MOBILE, Ala. — For the fourth straight season, Louisiana walked off the field watching another team celebrate a bowl victory, a familiar ending that has now forced a deeper question for the program: How does it change its postseason fate?
Following the 68 Ventures Bowl loss to Delaware, coach Michael Desormeaux said the season provided valuable lessons in adaptation — lessons that will be tested immediately as the Cajuns face significant roster turnover heading into the offseason.
Louisiana is set to lose more than 20 seniors, and additional changes could come through the transfer portal, as already seen with Bryant Williams’ decision to enter. Despite the uncertainty, Desormeaux believes the foundation for the future is already in place.
The Cajuns leaned heavily on youth throughout the season, with 19 freshmen seeing game action, including cornerback Brent Gordon Jr. That early exposure, Desormeaux said, should pay dividends as the program looks ahead to 2026.
“We know what it takes now,” quarterback Lunch Winfield said. “We know what the standard is. We know what it takes to get to this level, and we’re just going to build on our mistakes and build for next season.”
Desormeaux pointed to the team’s ability to handle adversity as one of the most encouraging developments from a year filled with challenges and change.
“It doesn’t matter where your comfort level is — you’ve got to do different things,” Desormeaux said. “You’ve got to make changes within yourself and the way you structure things to try to help your team. I’ve seen that this group can handle adversity. They can handle changes and differences in routine.”
Louisiana’s coaching staff was forced to adjust repeatedly during the season, particularly on offense, a process Desormeaux said contributed to growth across the roster.
“Every year I try to improve myself for this team,” he said. “This year we had to change the way we did things on offense for a number of reasons, and I think it made us grow. When you have a really good leadership group and you explain why you’re doing things, they get everybody on board and make it work.”
With more than 250 days before the Cajuns open the 2026 season at home against Lamar, Louisiana now turns its focus toward development, recruiting and roster management, hoping this latest bowl disappointment can serve as fuel rather than a setback.
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