it inside and we were able to get our hands on the ball,” he said.
The Cajuns seemed to be in command after that.
On the next series, UL-Lafayette drove 64 yards, but the march was stopped by the delay after Fenroy reached the 4-yard line.
About 26 minutes later, play resumed and Babb threw a 4-yard TD pass to wide receiver Corey Frederick (1:43).
Babb’s first rushing touchdown came on a 4-yard option run and ended a 55-yard drive, early second quarter drive that took only four plays.
UL-Lafayette scored its fourth TD following an 80-yard march.
Babb only threw twice on the drive, but one of the those completions to Ray Givens, gained 12 yards to the Aggies’ 31.
Senior Chester Johnson scored from 8 yards to provide a 27-0 lead.
Felders set up another touchdown with his second fumble recovery.
Officials ruled the ball went out of bounds in Felder’s possession at the A&T 8-yard line and after a penalty of half the distance to the goal, the Cajuns were set up again.
Fenroy scored from there, with 55.1 seconds left.
UL-Lafayette’s 34-0 lead deep into the third period was extended by another touchdown off Babb’s second option keeper, this time a 13-yard run.
The drive covered 80 yards and was sparked by a 53-yard completion to Chery.
Running back Dion Wallace was featured on UL-Lafayette’s final touchdown drive of 80 yards. Wallace had all but one carry on the six-play drive and scored on a 44-yard run with 44 seconds left in the third.
Story originally published in The Advocate
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