2017 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team


The 2017 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by seventh-year head coach Mark Hudspeth. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.
On December 3, head coach Mark Hudspeth was fired. He finished with a seven-year record of 51–38. However, due to NCAA sanctions in 2016 because former assistant coach David Saunders arranged fraudulent college entrance exams for recruits, his official record was 29–38. On December 15, the school hired Billy Napier as head coach.

Previous season

The Ragin' Cajuns finished the 2016 season 6–7, 5–3 in Sun Belt play to finish in fifth place. They were invited to the New Orleans Bowl where they lost to Southern Miss.

Offseason

Recruiting class

Preseason

Award Watchlist

Sun Belt Media Day

Preseason Standings

Preseason All–Conference Team

Offensive
Defense
Specialists

Roster

Schedule

Louisiana announced its 2017 football schedule on March 1, 2017. The 2017 schedule consisted of five home and seven away games in the regular season. The Ragin' Cajuns hosted Sun Belt foes Georgia Southern, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, and Texas State, and traveled to Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Idaho, and South Alabama
The Ragin' Cajuns hosted one of the four non-conference opponents, Southeastern Louisiana from the Southland Conference, and traveled to Tulsa from the American Athletic Conference and Southeastern Conference members Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Game summaries

Southeastern Louisiana

StatisticsLouisianaTulsa
First downs2733
Total yards596667
Rushing yards287424
Passing yards309243
Turnovers21
Time of possession27:2832:32

at Tulsa

StatisticsLouisianaTexas A&M
First downs1727
Total yards309480
Rushing yards93179
Passing yards216301
Turnovers52
Time of possession29:1030:50

at Texas A&M

StatisticsLouisiana–MonroeLouisiana
First downs1329
Total yards310607
Rushing yards65331
Passing yards245276
Turnovers11
Time of possession27:0132:59

Louisiana–Monroe

StatisticsIdahoLouisiana
First downs2213
Total yards297279
Rushing yards84103
Passing yards213149
Turnovers10
Time of possession30:0529:55

at Idaho

Texas State

StatisticsLouisianaArkansas State
First downs1729
Total yards270571
Rushing yards91262
Passing yards179309
Turnovers21
Time of possession33:5526:05
at Arkansas State

at South Alabama

at Ole Miss

StatisticsNew Mexico StateLouisiana
First downs2629
Total yards402505
Rushing yards89279
Passing yards313226
Turnovers30
Time of possession22:5837:02

New Mexico State

Georgia Southern

StatisticsLouisianaAppalachian State
First downs1827
Total yards369608
Rushing yards162357
Passing yards207251
Turnovers30
Time of possession27:5232:08

at Appalachian State