Game To Watch: #23 Louisiana vs #21 Texas: September 4, 2021
Louisiana visits Texas on Saturday at 4:30 EST, opening their season with a Big 12 foe for the second straight season. Louisiana beat Iowa State in their season opener last year, kicking off a 10 – 1 season with the sole loss by three points against Coastal Carolina. Texas will begin the Steve Sarkisian era and look to build momentum for his first season with a big win. This will be a key non-conference game for both teams as they look to start their season on the right foot.
Recent History
Texas has won both of the previous match-ups between the two teams. The Longhorns won in blowout fashion in 2000 and 2005, but the two programs have not played one another since.
Top 25 Players
Louisiana
| Player | Pos Rank |
|---|---|
| O’Cyrus Torrence | #23 OG/C |
| Zy’Yon Hill | #21 DT |
| Bralen Trahan | #8 S |
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
What To Watch For…
Bijan Robinson All Day?
Bijan Robinson arrived at Texas with the highest of expectations, and though he may not have gotten as many touches as fans would have liked, he did not disappoint when he got the ball. Robinson averaged over 8 yards per carry on 86 carries and 13 yards per catch on 15 receptions. He accounted for six touchdowns in 101 touches on offense and will be a key piece of the offense in Austin this season. Louisiana was in the bottom half of the Sunbelt conference in yards per rush and rushing yards per game against in 2020. They will have to find a way to contain Robinson and force Texas to beat them with their inexperienced quarterback if they are going to contain the Longhorns. Louisiana employed a similar strategy to contain Breece Hall in the season opener last year and though Hall ran for 103 yards on 20 carries, he wasn’t able to take over the game and Iowa State’s offense was unable to score consistently against Louisiana’s defense. If Texas features Robinson as much as they should, Louisiana will need a similar performance from their defense in the 2020 opener.
Louisiana Going for Back to Back Season Opening Wins Against Big 12?
Louisiana opened the 2020 season with a game against a quality Big 12 opponent and pulled out a good 31 -14 win against Iowa State. This year they will attempt to spoil Steve Sarkisian’s opener at Texas. The Ragin Cajuns were one of the top Group of Five teams in the country last season, finishing 10 – 1 with that one loss coming against Coastal Carolina 30 – 27. Louisiana returns their starting quarterback, the entire offensive line and their top receivers and tight ends on offense. Defensively they return most of their key contributors and will look to improve on their performance last season. Texas will have to be prepared for an experienced team that knows what it takes to win this kind of game on the road. While the Longhorns have the more talented recruits on their sideline, Louisiana has experience and can lean on their past success in a similar situation.
Experience at Quarterback
The discrepancy in experience maybe most obvious at the quarterback position. Lousiana’s Levi Lewis is a fifth year senior who is entering his third season as the starting quarterback. He has averaged 8.5 yards per attempt over his 788 pass attempts for the Ragin Cajuns. Meanwhile, Hudson Card is a redshirt freshman who will make the first start of his career for Texas. He has attempted three passes for the Longhorns and completed one for five yards. Card was one of the best dual threat quarterback recruits in the 2020 class, but he has almost no experience as a college quarterback. Steve Sarkisian and the offensive staff will have to make sure Card is comfortable and prepared for a tough opponent in his first start. Talented young quarterbacks have proven they can succeed recently in college football, that’s exactly what Texas will need Saturday.
Prediction
Louisiana has the experience and offensive play-makers to score against Texas. Lewis and the offense will attempt to build a lead and put pressure on Card and Texas’ offense. Of course a quarterback’s best friend is a good running game and with Bijan Robinson leading the way in the backfield, Texas will be able to keep the offense in good situations and allow Card to get into his rhythm. Louisiana will not go away, but Texas will be too much in the end. Texas 41 Louisiana 31.
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at Night image taken by Brint03 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
For more content like this don’t forget to subscribe to our website.
For the latest content follow us on twitter @saturdayscfb & @cfbsaturdaysC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFBSaturday
