Louisiana football at Minnesota: Score prediction, scouting report
Louisiana football sets out to face its lone Power Five team in the 2023 season this weekend.
The Ragin' Cajuns (3-1), who have recently somewhat made a name for themselves as a Group of Five program that P5 teams should approach with caution, travels to face Minnesota (2-2) and Huntington Bank Stadium Saturday morning (11 a.m., Big Ten Network).
Three seasons ago, UL knocked off Minnesota's fellow Big Ten member Iowa State to open the 2020 season. Louisiana, dating back to 2018, averages losing to P5 teams by 22 points but has played a couple of those teams to within a couple of scores.
Minnesota has struggled the last couple of weeks, dropping a heartbreaker last Saturday at Northwestern where it let a 21-point led slip away.
Louisiana football must contend with Minnesota Golden Gophers mashing run game
It's possible that the Gophers could run the ball as much as 70% of the time. Minnesota could be without its starting running back, freshman Darius Taylor, who left the Northwestern game in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.
Whether Taylor plays or not shouldn't have any bearing on the home team's approach against UL's defense.
The Cajuns have done a decent job of slowing opponents' rushing attacks, with them posting 3.4 yards a carry at 129 yards a game. But Minnesota will be the biggest team they'll see all season.
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How will Ragin' Cajuns QB Zeon Chriss matchup with Minnesota?
This will be one of the matchups to watch in this game. Chriss' second collegiate start will come on the road in a hostile, Power Five environment and going up against a P5 defense.
The Gophers' defense has been up-and-down this season and lately have been the latter, as they give up almost 6 yards a play to offenses. Now, some of that is skewed due to playing Drake Maye and North Carolina's high-flying offense.
But how will Chriss handle the entire environment and moment? He's shined thus far but UAB and Buffalo aren't comparable to Minnesota. This will be a big test for Chriss.
Louisiana offensive efficiency will be paramount
Due to the Gophers' ability and game plan of running the football, that puts extra stress on Chriss and UL's offense to be efficient when it has the ball.
If the Ragin' Cajuns are going to stay in this game and have a shot, they'll need to make the most of their opportunity as possessions will be limited.
Louisiana will have to be better in the red zone than it has been through four games this season.
Score prediction
This is a tough spot to ask of a freshman quarterback in his second career start. While the score will be respectable for much of the first half, Minnesota will clamp down and put this one to bed in the second half. Minnesota 31 Louisiana 14
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football at Minnesota: Score prediction, scouting report
