Louisiana football may have found its next quarterback after third string Lunch Winfield has career day vs Marshall.
Down by 17 points in the third quarter, Louisiana football found itself in an uphill battle in its Sun Belt Conference opener against Marshall.
The Ragin’ Cajuns clawed back into the game and then went blow for blow Thundering Herd, the two teams exchanging momentum every time the ball changed hands. That back and forth would go on for the remainder of regulation and into two overtime.
In the end, Cajuns third string quarterback Lunch Winfield wasn’t leaving the field without the dub, scoring a 10-yard rushing touchdown to win the game 54-51 in overtime.
“Seventeen points ain’t nothing,” Winfield said said of UL's defecit. “I was like the second half just started and if we want to win this game we gotta fight. That was all it was. Everybody believed and that’s just it.”
It's Lunch time
Fans began clearing out of Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium well before the fourth after Marshall running back Michael Allen broke free for a 68-yard touchdown to make it 31-17. UL redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Beale threw back to back interceptions and hope was at an all-time low for the Cajuns offense.
That’s when it was time to go to Lunch. Winfield came into the game and was an immiediate spark, moving the chains with his legs at will. He got the Cajuns into scoring position on his first possession in the game, slowly but surely chipping away at Marshall’s lead on the ground and in the air.
“I said from the beginning I didn’t feel like Lunch was just a wildcat option guy,” UL football coach Michael Desormeaux said. “He’s a really good athlete. You can look back to when he was in high school in the state championship game and he threw for 200 something yards and he stepped up in that situation.”
A state championship wasn’t on the line, but Winfield acted like it, putting the Cajuns on his back. On the ground, Winfield rushed for a team-high 129 yards on 13 carries, finding the endzone three times. In the air, he was just as effective, throwing for 125 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown passes to wide outs Charles Robertson and Dale Martin were crucial in pushing the game into overtime.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh he’s a running quarterback. He’s a runner. He’s a running back,'” Winfield said. “I believe in myself. I know I got my family, God, and I believe in me. I know what I could do so I just keep feeding myself and my progress.”
Showing up when your number is called
Along with Winfield’s offensive heroics, the Cajuns had reserves on defense who also stepped up in crucial times. Sophomore safety Collin Jacob came in for senior Tyree Skipper and made the most of every snap he saw.
“I waited for my opportunity and when my opportunity came, I took advantage of it,” Jacob said. “I thank Coach (Jim) Salgado and my teammates for trusting and believing that I could go in there and perform the way I did.”
Jacob finished the game with a team-high 14 total tackles, 12 of them solo. It was Jacob’s sack on Marshall quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson in overtime that kept the Herd out of the end zone.
With the victory, the Cajuns may have found new life this season along with possibly a new starting quarterback.
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lunch Winfield carries UL football to 2OT win over Marshall
Category: General Sports
