Ruston dominates West Monroe 27-6

Turnabout is fair play.

When Ruston came out sluggish and turned the ball over against West Monroe in week 10 last season, the Rebels made them pay 42-14.

Saturday in the final game of the 2022 Bayou Jamb at Louisiana Tech’s Joe Aillet Stadium, it was Ruston that attacked from the opening kickoff, forced turnovers and made the Rebels pay with a convincing 27-6 victory.

"It'll be for real next week against a really good football team. But this jamboree gives us a good indication of where we are at this point,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “We can't have a let down going into next week on a short week. I tell you what, it was a really great atmosphere here."

There was a good news, bad news situation for the Bearcats though. Star tailback Dyson Fields went out of the game in the second half with a lower leg injury and had to be helped off the field.

The good news: Ruston still has Jaden Osborne at quarterback.

The senior signal caller was as sharp as he’s ever been in a Ruston uniform. He completed 8-of-16 passes on the night for 166 yards and a touchdown.

Entering the jamboree, Baugh was anxious to see how his team would respond to playing the Rebels this time around after playing flat a year ago.

He got his answer rather quickly.

On West Monroe’s fourth play Nate Johnson recovered a fumble to give the Cats possession at the West Monroe 40. Ruston began its first drive with methodical ground and pound offense. Fields carried the ball four out of six plays before Osborne hooked up with Neville transfer receiver Aaron Jackson for 18 yards for first and goal at the 10.

It looked as though Fields gave the Cats second and goal at the one with a scamper around left end, but holding was called to back them up to the 20. After Fields picked up two yards, Osborne found Jackson for another 18-yard strike, this time in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

The Rebels had no better luck against the Red Wall defense and on first down at the 36, Geordan Guidry recovered another fumble to give Ruston the ball back at the West Monroe 38.

Osborne floated a pass to Fields in the flat on third and six and Fields did the rest, cruising to the one yard line to set up his own one-yard plunge to increase the lead to 14-0.

West Monroe’s lone highlight of the jamboree came on its next possession when Hayden Federico rifled a 65-yard TD pass to David Moore to cut the lead to 14-6.

On the ensuing possession, Osborne connected with Jordan Hayes for 24 yards and Zhy Scott for 8 yards to move into West Monroe territory. The drive stalled and RJ Brown missed on a 45-yard field goal to virtually end the first half.

Ruston began the third quarter with a three and out and punted back to the Rebels. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Federico’s pitch on an option play went awry and Ruston’s Jadon Mayfield scooped and scored from 26 yards out to up the lead to 21-6.

RHS fans had no time to celebrate or blink. The kickoff was fumbled by the Rebels and Zheric Hill recovered for the Cats at the Rebels’ 25 yard line.

On the second play, Fields was rolled up on by a West Monroe defender and had to leave the game. Brown connected this time, from 37 yards out. His field goal increased the lead to 24-6.

After a West Monroe punt, the Cats put together one more scoring drive. The key play was a 42-yard hookup from Osborne to Logan Malone. Three plays later Will Fendley ended the scoring with a 23-yard field goal for the final margin of 27-6.

The two teams will meet again in Ruston’s High Hoss Garrett Stadium in week 10 of the regular season.

When asked if this was a sign of things to come, Baugh replied, “Hell, I hope so. But we got a lot of games between now and then so you never know. We're never the same football team at week 10 that we are now, hopefully we can improve and get to be a better football team before then.”

Aside from West Monroe’s one big play of 65 yards, the Ruston defense dominated the ballgame. They held the Rebels to 113 total yards while piling up 195 yards of their own.

Osborne spread the ball around to five different receivers during the game. Fields was held in check by the Rebels before his injury. He managed 30 yards on 10 carries and a TD before departing.

The Cats will be back in action Friday to begin the regular season at home against Warren Easton of New Orleans. Game time is set for 7 p.m.