The most painful football game I ever witnessed in person was between Arkansas State and Louisiana. It was a rare Tuesday nighter, and on my way to Jonesboro from Little Rock, I was slapped with a speeding ticket on U.S. 67. Arriving to Centennial Bank Stadium still burning with indignation, I spent the next three hours watching the Cajuns methodically run over Bryan Harsin’s Red Wolves, converting what seemed to be a record number of third down attempts (it was 12) in a 23-7 grinding on national television.

Eleven years later, much has changed for Arkansas State, Louisiana, the Sun Belt, and college football in general. But one thing remains a sure constant in an ever-evolving universe: the Red Wolves and the Cajuns aren’t particularly fond of one another. Last year, the Red Wolves welcomed Louisiana to Jonesboro by handing them a 37-17 pounding via a surprising 232 yards of rushing. The year before, the Cajuns had defeated Arkansas State in Lafayette by a damn near identical score – 37-18. It’s a tat-for-tat rivalry that belongs on ESPN2, but instead will be relegated to a 4PM showing on ESPN Plus, the Champagne of Sports Broadcast Platforms.

The Cajuns Are the Most Balanced Team in the Sun Belt

With a total defense ranked 32nd nationally, the Cajuns have the toughest defense in the Sun Belt, including the stingiest for allowing passing yards. Senior safety Tyrone Lewis and junior safety Tyree Skipper have six quarterback picks between them, and senior linebacker KC Ossai continues the long-standing tradition bruising linebackers hailing from Louisiana. Ossai’s wingman, junior Cameron Whitfield, is among the conference’s sack leaders with five QB plasters. It’s a formidable group.

Nearly as formidable is the Cajun offensive attack, led by 5,000 year old senior Ben Wooldridge, who has been nothing short of consistently sound with 2,037 yards and 16 TD passes against just four picks this season. Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones calls Wooldridge an “NFL minded quarterback” who acts as the unit’s CEO. That’s fair. Wooldridge is playing in his 6th year of college football and has likely earned is MBA at “seeing everything.”

In passing and rushing, the Cajuns rank third and fifth in the SBC. Louisiana’s three-headed run attack of Bill Davis, Zylan Perry and Dre’lyn Washington have produced more than 1,200 yards. The receiving group is led by 6’2″ pass catching tight end Terrance Carter, whose 511 yards and 4 touchdowns have provided Wooldridge a nice red zone outlet. The Cajuns even lead the SBC in field goal kicking, with Kenneth Almendares converting 17 of 19. (A-State’s Clune Van Andel has converted 17 of 20). If you find a weakness within the Cajuns, alert the Rebel Alliance immediately.

Wolfing Out: Corey Rucker, Junior, Wide Receiver

Arkansas State’s standout wide receiver Corey Rucker needs 140 receiving yards to become the Red Wolves all-time leader, surpassing A-State legend J.D. McKissic. Even against the Cajun’s excellent pass defense, Rucker has a real chance to reach the milestone on Saturday. Sitting on 703 yards on the season, Rucker is coming off a 193-yard game with the majority of those yards coming after the catch. The Red Wolves will need Rucker to bring it to Lafayette, as he has become the team’s go-to guy on the offensive side of the ball.

All Eyes Will Be On the Red Zone

The Red Wolves inability to put touchdowns on the board from the red zone has become a huge concern for Arkansas State – and it nearly cost them a win against Troy. What’s amusing is that, overall, the Red Wolves rank 32nd in the nation for Red Zone offense. Credit the leg of Van Andel, whose 12 red zone field goals are tied for third-most in FBS football.

Field goals won’t break Louisiana. Arkansas State will need to find ways to not leave so many points on the table, which relies on the A-State offensive line to continue to solidify. Interestingly, as good as the Cajuns defense has been this season, it ranks dead last in red zone defense.

Did You Say the Run Game Was Improving?

Since grinding out a mere 64 ground yards against Iowa State in Week 4, the Red Wolves have quietly averaged 199.5 yards a contest. For the last two games, the ground unit has produced five touchdowns. It was this kind of production Red Wolves fans were expecting to see early in the season, and it appears that the run has finally become a viable option for Arkansas State.

Cajun to Cuff: Terrence Carter, Sophomore, Tight End

If you check out the Cajun’s profile page on Carter, you’ll find this little bon mot: “Chose the Ragin’ Cajuns over Arkansas State.” Now it’s on! At 6’2″, 240-pounds, Carter is the kind of big, bruising target the Red Wolves never seem to have an answer for. Louisiana has plenty of offensive weapons, but Arkansas State would do well to have a plan to neutralize Carter.

The Final Analysis

If the Red Wolves are going to overcome 7-1 Louisiana, it will need to unlock its best defensive effort of the season. Only two teams have held the Cajuns under 30 points: the Texas State Bobcats and, surprisingly, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Thanks to those before-mentioned red zone woes, you simply can’t count on Arkansas State to go score-for-score with the Cajuns. The Red Wolves may not be able to force the cool Wooldridge to make a mistake, but don’t count out A-State’s cover team to make a play.

Will this ultimately be a battle between the Sun Belt’s two most reliable kickers? A-State would probably rather see less Van Andel, but expect to see plenty of “Boom” nonetheless. And if the game is close in the fourth quarter, the advantage goes to the Red Wolves.

PHOTO CREDITS: AI, Justin Manning, and Carla Wehmeyer