Aside from all the ill feelings that come with a rivalry, the Arkansas State vs. UL-Lafayette has been been full of bizarre events and for the most part close games.

Last season’s 47-3 Arkansas State victory in Jonesboro was not the norm. It was the largest margin of victory for any team in the series. The previous season in Lafayette, the Red Wolves felt they have a game-winning play when Justice Hansen’s lateral was picked up by Joseph Bacchus and run in for game-winning touchdown. The play was challenged and ruled Hansen’s knee touched before his pitch.

After the play ULL players ran across the field, taunting the Red Wolves, who were coming off a thumping of Troy on the road.

“We're not going to make a big deal about it,’’ said A-State coach Blake Anderson. “There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We need to win the game because we need to win a game. It just so happens that it is them. It is always a hard-fought energetic game regardless.”

ULL leads the series 23-21-1. The last 16 games the series has been 8-8 on the field with 8 of the games determined by a TD or less. Each team has had to vacate one win in the series.

All time, Arkansas State is averaging 20.7 points per game against the Cajuns while the Cajuns are averaging 19.7 points per game in the series.

One of the favorite Arkansas State memories was the “run it again” game in 2012 at Lafayette when Gus Malzahn’s team rolled the Cajuns 55-20 on ESPN2. Malzahn was seen and heard standing on the sideline calling for the same play over and over and the Red Wolves running over ULL.

In 1992, Arkansas State defeated then Southwestern Louisiana 20-7 in a game shortened by storms. It was the second and final victory for Ray Perkins’ brief stint as head coach.

A-State played in the 2005 New Orleans Bowl, a game that was moved to Lafayette because of damage in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. The Indians won a three-way tiebreaker thanks to Arkansas State's weeknight televised game against the Cajuns in Jonesboro earlier in the season. Arkansas State appeared to be heading to the locker room down 16-0 but a pass from Nick Noce that would have been a completion at about the three was broken up by an early hit from the Cajun defender, the ball was deflected and caught in the end zone by sophomore receiver Joe Smith who was trailing the play. It was the fourth and final TD reception of Smith's career. The Cajuns would stretch the lead out to 22-7 in the third quarter but AState began a rally to lead 36-29 in the fourth quarter. The Cajuns tied the game with 52 seconds left and Eric Neihouse won it with a 35 yard field goal at the horn, the first of consecutive games won at the end by Neihouse.

“This has always been that hot-headed, energetic environment that but I think that is just out of the competitive nature of both football teams,’’ said Anderson. “We obviously dont have the geographical rivalry game but Ithink we have kinda become that for everybody. When you are picked to win it or you are in it every year you have a target on your back and you get everybody’s best shot.

“But for whatever reason this one has always been hot and chippy and energetic and expect this one to be no different.”

In the Cajuns’ 55-40 home victory in 2014, Anderson’s first year, there were 16 penalties, eight of them unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Two players were ejected. The conference reprimanded five players, one ULL assistant coach and one member of the ULL support staff. Even the officiating crew from the game was suspended for an upcoming game.

Former Red Wolves receiver Booker Mays tweeted this week “ULL .. Loved playing them at home, hated playing them on the road!! The most inhospitable fans in the south IMO! Strap up boys! It’ll be a good one for sure!”

Since returning to FBS in 1992, AState has only won twice in Lafayette. The storm shortened game under Perkins and the run it again game under Malzahn.



“I was knew five years ago and I could feel the intensity right away,’’ said Anderson. “It won’t take Billy that long to figure it out either.”