After his team won the New Orleans Bowl for the third consecutive season, Louisiana-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth admitted Saturday night that he would prefer an easier path to the postgame celebration.

After beating San Diego State on a field goal as time ran out in 2011 and getting a key interception late in the fourth quarter with a three-point lead on East Carolina in 2012, the Ragin’ Cajuns (9-4) blew a 21-0 advantage against Tulane at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before winning 24-21.


This time, they weren’t assured of the victory until the Green Wave’s Cairo Santos missed a 48-yard field goal with 9 seconds left.

“As much as I love (this bowl), it’s going to give me a heart attack coming here,” Hudspeth said. “It seems like, every year, this game comes down to this type of ending. Our guys follow one of our core values, and that’s ‘find a way.’ ”