Louisiana-Lafayette kicked off bowl season by beating Nevada 16-3 on Saturday in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Here is how the Ragin' Cajuns were able to win:

How the game was won: ULL quarterback Terrance Broadway completed his first 14 passes (he finished 26-for-31 for 227 yards) and led the Ragin' Cajuns to points on their first two possessions. The defense made the early 10-0 lead stand up by keeping Nevada’s offense in check all afternoon.

Game ball goes to: James Willis and the ULL defense. The Ragin' Cajuns' defensive coordinator and his players did an excellent job of neutralizing Cody Fajardo and the Wolf Pack offense. Fajardo finished 14-for-29 for 124 yards (plus 51 rushing yards) and Nevada mustered just 216 yards of total offense -- nearly 200 yards below its per-game average.

What it means: This is the fourth straight season that ULL finished in the New Orleans Bowl, and the fourth time the Ragin' Cajuns left the Superdome with a win. Nevada joins San Diego State, East Carolina and Tulane among ULL's vanquished opponents in the game. The Ragin' Cajuns are the first team to win the same bowl in four straight seasons.

Best play: When ULL quickly drove 77 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession, it looked like it might be another high-scoring New Orleans Bowl. Instead, Broadway’s 17-yard scoring pass to C.J. Bates was the game’s only touchdown.