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LAFAYETTE, La. (WGNO) ­— Leading by a touchdown late in the third quarter, junior linebacker Kris Moncrief intercepted a Lindsey Scott Jr. pass and took it the distance as Louisiana Football held on late to defeat Nicholls 27-24 in the 2021 home opener Saturday night at Cajun Field.
 
With the win, the Ragin’ Cajuns improved to 28-22 all-time in home-opening contests, including a perfect 4-0 record in the Billy Napier era.
 
Louisiana’s offense on the night was marked by aggressive down-field action through the air as quarterback Levi Lewis totaled 304 yards, just the third time in his career that the senior has thrown 300 or more yards.
 
On the opening drive of the game, Lewis marched the Ragin’ Cajuns into the red zone and connected with junior wide receiver John Stephens, Jr. on a 14-yard strike to the left corner of the end zone.
 
Leading by a field goal with just under six minutes to go in the first half, Lewis laced a 46-yard pass down the sideline into the arms of junior Michael Jefferson, extending Louisiana’s lead to 17-7.
 
The Colonels found the end zone on back-to-back drives late in the fourth quarter to close the scoring gap.
 
Placekicker Kenneth Almendares remained perfect on the year, delivering on his two attempts from 46 and 28 yards, respectively.
 
Louisiana totaled 417 yards of total offense, complimenting the passing yardage with 113 yards on the ground.
 
Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns recorded 69 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Safety Percy Butler paced Louisiana with 10 tackles, including two tackles in the backfield.
 
Louisiana returns to action on Thursday when it welcomes Ohio to Cajun Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.