The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are on the road this weekend as they prepare to face the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Saturday afternoon. The game is set for a 4pm kickoff from Carlisle-Faulkner Field at Renasant Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+.

The History of the Matchup

Louisiana and Southern Miss have traded blows a total of 56 times dating back to 1923, with the Golden Eagles holding a 43-12-1 edge over the Cajuns all-time. Southern Miss has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, with Louisiana’s lone victory during that stretch coming in 2024 in Hattiesburg. The two programs have played annually since the Golden Eagles joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.

Although Louisiana and Southern Miss are relatively recent Sun Belt Conference rivals, the two programs share a conference history dating back nearly a century. The schools previously competed together in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1931 to 1941 and the Gulf States Conference from 1948 to 1951. The Cajuns (Bulldogs at the time) never defeated Southern Miss during either stint, with their only non-loss coming in a scoreless tie in 1941.

That said, this matchup means a lot for both programs. Southern Miss looks to continue its dominant success over Louisiana, while the Cajuns are looking to put an end to it. Fortunately this season, UL will enter this matchup with the upper hand.

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns This Season

Louisiana enters this matchup 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. The Cajuns defeated Troy 33-6 last Saturday in Lafayette behind a dominating defensive performance, allowing the Trojans to enter the red zone just once throughout the game, which resulted in a missed field goal. The ground game paved the way for UL’s offense with 243 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Lunch Winfield led the Cajuns with 65 rushing yards.

Louisiana finished with 351 total yards of offense, but the more impressive statistic may have been its ability to control possession. The Cajuns held the football for more than 36 minutes and converted 10 of their 17 third-down opportunities. A 16-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that consumed over eight minutes in the third quarter highlighted that performance.

It was a much-needed win for the Cajuns, who lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs the weekend prior. The victory moved Louisiana into a tie for second place in the Sun Belt West Division at 2-1, trailing Louisiana Tech who currently sit at 2-0 in conference play.

Through seven games, Louisiana is averaging 30 points and 378 yards of offense per contest, including 200 rushing yards. Winfield continues to be an important piece of the Cajuns’ offense, leading the team with 463 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns while also throwing for 1,153 yards. It has not been his passing game as much as it has been his rushing game that has made his special, but nonetheless, the redshirt junior quarterback has been the heart and soul of this entire Cajuns offense.

Defensively, the Cajuns have been equally impressive, allowing just 19.3 points and 298 total yards per game. Louisiana has also forced 14 turnovers this season. They’ve been exceptionally tremendous at home, with 20 points against Arkansas State being the most they’ve allowed so far through four home games, all resulting in wins.

Kneaux the Opponent: Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Southern Miss enters Saturday’s matchup with a disappointing 1-5 overall record and an 0-2 mark in conference play. The Golden Eagles opened their season with a commanding 49-3 victory over Alcorn State but have since dropped five consecutive games, including losses to Troy and Arkansas State to begin Sun Belt play.

The Golden Eagles are coming off a 23-13 home loss to Arkansas State last Saturday. Southern Miss struggled to establish offensive consistency throughout the contest, finishing with just 289 total yards. Arkansas State controlled the pace of the game, possessing the football for more than 40 minutes and limiting Southern Miss to fewer than 20 minutes of possession.

Despite the loss, Southern Miss showed signs of improvement defensively after allowing 662 yards and 55 points to Troy the week prior. The Golden Eagles recorded four sacks and held Arkansas State to 304 total yards while forcing the Red Wolves to kick three field goals inside the 30.

On the season, Southern Miss is averaging 24.2 points and 394.5 yards of offense per game, with much of that production coming through the passing attack. Quarterback Landry Lyddy has thrown for 1,032 yards and seven touchdowns, while wide receiver Mario Sanders leads the receiving corps with 492 yards. Running back Steven Robinson has also been a contributor, totaling 432 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

However, the biggest concern for Southern Miss has been its defense. The Golden Eagles are allowing 32.7 points and 446.7 total yards per game, both bottom 15 marks in the FBS. Opposing offenses have found particular success running the football, averaging 252 rushing yards per contest against Southern Miss, including a 437 rushing yard performance by Troy. Turnovers have also been a concern, with the Golden Eagles throwing nine interceptions through six games.

Southern Miss will look to turn things around in front of its home crowd Saturday, as the contest will also serve as the program’s Homecoming game.

Keys to the Game

1. Establish the Ground Game

It seems like it’s the key to this Cajuns offense every week, and it’ll be no different on Saturday. This is perhaps the biggest advantage Louisiana has entering Saturday.

The Cajuns are averaging a nice 200.3 rushing yards per game, while Southern Miss is surrendering an average of 252 yards on the ground, the second worst in the nation. Louisiana has demonstrated its ability to move the football with multiple rushing threats, particularly in last Saturday’s performance against Troy. Winfield, JJ Garner, Anthony Reagan Jr. and Steven Blanco all rushed for at least 50 yards against the Trojans.

If the Cajuns can find that same success in Hattiesburg, they should be able to control the pace of the game, extend possessions and keep the Southern Miss offense off the field.

2. Limit the Golden Eagles’ Passing Attack

Despite their struggles this season, Southern Miss has shown that it can move the football through the air. The Golden Eagles are averaging 260.8 passing yards per game, making their passing attack one of the more productive aspects of their offense.

Louisiana’s defense has been one of its strengths this season, allowing just 194 passing yards per game. However, the Cajuns will need to be disciplined in coverage and prevent Lyddy from connecting with Sanders and the rest of the receiving corps for explosive plays.

The last time UL faced a passing game this productive was against USC, where Maiava threw for 261 yards and five touchdowns. Obviously, USC and Southern Miss are two completely different schools who are playing on two completely different levels, but this isn’t something the Cajuns want to overlook. Southern Miss will want to expose your secondary.

Southern Miss’ offense gets immobilized very quickly when the passing game is slowed down. That said, forcing them either into must-throw and long situations, or shutting down the pass game enough to force them to run, will be important in order to keep the Golden Eagles at bay.

3. Win the Turnover Battle and Control Possession

This is another key that UL finds itself surrounded with every week. Louisiana has done an impressive job of forcing turnovers and limiting opposing teams’ opportunities on offense. The Cajuns have forced 14 turnovers this season, while Southern Miss has struggled with interceptions and consistency.

On the flip side, UL has found itself turning over the ball in many key situations throughout the season, which was the main reason why they lost against Louisiana Tech. Coach Michael Desormeaux has even voiced his frustration in regard to those turnovers. Fortunately, the team limited those turnovers by having zero last week against Troy, so they are trending in the right direction.

Time of possession could also play a major factor. Louisiana is averaging more than 33 minutes of possession per game, compared to just under 26 minutes for Southern Miss. If the Cajuns can protect the football and sustain long drives, as they did against Troy, it could be a long afternoon for the Golden Eagles’ defense.

What to Watch For

One interesting storyline entering Saturday involves the familiarity between the two head coaches. Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson previously served as Louisiana’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2007, when current Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux was playing quarterback for the program.

During his weekly press conference Monday, Anderson spoke highly of Desormeaux and the identity he has established within the Louisiana football program, describing the Cajuns as a physical team that plays hard-nosed football.

Another factor worth watching is how Louisiana handles playing away from home. The Cajuns are undefeated in Lafayette this season but have struggled to find the same consistency on the road, where they currently hold a 1-2 record, with the lone win against a struggling Charlotte team.

With Southern Miss celebrating Homecoming and looking to snap its losing streak, Louisiana cannot afford to overlook the Golden Eagles simply because of their record. It’s also a game the Cajuns simply cannot afford to lose if they want to stay in the conference championship race.

Final Score Prediction: Louisiana 31, Southern Miss 24

Louisiana enters this matchup as the more complete football team, particularly when comparing the two defenses and their ability to control the ground game. The Cajuns’ rushing offense presents a difficult challenge for a Southern Miss defense that has struggled to stop opposing teams this season.

That said, I don’t see a reason why the Cajuns can’t control this game. But with this matchup seemingly being a regional rivalry, the two teams always seem to keep it close as of lately, which is why I only have UL winning this game by seven. Not to mention it is Southern Miss’ homecoming game. In what should be a hard-fought game, Louisiana’s ability to sustain drives and control possession could ultimately prove to be the deciding factor in who wins this game.

That said, Southern Miss is not an opponent that should be overlooked. The Golden Eagles have a capable passing attack and will be playing with plenty of motivation in front of their home crowd. However, if Louisiana can establish its rushing attack early, limit explosive plays through the air and avoid costly turnovers, UL should have enough to leave Hattiesburg with at least a victory, if not a convincing one.

A win would move Louisiana to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play (and the SBC West), keeping the Cajuns in the thick of the Sun Belt West Division race heading into their bye week. For a Louisiana program looking to build on its momentum following the victory over Troy, Saturday presents another opportunity to prove that the Cajuns can be a legitimate contender in the Sun Belt West Division.

It won’t come easy, but the Cajuns should have what it takes to ruin homecoming weekend in Hattiesburg.