LAFAYETTE — Louisiana football is headed back to the postseason, earning a berth in the 68 Ventures Bowl where the Ragin’ Cajuns will face Delaware on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Mobile, Alabama. The game will air on ESPN.
The Cajuns learned their postseason fate Saturday, extending the program’s streak to eight straight bowl appearances and nine in the last 10 seasons. It will mark the first-ever meeting between Louisiana and Delaware.
Louisiana closed the regular season with four straight wins to finish 6–6 and secure bowl eligibility.
Head coach Michael Desormeaux said the opportunity is both meaningful and well-earned.
“We’re very excited to be going to Mobile in the 68 Ventures Bowl,” Desormeaux said. “It’s an honor. Our team has worked really hard to earn the right to play in a bowl game.”
Desormeaux said the matchup presents challenges, particularly against a Delaware offense averaging more than 300 passing yards per game.
“We’ve got to get our pass rush going,” Desormeaux said. “It’s hard to throw consistently when you have pressure on you. On the back end, we have to get rid of some of the big ones we’ve given up. But when you play a passing team, you can affect the quarterback and hopefully get some turnovers as well.”
The coach also emphasized how much the eight-year bowl streak means to the program, especially after this season’s rocky start.
“When we were sitting at 2–6, that was what we talked about — the chance for eight straight years in the postseason,” Desormeaux said. “It’s not just about this team. A lot of people came before us to start this streak. Now we need to go win. We haven’t won one in three years.”
Louisiana will receive roughly 10 extra practices leading into the bowl — a developmental boost Desormeaux says is “like two-thirds of a spring.”
For players, the chance to extend the season carries emotional weight.
Offensive lineman Jax Harrington has played through turf toe and a high ankle sprain but said quitting was never an option.
“You look at all the other injuries in that room — I couldn’t be the guy to lay down,” Harrington said. “This team means more to me than a little bit of pain. I put it on the line for them, and I expect them to do the same for me.”
Defensive lineman Jordan Lawson said the team’s late-season run reflects its resilience.
“It says a lot about the mental toughness,” Lawson said. “It would’ve been easy at 2–6 to just hang it up. We’d already lost games and then added injuries on top of that. To be able to go on this little run says a lot.”
With Delaware’s pass-heavy offense looming, Lawson said the defensive line is eager.
“Any D-lineman will tell you — I’ll take pass rushing over stopping the run any day,” he said. “Everybody’s excited to get after the quarterback.”
Louisiana will aim to finish its season with a fifth straight victory while sending its seniors out on top.
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