We Asked A.I. Who Would Win? Ragin’ Cajuns vs Rice

(KMDL-FM) This Saturday in Lafayette, Louisiana, the faithful who fuel the fires of allegiance to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will gather together for a rite of passage. That passage is the start of another college football season in South Louisiana. This year, the Cajuns have an impressive new home to defend, and you can bet they don't want the game Saturday night to leave even the tiniest bit of tarnish.

The Rice Owls and their fans couldn't care less about Louisiana's new building or the great food or the friendly people that will welcome them to Lafayette, they are there to win a football game. As long as it won't conflict with any academics or studies, or grants, or medical breakthroughs, their student body might be going through.

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Who are we kidding? Everyone knows that there is no "enemy" in the parking lot at a Ragin Cajun football game. Once you step inside the stadium, that changes, but as family, friends, and total strangers gather to watch talented young men play a sport many of us secretly wish we could be playing, we are comrades, brothers, and sisters. We are bound by barbecue, glued by gumbo, bonded by beer, and just a love of "football down south".

Every year at the beginning of the football season, the sports talking heads ask fans, "What do you think the (insert team) record will be this year?" It's a fascinating conversation, like listening to people discuss math while speaking Italian.

The real question should be, what do you think will happen on Saturday night at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium when Rice comes to town to face the Cajuns? We don't know, but we do have artificial intelligence.

Incidentally, that picture (above) is what Jay Walker, the voice of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns, looks like with his shirt off, so I would not mess with him. The real Jay Walker? Mess away, he loves hearing from Cajun fans.

Meanwhile, we posed the following prompt to ChatGPT:

Based on available information concerning the football programs for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin Cajuns and the Rice University Owls of Houston, Texas, act as a sports fortune teller and predict what will happen in each quarter of a football game played between the two teams. The game will be played in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. It is the first game to be played in the stadium's current configuration. Please include game highlights and controversial calls or penalties that might affect the outcome of the contest.

And to be honest, if the game plays out the way Chat GPT suggests it might, there will be a lot of football fans who will be glad they were in the stadium for the game. The ChatGPT breakdown was fairly succinct and did a nice job.

An A.I. Description of Ragin' Cajun vs Rice - Pregame

Our ChatGPT correspondent? Robot? Russian spy? included the pregame atmosphere at the all-new Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette. It alluded to an energized crowd ready for football in the new stadium.

The 1st Quarter: Ragin' Cajuns vs Rice

Our A.I. prognosticator suggested the Cajuns would march down the field and push their way across the goal line for a touchdown. The Rice Owls would answer with a methodical drive that yielded a field goal. The big play of the first quarter was a questionable targeting call on a Rice Defender. The officials say he intentionally targeted a Ragin Cajun ball carrier on an outside screen pass. First down, Cajuns after that.

The 2nd Quarter: Ragin' Cajuns vs Rice

Fueled by the first down on penalties, the Cajuns moved the ball down the field and across the goal line for a touchdown. Rice answered with a gritty workman-like drive that carried them into the Red Zone. However, an errant pass by the Rice quarterback turned into an interception in the end zone for the Cajuns. On the ensuing kickoff, Rice managed to work the ball in range for a long field goal attempt, but it failed. The score at halftime, according to A.I., is Louisiana 14 and Rice 3.

Halftime Adjustments: Ragin' Cajuns vs Rice

According to our A.I. reporter, the Cajuns are in the locker room feeling very confident in what their game plan is giving them. They are in control of momentum. Meanwhile, in the Rice locker room, confidence is high that they can move the ball; however, there is trepidation concerning turnovers that have cost the team big in the first half.

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3rd Quarter: Ragin' Cajuns vs Rice

Rice opens the half by finishing off a long drive with a touchdown. The very methodical drive is just what the Owls' coaching staff was preaching about at halftime. The Cajuns respond with a field goal. However, it's not the kind of field goal Cajun fans will feel good about. Apparently, the field goal was a result of a touchdown pass that was called by a controversial replay review.

On the ensuing drive following the Cajuns' field goal, the Owls attempted a long pass, but it was negated by a false start penalty. However, a review of the video seems to show, no such movement took place. Perhaps, this was a "get even" moment? Nah, that doesn't happen in college football, does it?

4th Quarter: Ragin' Cajuns vs Rice

It's nail-biting time for Cajuns fans as the Vermilion and White open the final stanza of the game with a fumble in the backfield. Rice recovers and takes advantage of the short field to take its first lead in the game.

Not to be deterred, the Cajun offense rallies and marches right down the field to score a touchdown and retake the lead. Rice takes the ensuing kickoff and drives inside Louisiana territory. The Owls attempt a 50-yard field goal, which sails right at the uprights and then drifts wide right at the last moment.

The game summary also included an onside kick attempt by Rice, but that wouldn't make sense since the Owls would not be kicking the ball to the Cajuns following a missed field goal. So maybe this A.I. stuff isn't quite the same as going to the game.

Do you really need me to tell you the final score? It was a victory for the Cajuns by a score of 21-17. Just based on the A.I. descriptions, it looks as if each quarter had something for fans to be excited or mad about. But as good as our pretend game was, nothing beats being at the game in person.

Speaking of the game, tickets are available, and we'd love to see you there.