What's better than four wins in a row? Five in a row. The Cajuns earned bowl eligibility with a massive 44-16 win over New Mexico State on Saturday night.

A surging Cajun defense kept their momentum from the previous four games, forcing the Aggies into four turnovers and holding them to a fraction of their weekly yardage total heading into the game. Freshman Tracy Walker highlighted the secondary with two interceptions in the third quarter that both directly led to Cajun touchdowns, which heavily put the game out of reach for the Aggies.

Head Coach Mark Hudspeth brought in a solid gameplan, and he thought his defense took it to the field with perfection, "I thought our kids executed the plan well on defense and played really hard."

Elijah McGuire shouldered a heavy load, setting a career high with 26 carries on the night. The Cajuns' hottest offensive player continued his production, amassing 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground with another receiving touchdown to boot. With Alonzo Harris sitting the game out, the Cajuns got solid help from Effrem Reed, and even Darrius Hoggins contributed with a touchdown run of his own.

Terrance Broadway didn't have to do much and was able to get a rest for a solid chunk of the 4th quarter. He only accounted for 158 yards through the air, but he tacked on three touchdowns taking what the defense gave him, and he found towering WR Jared Johnson in the endzone twice on fade routes. The 6'6" target could develop into a real redzone threat if Broadway feeds into that chemistry moving forward.

The Cajuns moved to 6-3 overall after the victory, which qualifies them for bowl season. With only three games remaining against teams sporting a combined 9-19 record, Head Coach Mark Hudspeth realizes that some universities don't enjoy that luxury year in and year out.

"To me it says a lot about the stability of our program," Hudspeth said postgame about reaching bowl status again in his tenure.

All the way on the opposite side of the country, the Cajuns found a way to not only win, but build on their momentum. Up next for the Cajuns? A rivalry match with the ULM Warhawks, which Cajun fans know should be a whole other type of fist fight.

 

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