Before playing a four-game stretch of out-of-state schools, Ruston heads on the road for an intrastate matchup of recent state championship programs and top 15 teams in The Sporting News' Louisiana high school football Top 25 rankings.
The Bearcats travel south on U.S. Highway 167 to face an Acadiana team hungry to erase its regional round upset in the playoffs last year. Former Bearcat quarterback and current Tulane freshman Josh Brantley led Ruston to a 35-27 win by accounting for 324 yards and four touchdowns.
Ruston finished 11-3 in 2024, but fell short of defending its Division I non-select championship to Central of Baton Rouge. Junior tight end Ahmad Hudson caught 39 passes for 754 yards and six touchdowns and figures to be a primary figure in the passing game. Ruston will have some new pieces, but it still figures to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Acadiana had to replace 20 of 22 starters and its head coach from last year's team, but aspirations are high. Junior Collin Dibetta is the Wreckin' Rams' most experienced returnee on offense, while LSU commit Darryus McKinley is the defensive leader. Doug Dotson takes over as coach after former coach Matt McCullough accepted a safety position with the Lafayette Parish School System.
How to watch Ruston at Acadiana football today
- Live Stream: Watch on Wreckin' Ram Productions on YouTube.
Ruston at Acadiana can be accessed live on Wreckin' Ram Productions, Acadiana's Digital Media program, which is accessible on YouTube.
Ruston at Acadiana start time
- Date: Friday, Sept. 5
- Time: 7 p.m. CT | 5 p.m. PT | 8 p.m. ET
The opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 5. The game will be played at Ted Davidson Field at Bill Dotson Stadium in Lafayette.
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