Week one is in the books for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, as they opened the season with a 38-7 win over the Lamar Cardinals at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette on Saturday. Louisiana scored five touchdowns, all on the ground, as the Cajuns put together a strong rushing performance and took advantage of a struggling Lamar defense to produce methodical scoring drives throughout the game.

The Renewed Running Game Looks Strong

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Cajuns this offseason was who would lead the running back room following the departures of Zylan Perry and Bill Davis. There wasn't a clear answer coming into today, or even a guarantee that Louisiana could replace the talent of that duo. But Coach Michael Desormeaux and company remained confident in the depth of the room. Redshirt freshman Darrell Smith, redshirt sophomore Steven Blanco, redshirt freshman JJ Garner and junior Anthony Reagan Jr. were all listed on the depth chart as starters, and that depth showed today. The Cajuns finished with 243 rushing yards, with all four backs contributing.

Darrell Smith was the standout, leading the group with 84 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. Coach Des chose Smith to get the start, and he made a strong case that the job could be his to keep. Quarterback Lunch Winfield also played a big role in the running game, carrying eight times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Blanco, Garner and Reagan Jr. combined for another 75 yards, with Blanco and Reagan Jr. each finding the end zone.

Overall, the Cajuns looked much better on the ground than many might have expected, including myself. Credit also goes to the offensive line, a group that mostly remained firmly intact from last season, who helped consistently open up gaps for the backs to run through all night.

The Passing Game Still Has Questions

The passing game was supposed to be one of the biggest storylines coming into this game. Louisiana entered the season without a returning wide receiver who had eclipsed 100 receiving yards in a game last season outside of Shelton Sampson Jr., so the big question was who would step up alongside him.

We got somewhat of an answer, but there are still plenty of questions.

Sampson Jr. wasn't able to finish the game after leaving early in the first quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Given the injuries he's dealt with over the past year, his health is something to monitor closely. Last season showed how much of a difference it makes when Sampson Jr. is healthy and on the field.

The Cajuns' leading receiver wasn't even a wide receiver. Redshirt sophomore tight end Caden Jensen caught five passes for 77 yards and came up with several important plays that helped Louisiana move the ball. Unfortunately, Coach Des told the media that Jensen also wasn't able to finish the game because of an undisclosed injury.

So, you're down your best receiver and your best tight end. Now what?

One name we may hear a lot more this season is redshirt junior wide receiver KeDarius Wade. He finished with three receptions for 64 yards and led all Louisiana wide receivers in receiving yards. It is not an eye-opening number, but Wade was open when the Cajuns needed him to be. Redshirt freshman Trenton Chaney also added three catches for 34 yards, while redshirt sophomore tight end Teddy Gawlik, who replaced Jensen following his injury, had 22 receiving yards.

Outside of those names, there wasn't a whole lot of production through the air. We did not see a offensive touchdown being thrown through by either team, which for UL, should be concerning. Lunch Winfield and the Cajuns need playmakers on the perimeter to step up. We knew coming into this game that the wide receiver room was thin and needed to prove itself, and a matchup against a "lesser" opponent seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that. Instead, we're heading into week two with many of the same questions.

Defense Does Its Job

Defensively, UL looked strong for most of the game. Sophomore cornerback Brent Gordon Jr. had himself a night, finishing with seven tackles, including one for loss, and an interception at the goal line. Lamar was knocking on the door of what could have been its only offensive touchdown, but Gordon Jr. came up with the play UL needed. Up front, the Cajuns shut down Lamar's rushing attack, allowing just 56 yards on the ground at under two yards per carry. Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown was also intercepted three times.

There were a couple of drives where Lamar moved the ball well, particularly through the air, but Louisiana did a good job of getting stops when it mattered. The Cardinals reached the red zone only once and were eventually forced to attempt a 35-yard field goal, which hit the left upright and missed. Cornerback Avery Demery also recorded a sack on that drive to help slow Lamar's momentum.

Lamar's only touchdown came on a pick-six thrown by redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Beale, who replaced Winfield in the fourth quarter because of the lopsided score. Beale tried to hit JJ Garner on a screen, a play Coach Des said was poorly drawn up on his end. Beale did get some revenge, though, leading a nine-minute, methodical drive in the fourth quarter down to the Lamar 14-yard line before the Cajuns settled for a field goal.

Lunch Winfield also threw two interceptions in this game. The first came in the second quarter after a receiver made a route mistake. The second came in the third quarter when Winfield threw a jump ball toward Jensen that was underthrown and intercepted by Lamar's Jarrett Mitchel.

Final Takeaways

Louisiana did what it needed to do in week one: control the ball, avoid falling behind and slow down Lamar's offense. There were mistakes, especially early with the rain making things sloppy, but the Cajuns had firm control of this game thanks to their rushing attack and defensive play. The biggest question now is the passing game.

Who is going to step up at wide receiver? Can the Cajuns keep producing through the air if Sampson Jr. is unavailable? And now, with Jensen also dealing with an injury, who steps up at tight end? Those are questions Louisiana will need answered quickly.

It's a good start to the season, and a much needed one considering what's coming next. The Cajuns now turn their heads to week two as they prepare to travel to Los Angeles and take on the 14th nationally ranked USC Trojans next week in a 10pm CT matchup on the Big Ten Network. That's a completely different challenge which we'll preview on Thursday.