INDIANS END FOOTBALL SEASON BY HOSTING UL La.
6:30 Saturday in Malone
There are two Universities of Louisiana and the question of which one is THE University of Louisiana when it comes to football will be answered Saturday night in Malone Stadium when the Louisiana-Monroe Indians host the Louisiana-Lafayette Cajuns.
Gametime is 6:30 for the final contest of the year for both teams. The football game will be the climax to a busy day on the ULM campus that will include a men's basketball game against Texas College at noon, the annual Chili Cookoff starting at 2 p.m. in The Grove and Camo Night--those wearing camouflage clothing will have a chance to win several prizes, including a four-wheeler.
The two teams come in with the same full-season record, 4-6. In Sun Belt Conference play, ULM is 3-3 and a win could vault the Indians to as high as a tie for second place. ULL has a 2-4 conference record.
The game offers the classic matchup of offense vs. defense. Lafayette is the No. 1 offensive team in the Sun Belt, averaging 380.5 yards a game while ULM is the No. 2 defensive team, allowing 388.8 per game. Lafayette leads the conference in pass defense (174.7 yards) but ULM has senior safety Chris Harris, who is tied for first in the nation in interceptions with six.
Two of the best quarterbacks in the conference will duel. ULM junior Steven Jyles is No. 2 in the conference and No. 19 in the nation in total offense with 264.40 yards a game and ULL sophomore Jerry Babb is No. 3 and No. 22 with 363.20. The two have passed for the same number of yards, 2,150, with Jyles completing 187 of 328 passes with 11 interceptions and 12 touchdowns, while Babb's statistics are 205 of 354, 11 intercepts and 11 scores.
Both QBs are good runners, too, in fact, they are the most productive running quarterbacks in the conference. Jyles is the seventh leading rusher in the SBC with 494 yards and eight touchdowns, and holds ULM's season record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Babb is No. 9 in rushing with 462 yards and four TDs.
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