Louisiana-Lafayette Football

Florida confirmed Sunday that it has hired Louisiana-Lafayette's Billy Napier as its next head football coach.

Gator Nation, let's welcome Head Coach Billy Napier to The Swamp! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Je7Z5tK1gI

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 28, 2021

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated first reported the hire.

Napier has a 39-12 record across four seasons at Louisiana, leading the Ragin' Cajuns to a 11-1 record so far in 2021. The team is set to compete in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Saturday at home against Appalachian State.

After taking over a squad that went 5-7 in 2017, Napier led Louisiana to a 7-7 record and a bowl appearance in his first season as a head coach. The squad then went 11-3 in 2019, the first season with double-digit wins in school history.

The Ragin' Cajuns have now accomplished the feat in three straight years, including the 10-1 mark in 2020 that ended with a win in the First Responder Bowl.

Prior to his time as a head coach, the 42-year-old gained experience at some of the top programs in the country, including as an offensive coordinator at Clemson and receivers coach at Alabama. The former Furman quarterback also served as offensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2017.

The Tennessee native fill the vacancy left by Dan Mullen, who was fired last Sunday after a 5-6 start to the season.

Mullen produced a 34-15 record across four seasons at Florida, earning wins in the Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl before reaching the SEC Championship Game last season. A slow start to 2021 ended his tenure, showing the high expectations for this program.

Napier will be expected to get the Gators back to national-title contention in a hurry.   

For the second consecutive year, Louisiana-Lafayette has posted a season with double-digit victories, thanks to a 31-24 win over UTSA in the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, on Saturday.

🙌 THAT'S 10!
🏆 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗔 WINS!

The 𝘙𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯’ 𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘴 are champions of the @FRBowl! #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/302IHZgfAG

— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) December 26, 2020

Louisiana-Lafayette held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter before UTSA scored 17 unanswered points and tied the game at 24. It was redshirt senior Trey Ragas who scored the go-ahead score for the Ragin' Cajuns, on a one-yard run to cap a 72-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes of the fourth quarter.

The team ended the season having suffered its only loss of the year to No. 12 Coastal Carolina, by just three points back on Oct. 14.

In their second bowl game in program history, the Roadrunners were led by quarterback Frank Harris, whose dual-sided efforts came too late to secure the victory.

UTSA entered Saturday without their head coach, Jeff Traylor, who tested positive for COVID-19.

     

Notable Performers

• Elijah Mitchell, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette: 127 rushing yards (19 carries), TD; 45 receiving yards (two receptions)
• Levi Lewis, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette: 146 passing yards (12-of-22), 2 TD; 25 rushing yards
• Frank Harris, QB, UTSA: 208 passing yards (13-of-21), 2 TD, INT; 91 rushing yards, TD
• Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA: 122 rushing yards (23 attempts)

     

Passing Makes the Difference Between Run-Heavy Teams

Both teams have found success this season because of their advantage on the ground.

Both Louisiana-Lafayette and UTSA are focused on their run game, with UTSA averaging 214.7 rushing yards per game and Louisiana-Lafayette collecting 207.8 entering the First Responder Bowl. The Ragin' Cajuns carry a slight advantage in terms of how productive they've been with their carries, averaging 5.43 yards per attempt, compared to the Roadrunners' 5.23 yards on every carry.

The game was nearly knotted in the box score at the half—Louisiana-Lafayette had 142 rushing yards compared to UTSA's 123. So where did Louisiana-Lafayette find the advantage and the 17-7 halftime lead and, later, the victory?

It came down to passing. Both of Louisiana-Lafayette's touchdowns in the first half came from senior quarterback Levi Lewis, who has thrown a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games.

Touchdown LOUISIANA @FirstLevi @jwil18_ pic.twitter.com/T7zTy6tiwQ

— Cody Junot (@CJunot) December 26, 2020

When Harris elected to pass the ball in the second half after just eight attempts and 47 passing yards in the first half, he brought the Roadrunners within three points on two quick touchdown passes in the third, helping them score 17 unanswered points and eventually tie the game.

Having a backup plan for a run-heavy scheme was what allowed Louisiana-Lafayette to top UTSA, so it is promising that Lewis will be returning next year.

Though he is a redshirt junior, Harris hasn't had much experience on the field outside of this season. He sat out as a freshman in 2017 and missed the 2018 season with an injury. In 2019, he made four starts before he was sidelined again.

On Saturday, he too proved to be a viable passer, once he elected to throw the ball late.

With a full season under his belt, the squad will be able to build off his presence next year.

     

McCormick Is Sincere(ly) Good

Speaking of rushing, one of the most interesting players to watch in FBS over the next few seasons showed off his ability against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Sophomore running back Sincere McCormick ranked second in total rushing yards in FBS heading into Saturday with 1,345 yards and 11 touchdowns on 226 carries. In the second half of the season, he's only improved. Through the past five games, McCormick averaged 155.2 yards per game, and he entered Saturday off a record-setting performance.

In the Roadrunners' season-ending win over North Texas, McCormick logged a program-best 251 yards with two touchdowns.

On Saturday, he compiled 122 rushing yards, marking his seventh game this season with at least 100 rushing yards.

For an offense that relies so heavily on its players to move the ball on the ground, McCormick is a bright spot for the years to come.

     

What's Next?

Louisiana-Lafayette will open the 2021 season with a road trip to Texas on Sept. 4, while the Roadrunners will travel to face Illinois on the same day.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette announced that assistant offensive line coach D.J. Looney died Saturday after suffering a heart attack during a team workout:

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Department of Athletics mourns the sudden loss of Louisiana Football assistant coach D.J. Looney, who passed away Saturday morning following a heart attack during a team workout at Cajun Field. pic.twitter.com/7e1DemV5jA

— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® (@RaginCajuns) August 1, 2020

Looney, who was 31 years of age, was entering his third season as part of the Ragin' Cajuns coaching staff.

He served as the tight ends coach at Mississippi State in 2017 after playing collegiately for the Bulldogs as an offensive lineman from 2007 to 2010.

University of Tennessee assistant athletic director for football communications Bill Martin, who was part of the MSU staff with Looney, tweeted the following:

Shocked and saddened to hear the news of @CoachDJLooney. Man he he loved @HailStateFB so much. Can still see that smile on the field at last year’s opener. Players respected him so much. Thoughts and prayers to him, his family, @RaginCajunsFB and #HailState family. 🙏

— Bill Martin (@Bill_Martin) August 1, 2020

Looney was a Chattanooga, Tennessee, native and played his high school football in Birmingham, Alabama.

After playing collegiately with the Bulldogs, Looney got his start in coaching with the team as an offensive graduate assistant under head coach Dan Mullen in 2011. Looney then spent time as an assistant at East Mississippi Community College, Central Arkansas and the University of Georgia.

With Looney on the staff the past two seasons, Louisiana went to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since going to four straight from 2011 to 2014.

The Ragin' Cajuns went 7-7 in 2018 and then enjoyed the most successful season in program history in 2019, going 11-3 and winning the LendingTree Bowl to close the year.

University of Louisiana head football coach Billy Napier is pushing his scholarship players to give back to the school. 

According to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate, Napier instituted a new rule in which scholarship players are "encouraged" to be members of the Ragin' Cajun Athletic Foundation for a minimum of $50.

Meanwhile, it is optional for walk-on players to partake.

Napier discussed the rationale behind the new initiative:

"It's all about gratitude. ... That's probably a little bit unheard of and a little bit unique, but I think this is a place where that would be appreciated. I think it's part of the type of program that we want to have. We want our players to be educated and understand the benefits that come with being a student-athlete and that is not something that should be taken lightly—the effort and time and investment that the people that support athletes at UL have put in into this program."

The second-year head coach also discussed his hope that getting players to donate now will galvanize them to continue doing so after their college playing careers are over: "We're trying to create a scenario where five or 10 years from now these are guys who will give back and continue to be a part of the program and realize what this place did for them. I think we got that message across this morning and certainly that was a good thing."

Napier's new rule may be somewhat controversial since he is asking players to make monetary donations despite the fact that they are not paid for the revenue they help generate for the NCAA.

Louisiana hired Napier as its head coach prior to last season after he spent time at Clemson, South Carolina State, Alabama, Colorado State and Arizona State as an assistant.

During his first season at Louisiana, Napier led the Ragin' Cajuns to a 7-7 record and a berth in the AutoNation Cure Bowl.

Arizona State offensive coordinator Billy Napier accepted an offer on Friday to become the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, the university announced. 

Jeff Metcalfe of AZCentral Sports first reported the news.

Napier spent one season as the Sun Devils' offensive coordinator and was named associate head coach at ASU on Dec. 5 following the hiring of Herm Edwards as head coach.

Edwards released the following statement regarding the move, courtesy of CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee:

Statement from Arizona State HC Herm Edwards on Billy Napier pic.twitter.com/Ehfmh0orZd

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) December 15, 2017

While Napier will remain on Arizona State's staff through the Sun Bowl against NC State, his departure will force the Sun Devils to hire their fourth different offensive coordinator in four years, per Metcalfe.

Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports reported that Napier impressed vice president of athletics Ray Anderson during his one season at ASU, which is why he was promoted to associated head coach after Todd Graham's firing and Edwards' hiring.

Arizona State is 7-5 this season, and it ranks 40th in the FBS with 31.9 points per game.

Prior to his season with the Sun Devils, Napier was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Clemson, the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach at Colorado State and the wide receivers coach at Alabama.

Napier will take over a Louisiana-Lafayette team that parted ways with head coach Mark Hudspeth after seven seasons due to a 5-7 record in 2017.

The Ragin' Cajuns reached five bowl games in seven seasons under Hudspeth, going 4-1 in the New Orleans Bowl.

  

According to TMZ Sports, 13 football players from Louisiana-Lafayette have been arrested for their alleged role in a dorm room theft. 

All 13 have been charged with criminal conspiracy to commit felony theft after allegedly stealing $2,400 worth of property from a student on April 5. There is reportedly video of the incident.

According to Jim Hummel of KATC TV3, the players arrested were Matthew Aaron Barnes, Joseph Dillon, Robert Hunt, Denarius Howard, Jarvis Jeffries, LaDarrius Kidd, Terik Miller, Damar'ren Mitchell, Trey Ragas, Simeon Thomas, Levarious Varnado, D'Aquin Withrow and Jordan Wright.

Head coach Mark Hudspeth announced on Tuesday that all of the players were suspended indefinitely, per Julie Boudwin of NOLA.com.

All 13 players turned themselves into authorities, per the Daily Advertiser, and TMZ noted they have since been released from custody.

Four members of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team were disciplined after they were recorded singing lyrics to YG's "FDT" (F--k Donald Trump) in their locker room.

According to the Advertiser's Tim Buckley, the video surfaced "shortly before final results were in from Tuesday's election in which Trump was elected president."

Athletic director Scott Farmer released a statement Friday condemning the unidentified players' actions, per Buckley:

Recently, a video showing a small group of student-athletes acting inappropriately was recorded and shared on social media. This video in no way represents the views and values of the Ragin' Cajuns Football program, the Athletics Department or the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Like many of you, we are disappointed in the actions of these student-athletes. Coach Hudspeth recognized the severity of the situation and does not condone their behavior. He acted swiftly to discipline those involved and continues to educate the team on how their actions are a reflection of the name on the front of their jerseys.

The Ragin' Cajuns defeated Georgia Southern 33-26 on Thursday night, and head coach Mark Hudspeth apologized for the video during his postgame availability with reporters.

"I am obviously disappointed in a few of our players' immature behaviors that they demonstrated in the locker room," he said, according to Buckley. "We do not condone that type of behavior. It is not an example of our entire team. It does not represent our entire team."

Hudspeth did not disclose the severity of the discipline.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette football program will vacate 22 wins between the 2011-2014 seasons after a two-year investigation and subsequent ruling by the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, the school announced Thursday. 

In addition to vacating the program's wins, the Ragin' Cajuns football team will vacate the statistics compiled by ineligible athletes from 2011-2014.    

According to the school's official statement, penalties were levied against Louisiana at Lafayette after the NCAA's investigation revealed that an unnamed former assistant coach helped falsify the ACT scores of five athletes considering the program.

"While it is disappointing to vacate these victories and championships, we finally put this chapter behind us and will continue to grow our championship football program," director of athletics Scott Farmer said, per the statement. "We stand behind the integrity and accomplishments of Coach Mark Hudspeth, members of his coaching staff and each of our student-athletes who played football during the Hudspeth era."

While wins—including 2011 and 2013 Louisiana Bowl victories over San Diego State and Tulane—will be vacated, the school will not be slapped with a postseason ban by the NCAA. 

As a result, the Ragin' Cajuns can move on from the investigation and take pride in the fact that they worked beside the NCAA to get to the bottom of the infractions. 

"The NCAA stated that UL Lafayette's 'exemplary cooperation in this case was a model for the kind of relationship and cooperation member institutions should strive for in the infractions process,'" Farmer said. 

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (8-4) will be making the trip to the Superdome for the third straight season after finishing as co-champions of the Sun Belt Conference.

They will take on New Orleans’ own Tulane (7-5), which is laying -1 in its first bowl appearance since 2002.

Point spread: The Green Wave opened as one-point favorites on the New Orleans Bowl odds menu; the total had not been set as of Dec. 12. (Line updates and matchup report)

Odds Shark computer prediction: 32.0-28.5 Ragin' Cajuns

Why Louisiana-Lafayette can cover the spread

The Ragin’ Cajuns have owned the New Orleans Bowl for the past two years, with victories over San Diego State and East Carolina. They bring with them the No. 1 rushing attack in the Sun Belt, headed by Alonzo Harris with 868 yards and 13 touchdowns. That will allow the Cajuns to control the tempo of the game.

Coach Mark Hudspeth said he expects to have quarterback Terrance Broadway back for the bowl game, despite breaking his arm in the loss to UL-Monroe. Whether it’s Broadway or freshman backup Brooks Haack, they should have no trouble passing on Tulane’s secondary that has allowed 234 passing yards per game.

The computer likes them to cover the New Orleans Bowl odds, which means they will win the game outright if the computer is correct.

Why Tulane can cover the spread

The Green Wave have been good to investors this year, going 9-3 against the spread. They enter the New Orleans Bowl on a three-game cover streak and are 7-1 ATS since October. Despite finishing below Louisiana-Lafayette in most statistical categories, Tulane played much tougher competition in Conference USA.

Tulane matches up well with the Ragin’ Cajuns’ potent rushing attack, with one of the nation’s most stifling run defenses that allows merely 129 yards per game. Nick Montana, son of Hall of Famer Joe, figures to have a good game against the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 81st ranked pass defense.

Smart Pick

Tulane has been through the gauntlet of a much-improved Conference USA and has emerged battle-tested. Louisiana-Lafayette ran rampant on the Sun Belt, but the Green Wave’s front seven is another beast. Rice, which averages 240 rushing yards per game, was only able to muster 124 rushing yards against Tulane.

Louisiana-Lafayette is undefeated when it breaks 200 yards rushing, but it won’t hit that mark. If Broadway is forced to throw, he has proven to be turnover-prone. Combine that with Tulane’s ball-hawking defense, which ranks third in the country in takeaways with 33, and the turnover battle could decide this game.

The OVER has been the best bet in recent years (eight New Orleans Bowl OVERs in a row).

Trends:

• Past 8 New Orleans Bowls played OVER the total
• Tulane is 7-1 ATS past eight games overall
• Tulane won and covered both bowl games since 1998
• U-L Lafayette won and covered both prior bowl games

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark—follow on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.