Tigers Fall To Red Hot Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. - It was one of those nights as Louisiana exploded offensively for a non-conference win over Texas Southern at Cajun Field.

UL scored its first touchdown on five plays after an Elijah Mitchell rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead after the PAT. TSU went three-and-out on the ensuing possession while Louisiana upped the margin to 14-0 after a Raymond Calais touchdown and the ensuing PAT.

TSU put together a promising offensive drive on its second possession thanks to several long passes by DeAndre Johnson. The Tigers would advance to the Louisiana 26 after a reception by Donnie Corley but the drive stalled after three incomplete passes. Freshman Richard Garcia III put TSU on the board for the first time with a 44-yard field goal at the 7:14 mark.

With TSU down 14-3, Louisiana only needed three plays for its next score after receiving short field on the kickoff. The Tigers would punt on their next possession and Louisiana upped its margin to 28-3 following a six-play, 51-yard drive to end the quarter.

From there, it was all Louisiana except for a nine-play, 53-yard drive which culminated with Garcia III's 40-yard field goal late in the second quarter. From that point, the scoring would cease for TSU as UL closed out the win in the first meeting between the institutions.

TSU finished with 236 total yards as Johnson passed for 151 yards on 16-of-30 passing. Donnie Corley led TSU with six receptions for 62 yards while Tylor Cook rushed for 31 yards on six carries. Freshman Jadrian McGraw led TSU with eight tackles defensively.

TSU is off next weekend and returns to action Sept. 28 at Houston Baptist. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.