Southern’s defense gets swamped 45-6 on Cajun Field

Southern’s head coach, Dawson Odums, had high hopes of leaving the Cajun field with a win against University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
In front of 36,170 fans, the third largest crowd to ever participate in a Cajun game, the hopes Odums had were thwarted when Southern was dominated 45-6.
Each time the Jags encountered the Cajun field; it had a sellout crowd added with a loss.
Odums sadly expressed to move forward into the season when he said, “We are eager to put this game behind us.”
With the Jags being late due to certification issues for players and also facing stormy showers, it was deemed that the mindset of the team was shifted.
“We have to adapt and overcome with any issues that we come upon,” said Odums.
Early into the first quarter, the Cajuns opened the scoreboard with three points when kicker, Hunter Stover, kicked a successful 31-yard field goal and it started the flames that would accost them the win.
On the next drive, freshman quarterback, Austin Howard, threw a 56-yard pass to redshirt-junior wide receiver, Willie Quinn. After what was seen to be a good decision to gain three points, senior kicker, Kyle Yonke, missed the 29 -yard field goal.
On the next possession, Cajuns stumbled upon the endzone when running back, Elijah McGuire, ran for eight yards to extend the lead 10-0.
Broadway scored his first touchdown in the second quarter when Cajuns player of the game receiver, Jamal Robinson, caught a 32-yard pass to lead 17-0.
With some ample time remaining in the half, Broadway gunned the ball to wide receiver, Jared Johnson for 13 yards for a lead of 24-0.
Southern finally got on the board halfway through the second half when 10 plays and an 80-yard drive, Howard found redshirt junior tight end, Bradley Coleman, from 23 yards accounting for Howard’s career first touchdown.
Starting quarterback, Deonte Shorts, was supposed to control the reigns for the game but the substitution made in the beginning of the game has Odums and the coaching staff going back to the drawing board. Shorts night in his season opener was short-lived.
“For Howard being a true freshman, he moved the ball when he was in there, and it just went to him. It’s nothing against Shorts, but we had a little more consistency when Howard was in there,” said Odums.
Unfortunately, the Cajuns defense did not allow Southern to score any more points in the second half and the Cajuns scored twice more in the second half to lead 38-6.
Howard ended the night 18 out of 31 for 181 yards with one touchdown while Quinn exploded on the field with 105 yards and 8 catches, his second consecutive time reaching a hundred plus receiving yards in his time playing with the Jags.
Broadway threw two touchdown passes for a first half blowout of 24-0 to complete the night 20 out of 32 for 237 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. His protégé, sophomore quarterback, Brooks Haack is 4 for 4 with 27 yards and scored his first touchdown at the end of the game with 45-6.
Robinson ended the night successfuly with 112 yards for 5 catches and two touchdowns.
Southern goes back to the drawing board when they play Saturday September 6 against NAIA’s Central Methodist at A.W. Mumford Stadium and kickoff is at 6 p.m.