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Three weeks until kickoff and the Cajuns have already set a season ticket sales record. While impressive, I doubt you'll find many UL fans who are surprised. Since they hoisted the New Orleans Bowl trophy in January, the talk hasn't been about doing it again. This season, the Ragin' Cajuns want more, and to some, not hitting a few high water marks would make this year a disaster.
The 2014 season is already shaping up to be one for the books, so I decided to put together a list of the records and achievements the Cajuns are chasing. Also, through the power of business degree mathematics, I have the percent likelihood of this team breaking each record.
Single Game Attendance Record - 92%
In 2009, a Cajun team that would eventually go 6-6 opened their season against Southern at home. In part thanks to the well traveling Jaguars fans, that crowd would set the Cajun Field attendance record of 41,357. This year's team is expected to be the best in school history. And they open at home. Against Southern. They also added 7,000 seats. And broke their season ticket sales record. This record should go down. The only things standing in the way are the ticket office and South Louisiana weather.
First 10 Win Season - 83%
Just about everyone out there is predicting 10 wins for the Cajuns, and that's without considering the bowl game. While entirely possible, there is a reason they've never done it before. Barring major injuries, I expect UL to break this mark, even if it takes the bowl game to do it. A win over Boise State would all but seal things early, but at least three of those games in November could be trouble.
Most Points in a Season - 68%
In the three years he's been at UL, Mark Hudspeth has set the top three marks in points per season. Over that time span, the Cajuns average 33.8 ppg, with the high being 461 points in 2012. With all the returning talent and impact recruits coming in, UL could break that record this year. But to do that, they can't get shut down by a stout Ole Miss defense. They'll need to score at least twenty in Oxford to keep this one on track.
First Outright Conference Championship - 94.6%
The last time UL won an outright conference championship, we didn't have video games, post-it notes, or Freddie Prinze Jr. Those were dark times. The Cajuns have won two Sun Belt titles since moving to FBS, but had to share both. Will this be the year they break the curse and get the trophy all to themselves? Yeah, sure. Why not?
Biggest Win in Program History - 19%
Less of a record, and more a designation. As I'm sure you are well aware, the current "Biggest Win in Program History" belongs to the Texas A&M game of 1996. The Cajuns' first and only win over a ranked opponent. So how could this year's team top it. Well, there are two ways. Beat Ole Miss, who I think will be ready for UL since they scheduled a tune up game the week before against Vanderbilt; or win the other 11 games, get into a major bowl game, and win that. This is by no means impossible, but it will require the Cajuns to play on a totally different level from last year. I think they are capable, but I'll need to see it to truly believe it.