<blockquote><p align=justify><b>Easing the pain ULL tops New Mexico 26-24 for first victory</b>
LOUISIANA La. -- Sean Comiskey had trouble accurately describing perhaps the three most memorable seconds of his college career.
Throwing off his helmet and dancing around Cajun Field with eight seconds remaining Thursday night before a regional television audience told a more poignant story instead.
The Louisiana placekicker's 21-yard field goal gave the Cajuns a comeback 26-24 win over New Mexico State before a crowd of 12,308.
It was also ULL's first win of the season and came five days after a 45-42 Cajun Field loss to Louisiana-Monroe on a field goal with 1:46 left.
Comiskey, a sophomore from Metairie, said the winning field goal -- the second of his career -- atoned for an extra point he missed earlier in the fourth period, preserving a NMSU 24-23 lead.
"I was hurting (after the missed point after). I missed (the kick), it was nobody's fault but mine.
"During the game I knew that I would get a another chance. I really can't put into words what it felt like.
"Something like this lasts only three seconds, so you savor that when you can," Comiskey said.
ULL (1-7) retook the lead three times from New Mexico State (1-6), which was held scoreless by the Cajuns' defense during the fourth quarter.
The Cajuns also won their first game in nine contests dating back to November of last season.
ULL also played most of the game without senior starting quarterback Erik Rekieta, who started, but fractured a collarbone early in the second quarter.
Team officials announced during the game that Rekieta is out for the remainder of the season.
<center><p><a href="http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/101703/spo_newmexico001.shtml">The rest of the story</a>
By BOBBY ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate <!--
Redshirt freshman Jerry Babb, who started the first three games of the year, went the rest of the way for ULL.
Comiskey's field goal was set up when the Cajuns' Terryl Fenton intercepted a Paul Dombrowski pass at the ULL 35 and return to the NMSU 44 with 2:21 left.
Babb ran the ball four times during the drive to help set up Comiskey's field goal.
ULL also converted a fourth and one at the NMSU 35 on Dwight Lindon's 2-yard run to keep the final driving moving.
"This was a huge win for us. It gets a monkey off our backs, and most of all it gives the fans a reason to come back," Babb said.
Babb, who hadn't played in three weeks preceding Thursday night's game, completed 17-of-29 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
He was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter when the Aggies registered pick off as the NMSU 15 and 22.
Babb said he was certain ULL would win, following Fenton's interception.
"The defense made a play and I knew that we were going to find a way to win," Babb said.
ULL head coach Rickey Bustle was a little skeptical about Babb's confidence.
"If Jerry knew we were going to win that game, I sure wish he would have told me," Bustle said. "I'm really proud of these players.
"They've worked hard and they've never quit on each other or their coaches. A lot of things happened out there tonight, some good, some bad. The big thing was we kept finding a way to come back and make something happen."
Dombrowski threw for all of NMSU's 212 yards passing, while running back Eric Higgins gained 139 yards rushing off 20 attempts.
ULL's win was its first in Sun Belt four Conference games. NMSU dropped to 0-3 in league play.
The Cajuns led at halftime for the first time in 15 games after Babb guided ULL for two second quarter touchdowns.
ULL's 17-14 advantage at intermission followed a first quarter where the Cajuns were outgained by NMSU 124-47 in total offense.
Rekieta took ULL down the field for a 3-0 lead on the opening kickoff. The 30-yard drive ended with Sean Comiskey's 38-yard field goal with 11:47 remaining.
The Aggies' took a 7-3 lead on the first play of the second quarter when Dombrowski took the snap from center and ran around left end into the end zone.
Rekieta's injury came on the game's next offensive series at 13:13 when he scrambled out of the pocket for 12 yards.
Two NMSU defenders landed on Rekieta's shoulder and after being tackled, he walked off the field with the help of ULL's trainers.
On Babb's first snap after Rekieta's injury, he threw to Stamps for 17 yards on a slant pattern and on the next play he hooked up with Stamps on a reception that placed the ball at the NMSU 4.
Babb used a quarterback draw from that point to score ULL's first TD (12:00) . Comiskey's point after gave the Cajuns their second lead (10-7).
NMSU seized the advantage less than a minute later when Higgins broke a run over tackles for a 47-yard TD (11:07). Dario Aguiniga's second PAT gave the Aggies a 14-10 advantage.
Babb went to Stamps again with 5:21 left, this time for ULL's second touchdown.
The 12-yard scoring pass ended a 68-yard Cajuns' drive kept alive when third-string quarterback Matt Lane lined on fourth down as the ULL punter.
Instead of kicking, Lane took the snap from center, rolled right and fire to Stamps for a 9-yard gain and first down at the 50.
The Aggies climbed back on top 24-17 with a pair of third quarter scores.
NMSU tied it at 17 on Aguiniga's 33-yard field goal (11:18), that ended a 48-yard drive.
The Aggies drove to the ULL 5, but Darryl Blappert's 13-yard sack of Dombrowski on third down, forced NMSU to consider the field goal.
NMSU scored a touchdown to capture a 24-17 lead with 1:50 left in the third period. Dombrowski threw for the touchdown, connecting with receiver Ronshay Jenkins, who was alone in the end zone after slipping behind the ULL coverage.
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