The 4-2 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are back home at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium this weekend as they prepare to host the 3-2 Troy Trojans on Saturday afternoon at 4pm. Both teams are looking to pick up an important Sun Belt Conference victory, with Louisiana entering at 1-1 in conference play and Troy sitting at 1-0. The Trojans are the defending Sun Belt West Division champions as they beat the Cajuns last year, making Saturday’s matchup an important one for both teams’ conference championship hopes. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Louisiana is looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 32-31 loss to Louisiana Tech last Saturday in Ruston. In what was an exciting renewal of the rivalry between the two schools, the Cajuns led for much of the second half, at one point holding a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, questionable late-game offensive decisions, an inability to slow down Louisiana Tech’s offense in the final minutes, and costly turnovers came back to haunt the Cajuns. The Bulldogs scored 13 unanswered points in the final four minutes to complete the comeback, while a Lunch Winfield interception on Louisiana’s final possession ended any hopes of a response. One big positive from the game was Louisiana’s ability to air the ball out and create explosive plays. Winfield completed 14 of his 24 passes for a season-high 239 yards, averaging 17.1 yards per completion. Receivers found themselves open, and Winfield made some impressive throws, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to KeDarius Wade in the fourth quarter. But three costly turnovers, including a lost fumble by Winfield in the red zone on Louisiana’s opening drive, overshadowed an otherwise productive offensive performance. Despite injuries and other adversity, Louisiana’s offense has continued to evolve. Winfield has shown improvement as a passer, completing 72% of his throws for 1,083 yards this season. And while passing hasn’t been the Cajuns’ primary method of moving the football, Winfield has been effective on the ground, leading the team with 398 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The Cajuns will also be dealing with another injury at receiver. Landon Strother is expected to miss an extended period after suffering an injury against Louisiana Tech. The good news is that Shelton Sampson Jr. made an encouraging return to the passing game last week, recording his first two receptions of the season for 60 yards. Defensively, Louisiana has remained strong against the run, allowing just 100.7 yards per game. However, the pass defense struggled against Louisiana Tech, surrendering 319 passing yards and three touchdowns to quarterback Blake Baker. The Cajuns held the Bulldogs to just 13 points through three quarters before allowing 19 in the fourth. Injuries have tested this defense, but the bottom line is simple: Louisiana needs four full quarters of consistent defensive football if it wants to win games like these. Kneaux the Opponent: Troy Trojans Unlike Louisiana, Troy enters Saturday’s matchup coming off its most dominant offensive performance of the season, defeating Southern Miss 55-34 last weekend. The Trojans put up a whopping 662 yards of total offense, including 437 rushing yards. Quarterback Goose Crowder completed 18 of his 21 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns while adding 145 rushing yards and two more scores on 17 carries. Running back Jordan Lovett also had an impressive performance, rushing for 142 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. Troy’s offense has heavily relied on the ground game this season, averaging 220.4 rushing yards per contest. Running backs Gavin Griffin, Jaheim Merriweather, and Jordan Lovett have combined for nearly 900 rushing yards, with each averaging roughly five yards or more per carry. Now, it’s worth mentioning that Troy was averaging about 166 rushing yards per game before its explosion against Southern Miss, so the numbers are inflated following the win over a struggling Golden Eagles team. Nevertheless, with Crowder also showing what he can do on the ground, this is a rushing attack Louisiana will have to take seriously. Crowder hasn’t necessarily been the most consistent passer, completing just 57% of his throws while averaging 209 yards per game. But his performance against Southern Miss showed what he’s capable of when the offense gets going. Defensively, Troy has been solid against the run, allowing just 113.6 rushing yards per game and holding opponents to under four yards per carry. The Trojans are also allowing 24 points per game, including holding a ranked Missouri team to 27 points in a 10-point road loss. It’s been a different story through the air, however. Troy has allowed 236.2 passing yards per game and 10 passing touchdowns through five games. Even in its blowout victory over Southern Miss, the Trojans surrendered 391 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. But that’s not to say this defense isn’t dangerous. Troy forced three turnovers against Southern Miss and has seven takeaways this season. One player Louisiana will need to keep an eye on is Donnie Smith, a 6-foot-4, 234-pound edge defender who has recorded five sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles this season. Smith has been disruptive all year and will present a challenge for Louisiana’s offensive line and Winfield. Luckily, the offensive line is expected to be a full health with Matt Broussard returning after being in concussion protocol ever since the USC game. Three Keys to a Louisiana Victory 1. Slow Down Troy’s Rushing Attack Saturday presents an intriguing matchup between two teams that have found plenty of success running the football. Troy averages 220 rushing yards per game, while Louisiana averages 193. Both teams also have strong run defenses, making the battle in the trenches particularly important. For Louisiana, the biggest challenge will be containing a Troy rushing attack coming off a 437-yard performance. The Cajuns have allowed just 3.5 yards per carry and a little over 100 rushing yards per game this season. If they can hold Troy to under 150 or even 130 yards on the ground, it could force the Trojans to rely more heavily on a passing game that hasn’t been nearly as consistent. 2. Take Advantage of Troy’s Pass Defense Troy has struggled at times defending the pass, allowing more than 236 yards per game through the air. That said, this could be a great opportunity for Louisiana to get its passing game going. The problem is that Louisiana averages just 189 passing yards per contest, despite Winfield’s impressive completion percentage. Now granted, the Cajuns haven’t necessarily needed to throw the ball much this season with their success on the ground. But against a defense that has given up some big performances through the air, I think this is an opportunity worth taking. If Winfield can find KeDarius Wade, Trenton Chaney, Shelton Sampson Jr., and other playmakers in space, Louisiana could have some success moving the football. It almost paid off last weekend, so against a flimsy pass defense, no reason it doesn’t pan out well this weekend. Now Troy has been particularly strong inside the red zone, allowing opponents to score on just 12 of 19 opportunities, so just moving the football won’t be enough. The big positive for the Cajuns this season is they are 23 of 24 in the red zone, with their one missed opportunity being the fumble on the Cajuns’ opening drive of the game last week. They’ve done it well this season, but against a good red zone defense, the Cajuns will need to continue finish drives with points, and with touchdowns more so than field goals. 3. Protect the Football This might be the most important key of them all. Louisiana has committed 10 turnovers through six games, including three against Louisiana Tech. Troy, meanwhile, has forced seven turnovers in five games, three of which came against Southern Miss. The Cajuns have done a good job creating turnovers themselves, recording 12 takeaways this season. But as last week’s loss showed, giving the football away in costly situations can change the outcome of a game. For Louisiana, the goal is simple: protect the football, make smart decisions, and don’t give Troy unnecessary opportunities. Winfield as a leader has shown that he can bounce back from mistakes. But against a disruptive Troy defense, he and the rest of the offense will need to be disciplined for four full quarters. My Final Score Prediction: Louisiana 34, Troy 31 I see this game being another exciting, closely contested matchup, much like last week’s game against Louisiana Tech. It’s not as deep of a rivalry, but the implications that may come from this game will surely make it feel like one. Both teams run the football well but will be facing some pretty good run defenses. Because of that, I wouldn’t be surprised if both offenses have to rely more on their passing games than usual. Luckily, the Cajuns ended up in that situation last week, and it worked well until costly mistakes took over. Now that they have that under their belts, let’s see if they can improve on that. In my opinion, two of the biggest deciding factors will be turnovers and special teams. Louisiana has had much more offensive success when they win the turnover battle, so keeping the ball secure will be imperative in order to win this game. Louisiana also has an advantage in the kicking game, with Tony Sterner perfect on all eight of his field goal attempts this season, compared to Troy’s 7-for-11 mark. When red zone defense plays a factor, the kicker will play a big role. Another factor to take into consideration is home-field advantage. Louisiana enters Saturday undefeated at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium this season with a 3-0 home record. Troy, on the other hand, has yet to win a game on the road, losing both of its away matchups against Missouri and Utah State. As long as Coach Des’ play-calling is on point, the offense limits costly mistakes, and the defense can slow down Troy’s rushing attack, I think Louisiana has what it takes to come away with a victory. It won’t be easy, but I’m taking the Cajuns to win a close one, get back on track, and get some revenge after last year’s 35-23 loss at Troy. Follow Abdul Abusada and Cajun Sports Talk on Instagram @CajunSportsTalk for all things Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football.