MONROE - For the first time since 1995, the University of Louisiana can lay claim to a winning football season.
And for the first time since 1994, the Ragin' Cajuns are conference champions.

The UL squad accomplished both of those feats here Saturday and did it in impressive fashion, rolling to a 54-21 victory over in-state rival UL Monroe in the season finale for both teams.

The victory gave UL (6-5) five straight victories to end the season, tied for the nation's seventh-longest winning streak, and more importantly gave them a share of the Sun Belt Conference title with a 5-2 league record.
"Man, it was exciting," UL student Leah Legere said. "I'm proud to be a Cajun fan tonight. It was such an exciting game. A little rain won't make us miss a Cajun game."

ULM and Arkansas State also each finished at 5-2, and ASU earned the league's automatic bid to the Dec. 20 New Orleans Bowl with its 31-24 win at North Texas on Saturday.

But the fact that the Cajuns won't be playing the bowl game in their home stadium didn't take much of the luster off a dominating performance Saturday.

"I've been here three years, and we didn't even beat Monroe the last three years," said Cajun junior cornerback Michael Adams. "To win this last game and win the conference championship, I'm ecstatic about it."

"We got those rings - that's what I wanted," said senior nose guard Michael Moore. "All I wanted to do was finish up with a conference championship."

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com