A missed field goal in the waning seconds seals a 24-21 Cajuns win at App State.
It's the first time Louisiana beat Appalachian State in program history. Louisiana scored touchdowns on their first two second half possessions to take a 24-10 lead before the Mountains climbed back in with a strong fourth quarter.
The win had a dash of this, and an ounce of that. Check out this clip from ESPN:
Louisiana chose to take a safety while up by five in the final minutes.
— ESPN (@espn) December 5, 2020
And they still held on to win after App State missed the potential game-tying FG. pic.twitter.com/Qnh97asH7j
Heavy rain and cool temperatures led Billy Napier to choosing the safety over a punt there in the fourth. Snaps throughout the game were dicey. Billy Napier put his faith in the defense. That paid off.
After an early score, Louisiana locked App State's offense down. The Mountaineers scored on an 18-play opening drive to lead 7-0, but didn't score a touchdown again until the fourth quarter.
The Cajuns' defense forced three turnovers, Chauncey Manac and Mekhi Garner intercepted passes, Lorenzo McCaskill forced a fumble that Zi'Yon Hill recovered. Louisiana held quarterback Zac Thomas to 92-yards passing, the defense sacked him three times.
Offensively Louisiana capitalized on mistakes, though had their own struggles. Levi Lewis completed just 8 of 23 passes for 101 yards. His lone touchdown came on a short pass to Tray Ragas who scored all three of Louisiana's scores. Elijah Mitchell, 98 yards, and Lewis, 87, led the Cajuns in rushing.
Louisiana plays next on December 19 in the Sun Belt Championship against Coastal Carolina.
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