Next up in our preseason previews of Minnesota's 2023 schedule is the Lousiana-Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns. The Ragin' Cajuns are entering year two under head coach Michael Desormeaux after previous head coach Billy Napier left for Florida.
Lousiana-Lafayette has been one of the more consistent Group of Five teams over the last five years and remains a quality Sun Belt program. Compared to our first few previews, this one will be on the shorter side.
Previewing the Ragin' Cajuns' offense
This was a Lousiana-Lafayette offense that last year was solid but not great. They averaged 26.2 points and 364.5 yards per game. They do return six starters on the offensive side of the ball but will have to replace quarterback Ben Woolridge, running back Chris Smith, and wide receiver Michael Jefferson. The three talents were the program's leading passer, rusher, and receiver last season.
The offense still has a quality bit of talent, but question marks remain throughout. Quarterback Chandler Fields should be solid but doesn't have a tremendous upside, which is a good way to describe the offense as a whole. For most of their schedule, their offense will be fine enough, but this is ultimately a team that just won't have the talent to compete for four quarters with a program like Minnesota.
Previewing the Wildcats' defense
Last year, this was a very good defense for Lousiana-Lafayette, but they lost eight of their 11 starters last fall, putting defensive coordinator LaMar Morgan in a pretty tough place entering this season. They targeted the transfer portal this fall as a way to help alleviate the needs on the defensive side of the ball as well.
The defense should be quite strong in the second and third levels, but there will be a lot of questions in the trenches for the Ragin' Cajuns. This should be a defense that will provide some challenges for the Golden Gophers but one that quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and the offense should be able to move the ball well against.
Overall:
After seeing Billy Napier leave for Florida, the Ragin' Cajuns took a step back in 2022, going 6-7 after going 34-5 in the three seasons prior. While they're still a quality program, the Ragin' Cajuns just are not as dangerous as they were a few seasons ago. They should be good enough to hang with the Golden Gophers for most of the first half, but as the game goes on, the Gophers should pull away.
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