A perennial Sun Belt contender under Billy Napier, last season proved a rude awakening for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns under first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux. Will they bounce back in the 2023 college football season? Our Louisiana season predictions hold the answers.
Louisiana Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the Sun Belt and across the country.
Find Every Sun Belt Season Prediction per team: App State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina | Georgia Southern | Georgia State | JMU | Louisiana | UL-Monroe | Marshall | ODU | South Alabama | Southern Miss | Texas State | Troy
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, how will the Ragin’ Cajuns fare in the 2023 college football season?
Week 1 – Louisiana vs. Northwestern State: Win, 37-8
It’s 144 miles between Lafayette and Natchitoches, but the gulf between these two teams is metaphorically larger. Louisiana gets their season off to a comfortable start against their FCS neighbors from up I-49.
Week 2 – Louisiana at Old Dominion: Loss, 15-21
These two teams have never met before, and according to our Louisiana season predictions, the Ragin’ Cajuns are going to wish that remained the case. A defense led by the nation’s leading tackler from 2022 — Jason Henderson — should give Old Dominion the edge.
Week 3 – Louisiana at UAB: Loss, 24-31
Although Louisiana beat UAB the last time these two teams met in Birmingham, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 1-3 on the road against the Blazers, and Trent Dilfer’s high-volume passing offense gives UAB the advantage over a defense that lost key components to the transfer portal and NFL.
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Week 4 – Louisiana vs. Buffalo: Loss, 21-24
Another first-time matchup for the Ragin’ Cajuns as they welcome Buffalo to Lafayette. The Bulls rounded out their 2022 campaign with a win over Sun Belt competition, and our Louisiana season predictions forecast another narrow success.
Week 5 – Louisiana at Minnesota: Loss, 16-29
Louisiana and Minnesota haven’t met for 20 years, but the Ragin’ Cajuns have never beaten the Golden Gophers, and our season predictions don’t see that changing this year. Minnesota should have one of the most dynamic ground games in the nation this fall, which prevails in a 29-16 win.
Week 6 – Louisiana vs. Texas State: Win, 25-20
After three tough out-of-conference losses, the Ragin’ Cajuns return to Sun Belt play where our Louisiana season predictions have them picking up a second win of the season. Desormeaux’s team is 9-0 all-time against the Bobcats, and should be able to withstand Texas State’s up-tempo offense under G.J. Kinne.
Week 8 – Louisiana vs. Georgia State: Loss, 20-25
Although Georgia State lost some key pieces of their offense for the 2023 college football season, the return of dual-threat quarterback Darren Grainger should be enough to power the Panthers past the Ragin’ Cajuns, according to our Louisiana season predictions.
Week 9 – Louisiana at South Alabama: Loss, 15-29
South Alabama is set to be one of the top teams in the Sun Belt — and potentially the nation — in their third season under Kane Wommack and has the talent on both sides of the ball to hand another loss to Louisiana in our season predictions.
MORE: Sun Belt WR Rankings 2023
The Jaguars get consecutive wins over the Ragin’ Cajuns for the first time in the head-to-head history between the two programs.
Week 10: Louisiana at Arkansas State: Win, 24-17
Arkansas State gave up the third-most rushing touchdowns in the Sun Belt last fall, and our Louisiana season predictions expect that to stay the same, resulting in a Dre’lyn Washington-led third win of the year — a sixth straight over the Red Wolves.
Week 11: Louisiana vs. Southern Miss: Win, 24-21
Southern Miss pulled off a comfortable win over the Ragin’ Cajuns in Hattiesburg last season, but our Louisiana season predictions forecast a role reversal when the Golden Eagles head to Lafayette in Week 11. Frank Gore Jr. can’t win them all on his own.
Week 12: Louisiana at Troy: Loss, 13-24
Troy and South Alabama are arguably the marquee games on the Louisiana schedule as it pertains to a return to Sun Belt relevance. Unfortunately for the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Trojans’ defense returns enough of their talent from last season to hold Desormeaux’s team to just 13 points. A seventh defeat of the season here in Week 12 prevents Louisiana from bowl eligibility.
Week 13: Louisiana vs. Louisiana-Monroe: Win, 29-18
Despite their shock win over the Ragin’ Cajuns last fall, Louisiana-Monroe hasn’t won in Lafayette since 2017, and although we’re expecting ULM to be a stronger outfit than last season, our Louisiana season predictions see the Ragin’ Cajuns extend their current head-to-head advantage.
