Tim Buckley

tbuckley2@theadvertiser.com

UL senior quarterback Terrance Broadway and the Ragin' Cajuns were livid after their 55-40 win over Sun Belt Conference-rival Arkansas State on Tuesday night ended with a cheap shot being delivered to the knee of starting offensive tackle Mykhael Quave.

Making no apparent attempt whatsoever at a block, an Arkansas State player dove at Quave's outside knee during the PAT that followed UL's eighth and final touchdown of the game.

"A lot of our guys on our team (were) very upset with the way that ended," Broadway said. "We thought they (the Red Wolves) had a little more class than that."

The play in question can be seen at the 55-second point of this YouTube video.

Asked about the play Wednesday, UL spokesman Matt Sullivan said "the video of it will be sent in" to the Sun Belt Conference office.

A Sun Belt spokesman said later Wednesday that "discussions have begun" regarding what happened and the game's aftermath, but that "there's not going to be a timeline" for any rulings to be made.

"It's not an easy process," SBC associate commissioner for communications John McElwain said. "It does take a little bit of time, but we try (to) act as quickly we can."

The incident happened with 54 seconds remaining, after a 54-yard Elijah McGuire touchdown run.

An injured Quave was tended to for several minutes on the field, and later was removed from Cajun Field on a cart with an obvious knee injury.

Indications are that he might miss a few practices, but that the injury may not be as serious as it first seemed.

KPEL 1420 AM reported Wednesday that Quave will undergo an MRI exam Thursday, but "All reports are positive," an optimistic UL coach Mark Hudspeth told the Advertiser on Wednesday night.

"Those are my guys, man," Broadway said. "Those offensive linemen take care of me, they take care of 'Zo (running back Alonzo Harris), they care of (running back) Elijah (McGuire).

"I mean, those are my guys, and I feel like if you disrespect and not play the game the right way, I feel like you should hear from me about it.

"Because they didn't play the game the right away," Broadway added, "and it's unfortunate that they didn't."

Hudspeth was furious after the play, and he immediately summoned UL athletic director Scott Farmer to the Cajun sideline so he could communicate his displeasure.

Commotion broke out on the field after the final whistle as multiple players and staff members from both sides pushed and shoved each other.

Many, including Farmer standing up for his team, exchanged words.

KPEL 1420 AM sideline reporter Steve Peloquin was accidentally pushed to the turf and injured as Arkansas State players rushed to the area of commotion.

"As a team … we are brothers, and we want to fight for each other regardless of what we have to do," Broadway said. "Fight for each other.

"When we (were) in a slump (a three-game losing streak earlier this season) and everybody was on our back, we wanted to fight for each other then. We couldn't (literally) fight for each other.

"When that just happened (Tuesday night)," he added, "we wanted to fight for each other."

Security personnel and staff members from both sides, however, prevented things from escalating.

Several Cajuns declined to comment on what happened but Broadway did not.

"You have to give it up for our state troopers and school police and our strength staff for controlling the situation," Broadway said, "because everybody knew tempers (were) flying.

"Temperatures (were) rising, because we felt like things like that shouldn't happen in the game of football.

"Football already is the most dangerous organized activity sport that there is," he added. "So, extra things shouldn't happen like that. And that's how we feel as a team. We just have to hope everything works out for the best for our team, and move forward from this."

Arkansas State players weren't happy with the way things unfolded either.

"I felt like our team as well as their team showed some poor sportsmanship, and I take that personally," ASU defensive end Chris Stone said.

Broadway said after the win that he wasn't sure who it was that went at Quave.

A review of game tape showed the Arkansas State player who dove at Quave's knee wore No. 6.

The only player listed on Arkansas State's flip-card roster Tuesday as wearing No. 6 is senior starting nickel back Frankie Jackson.

Jackson coincidentally was Broadway's teammate and running back at Baton Rouge's Capitol High; before the game, Broadway said he and Jackson are friends who are in contact throughout the season except when their teams play each other.

"That's never the way you want a game to end," Hudspeth said.

"I thought game got a little too chippy throughout the game. It should have never got to that point. And to me, that's where the people in charge of keeping that in the proper jurisdiction should keep that under control. But we've got to do a better job of not falling into that."

Tuesday's officiating crew is the same one reprimanded by the Sun Belt after it had issues keeping track downs while working a UL home win over Georgia earlier this month.

"You can tell that's two teams that like getting after one another right," Hudspeth said. "Two teams that love competing against one another.

"Blake (first-year Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson) does a really good job. He's a good coach; they're well-coached. … I think they're a group of class guys, so this is not a deal about pointing fingers.

"It's just one of those unfortunate things to where the chippiness throughout the second half sort of escalated, and (I) wish it hadn't," Hudspeth added. "But our guys, you're always trying to stand up for your guys, and they just felt like that something at the end wasn't up to par."

Hudspeth and Anderson shook hands and spoke afterward.

"We both hated that the fourth quarter and second half sort of got like that, because we don't stand for that, and I know Blake doesn't either," said Hudspeth, whose Cajuns are now idle until playing South Alabama on Nov. 1.

"I know they've got a class program and do a good job, so we agreed right there that we both wished it hadn't happened and we both need to do a better job of making sure that (doesn't) in the future.

"But I think people in charge of that," he added, "can keep that from happening too."

South Alabama at UL

Game: 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1 at Cajun Field.

USA: 4-2, 3-1 (hosting Troy Saturday on ESPNU).

UL: 4-3, 3-0.

Last year: USA won 30-8.