YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — Rudy Kessinger’s 42-yard field goal as time expired capped a wild fourth-quarter comeback for Eastern Michigan, lifting the Eagles to a 34-31 victory over Louisiana on Saturday at Rynearson Stadium.

The Eagles, who trailed by 10 points entering the final quarter, scored 13 unanswered points to stun the Ragin’ Cajuns and give both teams a 1-3 record on the young season.

The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw multiple lead changes and dramatic plays in the final minutes. Louisiana appeared to have sealed the win when running back Zylan Perry broke free for a 10-yard touchdown run with just 44 seconds remaining, giving the Ragin’ Cajuns a 31-28 lead.

But Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim had other plans. Starting at his own 35-yard line with 36 seconds left and no timeouts, Kim engineered a frantic drive. He completed a 7-yard pass to Dontae McMillan and scrambled for 2 yards to stop the clock. His biggest play was a 27-yard strike to tight end Joshua Long that moved the Eagles to the Louisiana 29-yard line with 18 seconds left.

After two incomplete passes, McMillan rushed for 5 yards to set up Kessinger’s game-winning kick from 42 yards out as the clock hit zero.

Kim, a quarterback from Centreville, Virginia, was efficient, completing 21 of 31 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for another score. His favorite target was Porter Rooks, who caught seven passes for 39 yards, while Nick Devereaux added four receptions for 76 yards.

The Eagles’ ground game was led by McMillan, who had a stellar performance with 126 rushing yards on 19 carries. Tavierre Dunlap added 45 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns, including a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter that cut Louisiana’s lead to 28-21.

Louisiana’s offense was powered by its own rushing attack. Perry’s late touchdown was his second of the day, part of a strong performance on the ground. Quarterback Daniel Beale of Baton Rouge completed 20 of 33 passes for 222 yards but threw two critical interceptions in the fourth quarter that thwarted potential scoring drives.

The Ragin’ Cajuns built their lead with a balanced offensive attack, scoring in every quarter. They took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Perry’s 23-yard run and extended it to 17-7 in the second quarter on a 38-yard field goal from Tony Sterner and a 45-yard touchdown run by Bill Davis.

Eastern Michigan answered just before halftime with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kim to Long, making the score 21-17 Louisiana at the break.

The third quarter featured a defensive highlight for Louisiana when Courtline Flowers returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, extending the Ragin’ Cajuns’ lead to 28-17.

The Eagles’ defense, which had been gashed at times, came up with key stops and turnovers late. Defensive back Caleb Dobbs and safety Bryce Llewellyn each recorded interceptions in the fourth quarter to give Eastern Michigan a chance. Llewellyn led all defenders with 10 tackles and his pick.

The win was a relief for an Eastern Michigan team that had lost its first three games by an average of 21 points. For Louisiana, the heartbreaking loss marked their third defeat of the season, all by significant margins.

The game’s final score of 65 total points surprisingly went under the pregame over/under line of 49.5. The result also defied the pregame spread, which had installed Eastern Michigan as a 2.5-point favorite, and a statistical model from Interstat that had given Louisiana a 71.5 percent probability to win.

Eastern Michigan travels to face Central Michigan next Saturday, while Louisiana returns home to host Marshall.