Louisiana coach Michael Desormeaux sees his team’s road trip to face Missouri football as an examination — a test of his own team’s mettle.
“We’ll find out exactly where we are this week,” Desormeaux told reporters in Lafayette on Monday. “On defense, we’ve been really physical. We’ve stopped the run. We’ve done those things. We’ll find out this week if we’re really that type of team or not.”
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No. 25/RV Missouri will host Louisiana this week for a noon kickoff Saturday in Columbia, with kickoff moved up three hours to avoid forecasted extreme heat in Columbia. The matchup has sold out, per Mizzou athletics.
More: Kickoff time moved up to noon for Missouri football game vs. Louisiana this Saturday
MU (2-0) heads into the game on the back of a Border War win over Kansas.
Louisiana (1-1) fell to Rice in a home upset in Week 1 and lost starting quarterback Walker Howard to injury for the season. The Ragin’ Cajuns beat McNeese State last Saturday.
Ahead of the game during his pregame availability in Lafayette, here’s what Desormeaux said about Mizzou.
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On the Mizzou offense through two games
Asked what the Mizzou offense does well, Desormeaux made a potentially long list nice and succinct.
“It’s everything right now,” the UL coach responded.
Missouri currently ranks No. 5 in the FBS for total offense with 577.5 yards per game.
Added Desormeaux: “They are huge up front. It’s an SEC O-line. They look like it. They’ve got really good running backs. … You know, we’re familiar with Coach Drinkwitz a little bit from a few years back, and it’s a similar formula to win. They’re going to run the football. They’re going to throw play-actions and naked (bootleg passes) and stuff like that off of it. They’re going to take shots down the field. You better have them covered, because they got some wideouts that can really go. They’ve got really good tight end play.
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“I mean, this is a good football team. A really good team.”
Sep 28, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux reacts to a targeting call during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
On Ahmad Hardy, Beau Pribula
Louisiana has seen Hardy before, when he rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in a game against the Ragin’ Cajuns for ULM last season. Desormeaux hasn’t forgotten the name.
“I mean, Ahmad Hardy is a hell of a running back,” the head coach said. “And he’s on a really good team, and he is doing a really good job.”
He was also highly complementary of quarterback Beau Pribula, drawing on the Penn State transfer’s biggest plays against Kansas on Saturday.
“Their quarterback can drive the ball down the field. He’s made really good decisions,” Desormeaux said. “He’s made some big plays. Last week in that Kansas game, it’s a tight game, and whenever they needed him, he came up with big plays. I think he can hurt you with his legs, (and) he runs the offense really well.”
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On Mizzou’s defensive looks
Desormeaux has seen several of the Mizzou coaches before in the Sun Belt, not just Drinkwitz from his time as the coach at Appalachian State.
Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon was the defensive coordinator at South Alabama in Desormeaux’s first two full years as the head coach at Louisiana. He saw plenty of MU defensive ends coach Brian Early, who produced three straight conference defensive players of the year at Arkansas State while Desormeaux was still an assistant in Lafayette.
So, the head coach seems to have a sense for what he’s in for — and he doesn’t necessarily see the cornerstone as being sending blitzes and pressure.
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“They’ll stunt and move the front a little bit. Not a ton. They just play ball, man,” he said. “They play really good ball. They know where their issues are. They run to the football. They’ll mix up man and zone, so you don’t get a bunch of easy — you think you start getting it pegged, next thing you know the zone look turns into man and they’re contesting everything.
“They’ll play zone, where they have eyes on the quarterback and in the backfield at times. You know, they do a really good job. It’s good football. I mean, honestly. You watch them play, and its good technique, good players, playing hard, running to the football. It’s a good football team.”
Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers linebacker Josiah Trotter (40) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
What are Louisiana’s goals for Columbia matchup?
There’s a sense that this matchup is somewhat secondary to the Ragin’ Cajuns. Sure, would they like to go to Columbia and pick up a top-25 road win? You bet.
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But Sun Belt play is two games away for UL, and that does appear to be where the head coach’s main focus stands. The Ragin’ Cajuns still have questions to answer, and some of Desormeaux’s responses appeared to indicate that nonconference will help his team figure that out.
More: ‘Plenty of praise’: Why Eli Drinkwitz keyed in on Missouri football flaws over flattery
Mizzou, a four-touchdown favorite this upcoming Saturday, may be more of a measuring stick. Don’t mistake that for not getting their best, though.
“It’s a talented team, and it’s well coached,” Desormeaux said. “I mean, you’re going to play an SEC team on the road. Like, you better show up and better have your best. And that’s what we’re going to do this week. We’re going to prepare, we’re going to show up on Saturday, and we’re going to give them our best.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Louisiana coach said about Missouri football before Week 3 game
