LAFAYETTE – Coming off a bye week, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Harrisonburg, Va., to face James Madison in a nationally-televised contest at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, with the game televised nationally on ESPN2. Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sideline) will call the action. Fans can also listen to the broadcast on the Ragin’ Cajuns Sports Radio Network with Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (analyst) and Dawson Eiserloh (sideline) providing commentary.
Louisiana (2-3, 1-0 SBC) rallied from a 17-point deficit midway through the third quarter, scoring five straight touchdowns in a dramatic 54-51 double overtime victory over Marshall on Sept. 27. Lunch Winfield accounted for the first five touchdowns of his collegiate career, including a game-winning, 10-yard run to earn the walk-off win.
Winfield, expected to make his first career start at quarterback, rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns while tossing a pair of fourth-quarter TDs, highlighted by a game-tying 24-yard strike to Dale Martin with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.
Single-game tickets are available for as low as $25 and can be purchased through RaginCajuns.com [ragincajuns.evenue.net] and its social media platforms (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram).
New this season, fans can park on the athletic footprint on a single-game basis for just $20 per game by clicking here [ragincajuns.evenue.net]. Fans will also be able to purchase single-game tailgate spots beginning at $100 by clicking here [ragincajuns.evenue.net].
Fans are encouraged to stay connected with Louisiana Football by downloading the official #GeauxCajuns App — click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS and here [play.google.com] for Android — and by following the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB).
GAME 6 PREVIEW – Louisiana (2-3, 1-0 SBC) at James Madison (4-1, 2-0 SBC)
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field (24,877) | Harrisonburg, Va.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 11 at 11 a.m. CT
TV/RADIO
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
Radio: Lafayette – Hot 107.9 FM; 103.3 The Goat, 1420 AM; New Orleans/Slidell – WGSO 990 AM; Worldwide – Varsity Network powered by Learfield
Talent: Jay Walker (play-by-play), Cody Junot (analyst), Dawson Eiserloh (sideline)
LIVE STATS
Available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall: First meeting
KICKING OFF
• Louisiana heads to the Commonwealth of Virginia for its first-ever meeting with James Madison in a nationally-televised Sun Belt Conference battle between the 2025 divisional favorites.
LOUISIANA STORYLINES
• Louisiana closes out its SBC slate against the East Division after rallying from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Marshall in double overtime, 54-51.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns erased a 34-20 deficit heading into the fourth quarter with three touchdowns in the final 10:16 of regulation.
• Lunch Winfield spearheaded the rally with 123 of his career-high 129 yards rushing in the final 1.5 quarters, plus overtime.
• Winfield’s five touchdowns accounted for (3 rushing, 2 passing) were the first of his career.
• Winfield is slated to make his first career start at quarterback, becoming the 14th different player to accomplish that this season.
• Winfield would become the third different player (Walker Howard/Daniel Beale) to start at quarterback this season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
• Louisiana has seen 17 freshmen, including four true freshmen (Trenton Chaney, Brent Gordon Jr., Brek Schultz, Jakoby Isom), see playing time during the 2025 season.
• Louisiana is coming off its fourth 10-plus win season in the past six years and its seventh straight bowl appearance.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns made their fifth appearance in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game in the seven-year history of the event.
• Two of Louisiana’s three losses during the 2025 season have come by a combined five points (14-12 to Rice; 34-31 to Eastern Michigan).
• The visit to Virginia marks the third for Louisiana since the 2021 season, claiming a win at Liberty (2021) before dropping its 2023 SBC opener at Old Dominion.
• A win would give Louisiana a 2-0 start in league play for the second consecutive year and sixth since the 2013 season.
“SHOW ME MY OPPONENT ...”
• With one of the top-ranked defensive units in all of FBS, James Madison has won three straight contests, capped by a 14-7 victory at Georgia State last weekend in Atlanta.
• The Dukes have held opponents to 2.6 yards per carry and 217.2 total yards per game on the season to rank fourth overall in FBS.
• Offensively, Wayne Knight (426 yards, 4 TDs) and Jordan Fuller (262 yards, 1 TD) have paced the JMU running game that ranks 10th among FBS programs at 241.6 yards per contest.
• Alonza Barrett III has completed 59 percent of his passes for 667 yards and four TDs for the Dukes with Knight (16 receptions), Landon Ellis (13 catches, 2 TDs) and Jaylan Sanchez (10 catches) his top targets.
• Trent Hendrick leads the JMU defense with 38 tackles and three sacks on the season.
• James Madison ranks ninth among FBS schools in passing yards allowed (137.4) and is 12th nationally in rushing defense (79.8).
THE LOUISIANA-JMU SERIES
• Louisiana and James Madison meet for the first time on the gridiron.
• The Dukes are the last of the SBC’s 14 schools that the Ragin’ Cajuns have faced.
WHAT’S ON TAP
• Louisiana opens the second half of the 2025 season on Saturday (October 18) when it hosts SBC West Division rival Southern Miss for Homecoming at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
• Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+.