LAFAYETTE, La. – Lamar University was forced to overcome a great deal of adversity just in preparing for Saturday's contest at UL Lafayette having numerous practices cancelled from Tropical Storm Edouard, and in the end it was too much to overcome dropping a 38-7 decision to Ragin' Cajuns.
 
LU ended the night with 205 yards of offense with the majority of those coming through the air (149). Junior Aiden McCown was 15-of-26 for 126, while redshirt freshman Julian Salazar came on to record his first in-game snaps for the Red and White. He was 3-of-5 for 23 yards.
 
McCown connected with eight different receivers led by Blake Thomas' four receptions for 19 yards. Fifth-year Kyndon Fuselier hauled in three passes for 35 yards.
 
The Cardinals ground attack (29 carries for 56 yards) was led by Parker Jenkins who had 10 carries for 23 yards and Jojo Uga who added eight rushes for 24 yards.
 
Junior Mar Mar Evans led the Cardinals' defensive effort with six total tackles including four solos and one for a loss. Three different Cardinals picked off a pass Saturday including transfer Lanar Kelly who returned it 40 yards for a score.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns got on the scoreboard first when Lunch Winfield directed a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a two-yard Darrell Smith run for the score midway through the first. UL Lafayette made it a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter when Smith tacked on his second rushing touchdown of the day.
 
Down 21-0, Lamar was on the march in the second and moved the ball into Ragin' Cajun territory. Following an unsportsmanlike against ULL, McCown went for big play targeting a receiver in the front corner of the endzone but UL Lafayette's Kody Jackson stepped in front of Jet Thompson to pick off the pass, but Lamar's defense would respond. Just three plays later, Bryce McDonald repaid the favor with his first interception of the season and the team's third.
 
The pick sparked a drive that had Lamar lineup for a 36-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in the half, but kick ricocheted off the upright. The Ragin' Cajuns took advantage moving the ball quickly down the field to tack on another score before halftime. ULL took a 28-0 lead into the locker room.
 
Despite being outgained in the opening half, Lamar held the ball nearly seven minutes longer than its hosts.
 
The third quarter was scoreless until the final second when ULL's Steven Blanco scored from one yard out to make it a 35-0 lead. Lamar got on the scoreboard at the 11:48 mark of the fourth quarter when Lanar Kelly picked off a pass – Lamar's third of the night – on the Ragin' Cajuns' 40-yard line and returned it the distance for the score.
 
ULL closed out the game by tacking on a late field goal.
 
The Cardinals will continue the current three-game road swing Saturday, Sept. 12^th when they travel to Moscow, Idaho to face the Idaho Vandals. The game is set to kick off 1 p.m. (3 p.m. Central time) from the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.