Louisiana coach greets other team » St. Landry Now Online Newspaper » Opelousas & St Landry Parish, LA

Louisiana coach salutes the other team

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Author

It would have been appropriate if Louisiana head coach Mike Desormeaux had first sufficiently praised his football team’s resilient performance on Saturday evening.

After all, his program is now 5-1, and just moments earlier his players defeated Appalachian State 34-24 at Cajun Field to secure its third straight victory that keeps Louisiana undefeated in the Sun Belt Conference.

Saving the team’s compliments for later, Desormeaux stood at the podium after the game and prefaced his usual remarks in an emotional voice, paying tribute to the boys in the other locker room after they had traveled several thousand kilometers to play to play a soccer game after dealing with the hardships inflicted on them by Hurricane Helene weeks ago.

Since Helene, the Mountaineers have had to cancel a game against Liberty University and last week they lost at Marshall after not playing in 16 days.

Located in Boone, North Carolina, in the Appalachian State, the area, like other areas high on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountain range, was hit by severe hurricane flooding and damage, an event that destroyed homes and businesses while also destroying the university in late September lock.

App State, picked in the preseason to win the Sun Belt Conference’s Eastern Division, is 2-4 and 0-3 in league play.

Despite their struggles, the Mountaineers brought their game to Lafayette.

Louisiana lost a three-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Cajuns used a fumble recovery and two interceptions to eventually pull away.

As someone who has experienced some adversity in football, Desormeaux was grateful for how those with the App State program handled themselves.

“You have to respect and appreciate what (App State) has been through, despite all the tragedies they have experienced. For them to experience that and then come out and play a full game like they did really reflects what they’re about and also the respect that I have for their head coach (Shawn Clark) and his coaches,” Desormeaux said .

Desormeaux acknowledged the mentality the Mountaineers appear to have adopted for the rest of the season.

“Right now, for many of us, it’s like what happened during Katrina. They (App State) are playing for themselves right now. And I hope that something good will happen to them. I couldn’t have more respect for the players on this team right now,” Desormeaux said.

Describe the essence

Desormeaux did not portray the victory aesthetically.

“We knew it was going to be a close game and it wasn’t the prettiest or cleanest game we’ve ever played,” Desormeaux said.

Particular praise from Desormeaux came from the Cajuns’ defense, which intercepted App State quarterback Joey Aguilar four times, including twice in the fourth quarter when Louisiana used two picks and a fumble recovery to create the final pivot.

“I thought (the defense) played physical and beat them back. That gave us some short fields,” Desormeaux added.

Desormeaux noted that during his previous seasons in Louisiana, the Cajuns often struggled to take early leads and then failed to pull off possible wins.

This was not the case this year, Desormeaux noted.

“This year it was different. We find ways to win,” Desormeaux said.

Desormeaux attributed the different direction to the team’s maturity and a number of players choosing to return and play another season.

Looking ahead

Louisiana plays on the road twice in 10 days, starting with a game next Saturday at Coastal Carolina.

The Cajuns will then face Texas State in an important Western Division contest on October 29th.