Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

No. 1 Alabama hosts Louisiana-Lafayette, ex-assistant Napier

Published Sep. 27, 2018 10:06 a.m. ET

Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2) at No. 1 Alabama (4-0), noon p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Line: Alabama by 48.

Series record: Alabama leads 8-0.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Alabama starts a stretch of four straight games against unranked opponents and has won an FBS-record 76 games in a row against teams outside the Top 25. Louisiana-Lafayette seeking its first win in 43 tries against teams who were members of the Southeastern Conference at the time.

KEY MATCHUP

Louisiana-Lafayette's red zone offense versus Alabama's red zone defense. Only the Ragin' Cajuns and UCLA have scored touchdowns on every trip inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Louisiana-Lafayette is 10 for 10. Alabama opponents have scored on six of 10 trips into the red zone with four touchdowns.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Louisiana-Lafayette: RB Trey Ragas leads the Sun Belt Conference in rushing at 98.0 yards per game. He has topped 100 yards twice in three games.

Alabama: WR Jerry Jeudy is a big-play threat, with six touchdown catches and a 21.5-yard average on 17 catches.

FACTS & FIGURES

The teams haven't met since 1990, when Alabama won 25-6 in the Tide's lone visit to Lafayette. Alabama coach Nick Saban led LSU to a 48-0 win in 2002. ... First-year Louisiana-Lafayette coach Billy Napier was Alabama's wide receivers coach from 2013-16 and an offensive analyst in 2011. Saban improved to 14-0 against his former assistants last week against Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M. ... The Ragin' Cajuns are 1-27 against ranked teams. The lone victory came against No. 25 Texas A&M, then a member of the Big 12, in 1996.

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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