JONESBORO, Ark.?Arkansas State jumped out to a big second-half lead and held off a late ULM rally to defeat the Warhawks 37-29 Saturday night in front of a crowd of 22,745 at ASU Stadium in a Sun Belt Conference showdown.
The Red Wolves (4-2, 2-0 Sun Belt) took a 37-14 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the Warhawks charged back with 15-unanswered points and had the ball at midfield late in the fourth quarter before coming up just short on a fourth-down conversion.
Arkansas State forced ULM into uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the game. The Warhawks turned the ball over three times, which led to 13 ASU points, and committed seven penalties for 77 yards. ULM (1-5, 0-2) entered the game leading the conference in fewest penalty yards per game and leading the nation with just three turnovers on the season.
ULM quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns on the night. His go-to target was Darrell McNeal, who hauled in eight catches for 149 yards ? including a 29-yard score in the first quarter.
Lancaster also had touchdown strikes to Frank Goodin (25 yards) and Zeek Zacharie (one yard) pushing his career total to 28, just one behind Stan Humphries and Robert Cobb for fifth all-time in ULM history.
McNeal moved into a tie for ninth place on the ULM career receptions list with 105 over his three-year career.
Alex Carrington delivered what appeared to be a knockout blow after sacking Lancaster and forcing a fumble which Marcus Brown scooped up and ran back 71 yards for a touchdown with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter.
The Warhawks had just picked up a first down on the Red Wolves' 24-yard line after moving the ball 51 yards in just six plays.
On the ensuing possession, ULM took the ball back into Arkansas State territory, but another Warhawk fumble led to three more Red Wolves points.
The Warhawk defense buckled down in the second half and held Arkansas State to just 122 yards after ASU accumulated 269 yards in the opening half of play.
ASU quarterback Corey Leonard completed just seven passes for 129 yards on the night. The seven completions are tied with New Mexico in 2003 for the fewest in a game by a ULM opponent.
Arkansas State entered the game with the Sun Belt's best rush defense allowing just 134.8 yards per game and improved on those numbers after holding the Warhawks to just 87 yards on the ground.
ULM true freshman Luther Ambrose showed off his much heralded speed after returning a kickoff 91 yards down the sideline for a touchdown midway through the second quarter pulling the Warhawks within three, 17-14. Ambrose is the two-time defending Louisiana 2A 100-meter dash champion.
It was ULM's first kickoff return for a touchdown since an 82-yard score by Charles Estes against New Mexico State in 2003 and the first kickoff return for a touchdown allowed by Arkansas State since 1998 against Minnesota.
Josh Arauco kicked field goals of 27, 26 and 44 yards for the Red Wolves extending his consecutive field goals made streak out to a school-record 12.
The Warhawks open a three-game homestand next Saturday at 6 p.m. against Sun Belt rival North Texas.
Scoring Summary:
ASU ? Mclennan 63-yard run (Arauco kick), 3:45, 1st
ULM ? McNeal 29-yard pass from Lancaster (Jabour kick), 1:48, 1st
ASU ? Arauco 17-yard FG, 14:56, 2nd
ASU ? Lawson 2-yard run (Arauco kick), 10:34, 2nd
ULM ? Ambrose 91-yard kickoff return (Jabour kick), 10:21, 2nd
ASU ? Leonard 3-yard run (Arauco kick), 6:40, 2nd
ASU ? Arauco 26-yard FG, 2nd, 4:42
ASU ? Brown 71-yard fumble return (Arauco kick), 5:13, 3rd
ASU ? Arauco 44-yard FG, 14:54, 4th
ULM ? Goodin 25-yard pass from Lancaster (McNeal pass from Lancaster), 12:30, 4th
ULM ? Zacharie 1-yard pass from Lancaster (Jabour kick), 7:31, 4th
