Ranking the Bowl Games played so far
First Responder Bowl: Louisiana vs. UTSA
Billy Napier's program at Louisiana is as healthy as any Group of Five team in the country, and even if he winds up losing star playmakers in quarterback Levi Lewis and running backs Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas, the program will still be on firm footing.
All three of those guys can come back to school, too.
The Ragin' Cajuns secured their second straight 10-win season with a 31-24 win over the UT San Antonio Road Runners in the First Responder Bowl. Though they were in control for much of the game, it was never really in-hand.
Louisiana was in victory formation inside the 20-yard line at the end of the game, so it could have tacked on another score, but that wouldn't have been indicative of the way the game went. UTSA, who finished 7-5, just wouldn't go away.
Louisiana's only loss was a three-point setback to Coastal Carolina that it didn't get to avenge a week ago when the conference title game was postponed due to COVID-19 reasons.
Instead, the Cajuns had to settle for a 10-1 record and a punishing win over the Road Runners in which they controlled both lines of scrimmage, even if they were unable to pull away. Mitchell was the game's MVP with 127 yards and a touchdown, and Ragas added 98 more and a score.
But after building a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter, Louisiana allowed 17 unanswered points to fall into a 24-all tie early in the fourth quarter. It was the type of disappointing lapse that kept Louisiana from pulling away from a lot of opponents this year.
But the Cajuns put together a 12 play, 72 yard touchdown drive to milk the clock and secure yet another win. Now, the question becomes whether Napier, whose name has come up in several coaching searches the past couple of years, will stick around in Lafayette.
He doesn't seem in any hurry to leave.
Quote
Re: Ranking the Bowl Games played so far
