WATCH: Mark Hudspeth Breaks Down 2016 New Orleans Bowl

After a tumultuous regular season, the Ragin' Cajuns are headed back to the New Orleans Bowl again in 2016.

It took a lot of work down the final stretch for Louisiana to become bowl eligible, and Head Coach Mark Hudspeth said it makes the fruits of their labor that much sweeter.

"This will be the most excited I've been to be at a bowl, probably since year one," Hudspeth said frankly. He added, "Great finish by our football team, and hopefully, we're not through yet."

The Cajuns reached their sixth win with a victory over ULM in sloppy conditions, and their defense made the Warhawks suffer through an ugly offensive performance.

It was one of the best defensive performances of the year, with two scoop and scores on fumbles in the torrential downpour. Hudspeth credited the defense for keeping them in ball games all year long, and the offense slowly caught up with their play down the stretch.

Otha Peters is the heartbeat at the center of the Ragin' Cajuns' defense, and Coach Hud said his intensity pushes the rest of the team to reach for new heights on a daily basis.

"He's been the catalyst. He's that attitude that you need on defense," Hudspeth said. "He'll light you up, and he doesn't have any favorites at practice...I think he's turned out, personally, to be the best linebacker in the Sun Belt Conference."

Peters, and his brother in the middle of the defense Tre'maine Lightfoot, combined for 193 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries in 2016. Peters is getting some well deserved attention from NFL scouts, and at 6'2"-228 lbs, he definitely looks the part.

The other NFL-ready player on Louisiana's roster has been on the NFL's radar for a while now. Elijah McGuire played through pain all season long, and he reached a milestone in 2016 that is familiar to him but elusive to others.

Hudspeth understands McGuire has been a blessing for the last four years, and he made sure to give him credit for another impressive season and an incredible career.

"Elijah McGuire goes over 1,000 for his third time in his career. What a feat," Hudspeth pointed out. He's happy the team can send him off in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as he said, "A place that he's probably going to play in again one day."

McGuire has over 4,000 rushing yards and 40 TD's in his Cajun career, and he will leave as one of the greatest to ever wear the vermilion and white. He earned a chance to play in the East-West Shrine Game, but, the bowl will be an encore performance for McGuire in New Orleans, on a big stage that he's very comfortable with.

It should be the most lively environment in any New Orleans Bowl the Cajuns ever played in. Southern Miss promises to bring a solid crowd, enough to rival the rowdy members of Cajun Nation.

Southern Miss reached bowl eligibility in the last game of the season as well, with a big win over Louisiana Tech. The Eagles can put up points, and they average almost 500 yards per game on offense.

Coach Hud recognizes their firepower, and he's hoping the Cajuns don't end up in a shootout with a serious gunslinger.

"Nick Mullins is one of the best quarterbacks out there. When they have him, they can get really hot," Hudspeth acknowledged.

The stage is set for one of the best bowl games, and atmospheres, in recent memory. For more details on how to purchase your tickets, click on the link below.