ULL, Tulane to meet in AutoNation Cure Bowl Saturday

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Tulane University will conclude their 2018 season Saturday in the AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.
The Tri-City Area has a local connection as three Central Catholic High School alums, Tanner Wiggins, Ja’len Johnson and Cooper LeBlanc, are members of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette football team.
Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. contest will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
For Wiggins, the game will conclude a special season during which the sophomore walk-on was awarded a scholarship. In eight games, the 6-foot, 4-inch, 227-pound linebacker has recorded 11 total tackles (four solo and seven assists).
Johnson, a redshirt freshman defensive back, has played in 12 games this season. The 6-foot, 3-inch, 212-pound defender has 13 total tackles (11 solo and two assisted). He has one tackle for loss.
Wiggins and Johnson weren’t available for comment for this story.
LeBlanc, a 6-foot, 201-pound true freshman linebacker, has not received any playing time this season.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette enters the contest with a 7-6 overall mark. The Ragin’ Cajuns finished 5-3 in conference play. Louisiana-Lafayette had won three straight before falling in the inaugural Sun Belt Conference game to Appalachian State.
Meanwhile, Tulane is 6-6 overall and finished 5-3 in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane won Tulane won four of its final five games of the regular season, including a victory against Navy in its last contest.
Tulane features four second-team all-conference performers on defense in sophomore defensive lineman Patrick Johnson, senior linebacker Zachery Harris, senior cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. and senior safety Roderic Teamer Jr.
Johnson totaled 46 tackles (32 solo and 14 assists), including 15.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He also recorded four pass break ups, two quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and four forced fumbles.
Lewis has 54 tackles (42 solo and 12 assists), including 2.5 tackles for loss. He also has three interceptions, 16 pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
Harris has 87 total tackles (47 unassisted and 42 assisted), including 10.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Teamer has recorded 67 tackles (42 unassisted and 25 assisted) with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Offensively, quarterback Justin McMillan, a graduate transfer from LSU, has completed 68 of 136 passes for 1,159 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
His top receiver is junior Darnell Mooney, who has 47 receptions for 987 yards and eight touchdowns.
Junior running back Darius Bradwell leads Tulane’s ground game with 166 carries for 984 yards and nine touchdowns.
For Louisiana, its ground
game is ranked 19th nationally as the Ragin’ Cajuns average 229.1 yards per game.
Sophomore running back Trey Ragas leads Louisiana with 197 carries for 1,141 yards and eight scores, while sophomore Elijah Mitchell has 140 carries for 959 yards and 12 scores. Ragas was an All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team selection, while Mitchell earned second-team all-conference honors.
Through the air, senior Andre Nunez has completed 174 of 270 passes for 2,136 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
His top receiver is Ja’Marcus Bradley, a third-team all-conference selection, who hauled in 38 passes for 557 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
Defensively, Jacques Boudreaux, a third-team all-conference selection at linebacker, leads the squad with 87 total tackles (40 solo and 37 assisted).