New Orleans Bowl: Field Goal Lifts Louisiana-Lafayette

New Orleans Bowl:
Field Goal Lifts Louisiana-Lafayette
Jojo Doria

New Orleans, LA

Brett Baer nailed a career-long 50-yard field goal as time ran out, lifting the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns to a 32-30 decision over the San Diego State Aztecs Thursday night in the New Orleans Bowl.

It marked the first bowl game for the Cajuns (9-4) as a Division I FBS team.

Baer was initially lined up for a 55-yard attempt after Blaine Gautier steered the Cajuns 44 yards to the Aztecs 38.

But a pre-snap penalty assessed on San Diego State moved the winning kick five yards closer.

Gautier also had a career night, completing 24-of-40 passes for a career-high 470 yards with three TDs and an interception.

Gautier's passing total was also a New Orleans Bowl record, shattering the yards passing mark by Troy's Corey Robinson (387) set a season ago.

Gautier also broke former Cajun signal-caller Jake Delhomme's single-season records (2,901 yards passing and 20 TDs) which the latter held since 1996.

Gautier finished with 2,958 yards passing and 23 TD on the season.

Javone Lawson caught nine passes for 193 yards and hooked up with Gautier on two TDs, while Ladarius Green hauled in five catches for 121 yards a score for the Cajuns (9-4).

The Ragin' Cajuns, who lost back-to-back games against Arkansas State and Arizona to close out their regular season with an 8-4 mark that sent them to a bowl game for the first time in 41 years, led most of the way but fell behind with 35 seconds left in regulation.

After Baer kicked a 22-yard field goal that made it 29-24 with just over two minutes remaining, Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley found Colin Lockett on a 12-yard strike that pulled SDSU ahead, 30-29.

Lindley connected on 28-of-49 passes for 413 yards and three TDs for the Aztecs (8-5), last year's Poinsettia Bowl winner.

Lindley has amassed a total of 3,153 yards passing for the season. He is now the third quarterback in Mountain West Conference history to reach at least 3,000 yards passing in three straight seasons.

Aztecs' running back Ronnie Hillman, the nation's third leading rushing, was throttled by the Louisiana-Lafayette defense and managed only 55 yards on 24 carries.