Last year, Louisiana-Lafayette needed kicker Brett Baer to hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired to beat San Diego State in the New Orleans Bowl.
This time around, Baer hit a 40-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining to give the Ragin Cajuns a 43-34 lead over East Carolina in the New Orleans Bowl. That would be the final score with ECU unable to move the ball with virtually no time left on the clock. ULL now has back-to-back nine-win seasons, and for the first time in school history, back-to-back bowl wins.
But ULL’s victory did not come without a little controversy. Two Ragin Cajun touchdowns could have been overturned and one wasn’t reviewed at all. A 68-yard touchdown run by ULL running back Alonzo Harris could have been a touchback as it appears ECU safety Chip Thompson punched the ball out of Harris’ hands right around the goal line, but there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call on the field and the touchdown stood.
In the third quarter, ULL receiver Javone Lawson showed remarkable concentration on a touchdown catch which he initially bobbled. Television replay showed the ball came close to touching the ground, but play on the field was not stopped to officially review the catch. However, Baer’s extra point attempt was blocked, keeping ECU within six points toward the end of the game.
But ULL was able to make one final defensive stop. That ended up being the difference in the game. Mark Hudspeth‘s name has come up briefly in the coaching carousel, but back-to-back nine win seasons at ULL might make him a hotter coaching commodity in 2013.