LAFAYETTE, La. -- The disappointment of a midweek embarrassment delivered by Louisiana-Lafayette had been simmering at Arkansas State for almost a year.
That feeling will likely remain until the Red Wolves get another crack at the team that has taken claim of Sun Belt Conference supremacy.
Louisiana-Lafayette ran for 419 yards against the Sun Belt Conference's best rushing defense Tuesday night, and not even a slew of big plays and tricks could save ASU in a 55-40 loss in front of an announced crowd of 21,760 at Cajun Field.
ASU (4-3, 2-1) entered the game having held teams to a league-low average of 114.7 yards rushing per game, but Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3, 3-0) had passed that total by halftime as Elijah McGuire finished with 265 yards and 4 touchdowns and Alonzo Harris added 107 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game.
"They're big, very powerful," ASU Coach Blake Anderson. "We knew size was going to be a disadvantage for us."
The Ragin' Cajuns also took advantage of a short field after a second-quarter interception that put them on the ASU 1 and a failed fake punt midway through the third quarter that put them on the ASU 5.
McGuire's total was the third-highest in school history, and the game marked the first time the Ragin' Cajuns have had two players rush for more than 100 yards since last year's 23-7 victory over ASU in Jonesboro.
ASU gave up gave up seasons highs in points, total yards (521) and rushing yards (419) after falling into a 34-9 hole in the second quarter.
"Hats off to them," ASU defensive end Chris Stone said. "They outplayed us up front, and it showed on the scoreboard."
ASU entered the game leading the Sun Belt in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense while Louisiana-Lafayette was coming off a performance in which it held Texas State to 94 yards rushing, but the tone was set early in a game nationally televised by ESPN2.
Quarterback Fredi Knighten sprinted 60 yards to give ASU a 6-0 lead on its second drive to kick start a game in which the teams combined for 1,116 total yards.
Knighten completed 26 of 37 passes for a career-high 344 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception and rushed for 61 yards. Michael Gordon rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries and 1 touchdown, and Dijon Paschal caught 8 passes for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns as ASU finished with 595 yards of offense.
Louisiana-Lafayette's Terrance Broadway completed 9 of 17 passes for 102 yards, but the Ragin' Cajuns were content to grind out yards on the ground.
Louisiana-Lafayette gained a bulk of its yards while scoring touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the first half to take a 34-9 lead midway through the second quarter.
ASU tried plenty of ways to get back into the game. Cornerback Rocky Hayes took a snap from a punt formation to convert one fourth down, receiver J.D. McKissic took a pitch and overthrew a pass intended for Tres Houston, and Fredi Knighten threw a flea-flicker pass that Booker Mays couldn't hang onto.
Then there was the play that Anderson likely regretted the most.
Trailing 34-23 midway through the third quarter, Knighten threw an incomplete pass on third down from ASU's 8. ASU lined up in a punt formation on the next play, but the snap went to Stone -- who was lined up as an up back -- and he threw a pass to punter Luke Fergson, who was stopped for a loss of 3 yards.
Two plays later, Harris scored his fourth touchdown to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 41-23 lead.
"My call completely," Anderson said of the decision to try a fake punt. "Very risky. We were playing to win, trying to create a spark."
ASU continued to chip away with a 29-yard field goal by Ferguson and a 6-yard touchdown pass on a fade route from Knighten to Paschal with 5:37 left. But Knighten's screen pass to Gordon came up short on the ensuing two-point conversion, leaving the score 41-32.
ASU had one more chance, but its the Cajuns recovered the Red Wolves' onside kick and McGuire sealed the victory with a 43-yard touchdown run.
Anderson said ASU was hurt by its inconsistency on offense, but he credit much of to Louisiana-Lafayette's defense.
"They were good up front," Anderson said. "They created sacks. They created explosive plays in terms of putting us behind the chains.
"That's what a good football team does."
Sports on 10/22/2014