Marshall (9-3, 7-1 Sun Belt) at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2, 7-1), Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Louisiana-Lafayette by 5.
Series record: Louisiana-Lafayette leads 2-0.
What’s at stake?
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are trying to win their second outright Sun Belt title and first since the departure of former coach Billy Napier after he led the Cajuns to the 2021 title just before leaving to coach the Florida Gators. Marshall is seeking its maiden Sun Belt crown.
Key matchup
Marshall’s defensive front, which has allowed nearly 190 yards rushing per game this season, will have to shore up against a Ragin’ Cajuns run game that has averaged 180 yards this season, led by Bill Davis, who has 777 yards and nine TDs rushing this season.
Players to watch
Marshall: QB Braylon Braxton, a transfer from Tulsa, has a 7-0 record as a Thundering Herd starter this season. Overall, he’s passed for 1,431 and 17 TDs against two interceptions. He also has rushed for 544 yards and four TDs.
Louisiana-Lafayette: QB Ben Wooldridge. He’s completed 68.3% of his passes for 2,392 yards, 17 TDs, and just five INTs.
Facts & figures
Because Marshall and ULL both went 7-1 in the Sun Belt, but did not play each other, the conference had to resort to its tiebreaker system using composite computer rankings to determine that the Cajuns would serve as host. … The teams first met in the 2021 New Orleans Bowl, which ULL won, 36-21, on Dec. 19, 2021. That game marked the head coaching debut for Cajuns coach Michael Desormeaux, who replaced Napier … Marshall has won three straight road games, winning at Southern Mississippi, Old Dominion and James Madison. … Mashall’s only league loss came by a single point, 24-23, at Georgia Southern on Oct. 12. … Marshall enters the game on a six-game winning streak while the Cajuns have won eight of nine, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against South Alabama by a score of 24-22. … This is the fifth season that ULL has qualified for the Sun Belt title game. Louisiana-Lafeyette lost to Appalachian State in 2018 and 2019. A matchup with Coastal Carolina in 2020 was cancelled because of COVID-19. … Marshall DL Mike Green leads the nation with 21 tackles for loss.
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