Cajuns Lose Absolute Heartbreaker To Gators 27-20

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns led the  #7 Florida Gators in their house by 7 points with less than 2 minutes to go in regulation. Unfortunately, Louisiana couldn't hang on as the Gators escaped with a 27-20 victory.

With no timeouts left, and the game tied at 20, UL elected to play for overtime. After three straight runs, the Cajuns lined up for a punt with 13 seconds left. The Gators got a good rush, blocked Brett Baer's punt, then Jelani Jenkins returned it 36 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Heartbreak for the Cajuns.

Louisiana played an awesome game, but no coach will tell you they believe in "moral victories." The Cajuns took the field with aspirations of winning. They went into Gainesville, and battled the #6 Gators to the brink. However, it all counts the same in the win loss column. UL falls to 5-4 with the defeat.

The close score was no fluke. Louisiana lost the turnover battle, as well as time of possession, yet nearly won the game. Simply put, they played their tails off.

Terrance Broadway was 16-23 for 167 yards and no interceptions. Alonzo Harris rushed for 68 yards and 1 TD on 20 carries.

Justin Anderson was extremely active on defense. He led the Cajuns in tackles with 12, including 2 for losses, and a big sack. Emeka Onyenekwu (pictured) finished with 9 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Florida wasn't the only team to earn a special teams touchdown. Louisiana captured their first lead and all the momentum at the 4:03 mark of the 3rd quarter when junior Bradley Brown blocked a Gator punt and senior Blake Comminie returned a 22 yards for a touchdown.

Louisiana will try to bounce back with a big Sun Belt Conference matchup at home next week. Western Kentucky has defeated the Cajuns the last two years, and UL is looking to reverse recent history. Kickoff from Cajun field next Saturday is set for 6:00.