Cajuns Fall To FIU, 38-17

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun football team fell in their 2010 home finale, dropping a 38-17 decision to the FIU Golden Panthers, at Cajun Field. The Cajuns have now lost seven straight. View more of the story, below.

The Golden Panther defense came up big, sacking UL quarterback Blaine Gauthier seven times, and forcing three interceptions.

The Cajuns had the football twice, in first-and-goal situations, in the first half, but were only able to come away with one field goal.

Offensively, for FIU, Darriet Perry ran for 77 yards and three touchdowns, while Darian Mallary added another 84 yards on the ground.

Wesley Carroll completed 16-of-19 passes for 162 yards and a score.

The Cajuns were led offensively by Gauthier, who threw for 188 yards, and a touchdown, while rushing for 112 yards, and another score.

Tight end Ladarius Green, a Mackey award semi-finalist, had six receptions, for 103 yards, and a touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Panthers got on the board first on a six-yard pass from Carroll to Jonathan Faucher. The TD throw capped off a 16-play, 99-yard play that began in the first quarter.

The Cajuns got three points back on the ensuing drive with a 25-yard field goal by Brett Baer at the 7:20 mark of the second quarter.

The following drive for FIU stalled and the Panthers were forced to punt. However, Louisiana got through and blocked the punt to take over at the FIU one-yard line.

The Cajuns failed to punch the ball into the end zone, however, and turned the ball over on downs.

The score remained at 7-3 going into the halftime break.

The Panthers received to begin the second half and went to work right away, scoring on a five-yard run by Perry, a run set-up by a 49-yard reception by T.Y. Hilton.

Louisiana got a couple of big offensive plays in the second half. One on a  55-yard touchdown run by Gauthier, and another on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Gauthier to Green, but it wasn't enough to keep the Cajuns from losing their seventh consecutive game.

The win, their fifth in their last six games, moved to Golden Panthers to 5-5 overall, and kept them in sole-possesion of first place in the Sun Belt Conference, with a 5-1 league mark.

The Cajuns, meanwhile, fell to 2-9 overall, and 2-5 in Sun Belt Conference play.

Louisiana closes out it's 2010 season next Saturday, as they travel to Monroe, to take on the ULM Warhawks.