Garner's Return Ends South Alabama Hope

JJ Garner’s 100-yard kickoff return opened the scoring and set the tone for a chaotic finale in Lafayette, La.

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns defeated the South Alabama Jaguars 28-26 on Saturday night. The win gives the Cajuns a ninth consecutive season of bowl eligibility. That marks the ninth-longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Garner did not stop after the opening drive. He added a 65-yard rushing touchdown early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 14-7. The Jaguars responded when Jaylen Moson returned an interception 72 yards for a score to tie the game.

Louisiana-Lafayette regained control in the third quarter. Quarterback Lunch Winfield connected with Shelton Sampson Jr. on a 27-yard pass to make it 28-17. Bishop Davenport cut the deficit to 28-23 with a 45-yard run before the fourth quarter. Dylan Freebury added a 50-yard field goal for the Jaguars in the final period.

The outcome hinged on a late defensive play. With under two minutes left, Micah Johnson intercepted a pass from Davenport. The stop ended South Alabama’s final drive and secured the victory.

Winfield finished with 147 passing yards and 97 rushing yards, including one score in each category. The team gained 312 yards on the ground. For the Jaguars, Davenport passed for 210 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. Brendan Jenkins caught six passes for 101 yards.

The Ragin' Cajuns improve to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in Sun Belt Conference play. They travel to UL Monroe on Thursday. The Jaguars, now 4-5 and 2-3 in the conference, host Troy next Saturday.