The Missouri Tigers (2-0) take on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Faurot Field in a Sun Belt vs SEC matchup. Kick-off is set for 3:00 p.m. CST on SEC Network+.
To learn more about the Ragin’ Cajuns, MizzouMade’s Shannon Belt from The Daily Advertiser brings us a Louisiana perspective on the game. (editor’s note: #JSchoolBestSchool)
Here’s the Q&A to get you ready for the matchup:
Sammy Stava: After a 10-win season under head coach Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana was picked to finish 1st in the West Division from the Sun Belt preseason poll. After a 1-1 start to this season, is this team still capable of contending for a conference championship with the unfortunate injury to starting quarterback Walker Howard?
Shannon Belt: It’ll be a much tougher road for Louisiana to make a run for the Sun Belt West without
Walker Howard but I believe it’s still possible. The Cajuns live by the next man up mentality so that’s how they will operate moving forward with Daniel Beale. It’ll also require more from their defense and run game to pull it off.
SS: Freshman QB Daniel Beale has stepped in to replace Walker Howard. How did Beale perform in his first college start in the 34-10 win over FCS opponent McNeese State last week?
SB: Beale’s first performance he graded himself an A during postgame media availability and I agree because he came away with a win. The pass game wasn’t the pretty flashy stuff but it was enough to get the job done. He didn’t put the ball in harms way and managed the game well.
SS: Besides the quarterback position, who are some names to watch on the offensive side for the Ragin’ Cajuns? Who has made an impact on the defensive side of the ball thus far?
SB: RB Bill Davis and RB Zylan Perry offensively are the two to watch as the Cajuns one-two backfield punch. Defensively, LB Jaden Duggar and LB Terrence Williams have been the leaders so far.
SS: Missouri comes in as a big favorite vs Louisiana, but the Ragin’ Cajuns have upset some power conference teams in the previous years. How do you see this one playing out on Saturday? Have a final score prediction?
SB: I’m a believer that anything is possible so the upset is definitely on the table for Louisiana but it’ll take a lot of things going their way to do so. Final score 24-12 Missouri
A big thanks to Shannon for answering our questions on the game. You can follow her on Twitter (X) for coverage on the Ragin’ Cajuns.
