LAFAYETTE — A two-yard plunge by running back Trey Ragas with 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter boosted UL Lafayette to a 47-43 win over Arkansas State Saturday evening at Cajun Field.

The two teams traded jabs for four quarters with the Ragin’ Cajuns going up 28-14 early in the second quarter, only to have ASU rally and eventually take a short-lived 43-40 lead at the 5:48 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Cajuns rolled up 547 yards of total offense.

Senior quarterback Andre Nunez completed 18-of-26 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a one-yard sneak for another score in the second quarter.

Ragas, the Sun Belt’s leading rusher, was held to 54 yards on 18 carries, but Raymond Calais (seven attempts, 121 yards) and Elijah Mitchell (four rushes, 68 yards) picked up the slack. 

Mitchell, who entered the game ranked second in the FBS for total touchdowns by a running back during October, staked the Cajuns to a 7-0 lead when he caught a short pass from Andre Nunez and galloped 64 yards.

After the Red Wolves answered with a touchdown, Mitchell came through again with a 65-yard scoring jaunt.

The sophomore from Erath added six catches for a career-high 121 yards and wideout Jarrod Jackson led all receivers with 129 yards on four receptions, including a 52-yard touchdown.

Kyle Pfau nailed a career-long 52-yard field goal with two seconds to go in the second quarter as the Cajuns (4-4, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) took a 31-21 lead at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, a 47-yarder by Pfau increased the lead to 34-21.

ASU (4-4, 1-3) took the lead for the first time when Kirk Merritt, the Sun Belt’s leading receiver, hauled in a 73-yard pass from Justice Hansen to make it 35-34.

Merritt grabbed four passes for 122 yards.

Hansen, who entered the game as the Sun Belt’s leader in total offense, completed 17-of-30 passes for 270 yards.

He was intercepted once and also gained 53 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown.

With the win, the Cajuns moved into a tie for first place with ULM in the Sun Belt West Division.

Calais strolled through a huge hole and sprinted 72 yards to provide UL Lafayette with a 21-14 lead late in the first quarter.

The Cajuns averaged 13.4 yards per carry in the first half.