Ragin’ Cajuns rout Green Wave

LAFAYETTE - All Javone Lawson ever wants is the chance to catch the football, something University of Louisiana at Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway supplied with sufficient accuracy Saturday at Cajun Field.

Lawson, a New Orleans native, caught four passes for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns from Broadway as ULL defeated Tulane, 41-13 before a homecoming crowd of 29,758.

"(Lawson) always says to get the ball in his hands and that he is going to make the plays for you. In my opinion, he is one of the elite receivers in the nation. He had a slow start to the season...you saw tonight what he could do," Broadway said.

The Cajuns improved to 4-1 and defeated Tulane for the first time in three games at Cajun Field.

For Tulane, a difficult season continued. The Green Wave are 0-5 for the first time since 1991.

Lawson caught a second-quarter touchdown pass of 23 yards from Broadway in the second quarter on a corner route.

Then, in the third period, Lawson tightroped along the end zone sideline, keeping both feet in bounds on a 20-yard throw from Broadway.

"I knew it was a touchdown. I knew that I got my feet in," Lawson said of the play, which was reviewed by game officials before it was declared a score.

Lawson said the victory was personally satisfactory for him.

"I knew a couple of guys on their team. It means a lot to me," Lawson said.

Green Wave quarterback D.J. Ponder, a fifth-year senior making his second collegiate start, threw for 173 yards, but had two passes intercepted and lost a fumble as Tulane lost for the first time in three games played against ULL in Lafayette.

One of the interceptions surrendered by Ponder, who played at Catholic High, was returned by ULL linebacker Justin Anderson for a second-quarter touchdown.

Tulane rushed for 53 yards, but the Green Wave had difficulty stopping the ULL running attack, which accounted for 294 yards.

Green Wave head coach Curtis Johnson saw some positives despite the loss.

"I thought the team fought harder this week than they did in the last two weeks," said Johnson.

ULL started Broadway for the first time since Broadway transferred from Houston in 2010.

Broadway completed a pair of touchdown passes to New Orleans native Javone Lawson and finished the game with nine completions on 22 attempts for 150 yards.

Broadway said Tulane played a different defense than the one ULL expected.

"They threw a curveball at us. We were preparing for them to go man the whole game. I am proud of the offense for making the adjustment," he said.

Broadway though, was backed by the Cajuns' running attack of backs Alonzo Harris (123 yards) and Effrem Reed (85). Reed played high school football at Dutchtown.

"I'm real satisfied with the way we played. Tulane showed us some things that we hadn't seen on film, but I thought that we did a good job of adjusting to them.

"Defensively we played as good as we can play," ULL coach Mark Hudspeth said.

Ponder, who threw a second-quarter, 71-yard touchdown pass to receiver Justyn Shackleford, said the Cajuns unleashed a ferocious pass rush.

"They blitzed way more than they had showed us on film," Ponder said.

Johnson said the Green Wave had trouble handling the Cajuns.

"They (ULL) are a big, physical football team. I thought they were able to get a pass rush, and then they wore us down.

"It got to be a war of attrition, and they (ULL) are better suited for that," Johnson said.

ULL's Brett Baer kicked his 11th field goal of the year and provided the only points of the first quarter on the Cajuns' initial offensive possession.

The 40-yard kick was set up by a 48-yard gain on a Reed run on ULL's first snap.

Later in the quarter, Baer missed on a 41-yard attempt after ULL took 6:05 off the clock while driving to the Tulane 7.

ULL scored the game's first touchdown with 12:43 left before halftime. The score ended a 55-yard drive, featuring a pair of runs by Harris totaling 25 yards and a 10-yard completion from Broadway to Peoples

Ponder's second interception on as many passes was turned into a touchdown that helped put the Cajuns ahead 17-0. ULL linebacker Justin Anderson caught the pass and ran untouched into the end zone with 6:56 left before the half.

On the next series, Ponder hit Justyn Shackleford on a 71-yard touchdown pass.

The Cajuns used two Broadway completions to Lawson for 38 yards, while Harris gained 25 on two carries. Broadway scored on an option play, carrying 10 yards for the touchdown.

Tulane safety Sam Scofield, who played at St. Thomas More, set up the Wave's final first half-points with an interception that he returned to the Cajuns' 40.

Ponder moved Tulane as far as the ULL 23, when Cairo Santos kicked a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining.

ULL extended a 24-10 halftime lead, scoring the only points of the third period on two touchdowns.

The Cajuns opened the third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with Broadway connecting with Lawson for a second TD.

ULL's other possession of the third period also produced a TD.

The Cajuns went 55 yards on the drive, with Harris scoring on a one-yard run. Reed was responsible for 31 yards on the drive with a 24-yard reception and a 10-yard run, before Harris was brought into the game for the rest of the series.

Santos made his second field goal - a 47-yarder- on the second play of the fourth quarter (14:46). Tulane began the drive at the Wave 23. Ponder and Kelly collaborated on the drive's longest play, a 22-yard completion.

Baer scored the game's final points on a 31-yard field goal with 6:45 remaining.

That field goal came after another Baer attempt was blocked with 9:09 remaining by Tulane defensive tackle Julius Warmsley, a former St. Michael the Archangel standout.