The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns were on the verge of an early meltdown.

The hosts had just given away a 20-0 lead in the second quarter, and Northwestern State had all the momentum going into halftime.

Cajun coach Rickey Bustle told his squad only one thing during the intermission.

"I wanted to see the team that came out there in the first quarter," he said after his squad had regrouped and dominated the second half in a 49-28 home-opening win. "That, and for us to quit turning the ball over."

His squad followed those instructions pretty well, thanks to a three-pronged attack that featured veteran quarterback Jerry Babb and a pair of talented newcomers in running back Tyrell Fenroy and wide receiver Derrick Smith.

Smith accounted for three touchdowns, two by running and one on an option carry, and Fenroy had the second-best rushing game ever by a UL natural freshman running back with 163 yards.

And Babb? He connected on 18-of-28 passes for 222 yards and three scores, and guided an offense that totaled 544 yards against an NSU team that ranked second nationally in Division I-AA in total defense last season.

"We had some big plays by some young guys," Bustle said, "and Jerry had a heck of a game. There's no question that we had a much better second half. We moved the ball in the first half, other than the turnovers."

The Cajuns (1-2) lost a fumble and had two interceptions within a four-possession streak in the second and third periods, but found themselves offensively in the game's final 25 minutes.

A 25-yard strike from Babb to Smith, the eight-yard Smith option ramble and a one-yard Abdule Levier scoring burst provided the Cajuns with plenty of points.

Levier then cemented the win with a 59-yard ramble in the game's final four minutes.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com