MDLE is a four letter word
Many writers as well as fans of the University of Louisiana concluded the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana simply didn't show up for the biggest game of the year. The final score might agree, but those conclusions are wrong, the Cajuns simply were missing in the MDLE.
While MDLE could stand for "Mostly Defense Little Execution" It is really just the word Middle with "ID" removed. For a stretch in the middle of the game against NC State, Louisiana lost its true identity. Not that it's identity wasn't borderline recognizable for most of the game, but during a key 11:07 time frame UL was a team unidentifiable, certainly not the team fans had come to know and love.
28:53 vs. 11:07
There is no doubt the Ragin' Cajuns played a GREAT defensive game against North Carolina State. The problem was offense, an eleven minute seven second stretch where NC State's offense out-performed Louisiana's offense.
It is simple math really, Louisiana won the first 13:18 and the last 15:35 of the game. And against an ACC #3 seed, top free throw shooting team in the country, that alone was quite an accomplishment. UL was the better team for 28:53 out of the 40 minutes played.
Louisiana was winning the game outright as late as the 6:42 mark of the first half 18 to 17. The game was theirs to be had for 13 minutes and 18 seconds. Then -based on the final margin- Louisiana actually out-played NC State for the final 15:35 of the game, when they outscored NC State by one with 24 to 23.
Louisiana 28:53
NC State 11:07
The problem for UL was that winning a 28:53 section of the game by 2 points doesn't stack up to the 11 point advantage garnered by NC State during a core portion in the MDLE of the game.
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