Appalachian State tops ULL in inaugural Sun Belt Title Game

Louisiana football fell to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 30-19 in the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship Game, but the season isn’t over as the Ragin' Cajuns will head to the AutoNation Cure Bowl Dec. 15, in Orlando, Florida.
Sophomore running back Trey Ragas led Louisiana on the ground, finishing with 101 yards rushing on 16 attempts, while senior kicker Kyle Pfau was 4-for-4 on field goals to help Louisiana's offense keep pace with the Mountaineers.
Louisiana's defense was stout, holding Appalachian State to 75 yards passing and only allowed 13 first downs. Seniors Justin Middleton and Corey Turner led the Ragin' Cajuns (7-6) in tackles as each recorded nine stops.
Louisiana took the game‘s opening kickoff and drove 55 yards in nine plays. Pfau capped the drive with a 37-yard field goal.
App State responded Darrynton Evans returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards, getting tackled at the one-yard line. On the next play, App State cashed in on a one-yard touchdown run by Marcus Williams to go up 7-3.
During Louisiana's first drive of the second quarter, the Ragin' Cajuns cut into App State's lead, going 41 yards in 11 plays, with Pfau finishing the drive, hitting a 45-yard field goal to make it 7-6.
But a 75-yard, nine-play drive from App State, capped by Zac Thomas scoring a 25-yard rushing touchdown, gave App State an answer to Louisiana's previous scoring drive, and it put App State back up 14-6.
App State converted a field goal on the first drive of the second half, helped by Evans' 48-yard run, which put App State on the Louisiana 27-yard line. Louisiana's defense dug in after Evans' run and forced App State to settle for the 42-yard field goal, putting the score at 17-6.
Louisiana junior running back Raymond Calais returned the ensuing kickoff 61 yards to the App State 36-yard line to set Louisiana up for its first touchdown, an 8-yard run by senior quarterback Andre Nunez. The score got Louisiana within four points at 17-13.
A big fourth-down stop at the App State 34-yard line from Louisiana's defense gave the Ragin' Cajuns good field position, and Louisiana converted another field goal, with Pfau nailing one from 23 yards to get Louisiana within one point.
But App State responded with a 10-play, 52-yard drive capped by a 42-yard field goal to put App State up 20-16.
The Mountaineers then created the separation they needed in the fourth quarter, scoring on the next two drives, with Thomas running in a 35-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter and Chandler Staton converting a 43-yard field goal.
Pfau added a 24-yard field goal in-between the two App State scoring drives, but the Ragin' Cajuns could not make up the gap.
In the loss, Louisiana redshirt freshman defensive back Ja’len Johnson had two tackles, including one for a loss of a yard, while sophomore linebacker Tanner Wiggins had two tackles. Johnson and Wiggins are Central Catholic alumni.