LSU sophomore offensive guard Josh Dworaczyk and senior running back Keiland Williams were born and raised in Lafayette, and recruited by LSU’s upcoming opponent, Louisiana-Lafayette, during high school.Both players still have strong ties to their hometown and know how much the game this weekend means to their friends, especially the Ragin’ Cajuns they played against during their high school football careers.”I got recruited by the coaching staff [at ULL], and it was definitely one of the places I looked at the time just because I’d be able to stay home,” Dworaczyk said. “I’ve got a lot of friends who go to ULL, so it’s definitely an exciting event to play them.”Dworaczyk played football at Catholic-New Iberia High School with ULL junior fullback Matt Desormeaux, the younger brother of former Ragin’ Cajuns All-Sun Belt quarterback Michael Desormeaux, who was also a Catholic High School graduate.”I go to Lafayette all the time, even now,” Dworaczyk said. “There are going to be a lot of family and friends who will be [at the game Saturday] who know me personally.”Williams said ULL also recruited him when he was at Northside High School. Like Dworaczyk, Williams knows a few ULL players, including junior linebacker Grant Fleming, a St. Thomas More alumnus whom Williams faced in high school.Williams said the Ragin’ Cajuns fans will come into Baton Rouge hostile and confident. Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-0 for the first time since 1990 after knocking off Kansas State, 17-15, on Sept. 12.”When I got here I realized how important this was to them at ULL,” Williams said. “Their fans despise our fans; I guess we’re looked at as these snobby people or something like that. I know they’re definitely going to come in here with their heads high.”Williams said the atmosphere is usually welcoming when he visits his hometown, but this weekend it’s all about competition.”When I go back home, it’s all love and nobody has anything negative to say,” Williams said. “When it’s time to play them, they’re making T-shirts that say ‘LS-Who’ and sending messages like ‘Watch out for the Cajuns’ and stuff like that. I’ll be up for it.”LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers get into higher spirits when an in-state opponent like ULL comes to town.”There is a want to play well any time you line up against a team that is from here and has players who went to school with our players,” Miles said. “They really know each other back and forth and have a real respect for them. Our guys absolutely feel that.”Although LSU is 21-0 in its all-time series against the Ragin’ Cajuns, including 16 shutouts, Miles said ULL is “a better offensive team” than Vanderbilt.”Every time I line up against a team that doesn’t have a name that warrants a national viewing audience, I always find out they’re pretty good, have talent and can play,” Miles said. “Their quarterback [sophomore Chris Masson] is a really good thrower, and they have ability to maybe do a few more things offensively than Vanderbilt did.”The last team from the Sun Belt conference LSU faced was Troy on Nov. 15. LSU was in danger of blemishing its undefeated record against Sun Belt teams when they fell behind by 28 points before mounting the biggest comeback in school history to win, 40-31.”We don’t look at teams and say they’re in the Sun Belt conference so they’re not as good as the [Southeastern Conference],” Williams said. “ULL is coming in here feeling they have a lot to prove to this state. We have a lot to prove to this country.”—-Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]