ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La.?ULM hit on three big play touchdowns in the first quarter and scored 28-unanswered points to open the game in a 35-23 victory over North Texas Saturday night in Sun Belt Conference action at Malone Stadium.

 

Kinsmon Lancaster opened the barrage of points after keeping the ball on an option and taking it 54 yards to end zone. On the Warhawks (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) next possession, Luther Ambrose caught a screen pass from Lancaster and went 69 yards for the score. 

 

The play was the longest of the season for the Warhawks and the freshman's second score in the past two games ? he returned a kickoff 91 yards last week at Arkansas State.

 

Lancaster finished the game 12-for-21 for 171 yards through the air and carried the ball 10 times for 95 yards with a pair of scores.  Frank Goodin rushed 18 times for 95 yards pushing himself past the 1,000 yard mark for his career ? he has 1,037.

 

ULM kept the foot on the accelerator on its next drive and Rodney Lovett ran right up the middle of the defense for 49 yards and his first career touchdown. Facing a third-and-nine on the Warhawks next possession, Lancaster hit Anthony McCall on a 40-yard strike to set up his five-yard touchdown run three plays later.

 

A 27-yard field goal by Jeremy Knott put North Texas (0-7, 0-3) on the board before ULM wide receiver Darrell McNeal's touchdown pass made it a 35-3 Warhawk advantage. McNeal took a pitch from Lancaster, darted towards to the sideline and threw it to a streaking J.J. McCoy for the 46-yard score.

 

The Warhawks converted five plays of 40 yards or more in the first half after entering the game with three such plays in the first six games of the season.

 

ULM carried a 35-6 lead into halftime only to see North Texas score 17-unanswered points in the second half ? two coming on Giovanni Vizza touchdown passes. Vizza finished the game 37-for-61 for 362 yards ? his 37 completions set a new Malone Stadium record.

 

Josh Thompson recorded a game-high 20 tackles for the Warhawks ? the 11^th most all-time in ULM history and the most in the Charlie Weatherbie era. Cardia Jackson finished the game with 10 stops to mark the fourth straight game he tallied double-digit tackles.

 

North Texas ran 92 plays on the game to the Warhawks 55, but the teams had nearly identical total yards (ULM ? 461, UNT ? 463) and time of possession (ULM ? 28:51, UNT ? 31:09).

 

ULM continues to be one of the best in the nation in taking care of the football as it didn't turn the ball over for the fourth time this season. The Warhawks entered the game fourth in the nation with just six turnovers this year.

 

The Warhawks continue their three-game homestand next Saturday against preseason Sun Belt-favorite Florida Atlantic (2-5, 0-2) at 6 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN+.

 

Scoring Summary

ULM ? Lancaster 54-yard run (Jabour kick), 1^st, 7:36

ULM ? Ambrose 69-yard pass from Lancaster (Jabour kick), 1^st, 4:35

ULM ? Lovett 49-yard run (Jabour kick), 1^st, 2:25

ULM ? Lancaster 5-yard run (Jabour kick), 2^nd, 12:55

UNT ? Knott 27-yard FG, 2^nd, 7:41

ULM ? McCoy 46-yard pass from McNeal, 2^nd, 2:36

UNT ? Knott 28-yard FG, 2^nd, 0:18

UNT ? Knott 44-yard FG, 3^rd, 12:24

UNT ? Lott 10-yard pass from Vizza (Knott kick), 4^th, 7:27

UNT ? Fitzgerald 19-yard pass from Vizza (Knott kick), 4^th, 1:44

 

 

ULM Notes:

* Kinsmon Lancaster's 54-yard touchdown run was the longest scoring play of the season at the time

* Luther Ambrose's 69-yard touchdown reception was the longest play of the season

* Scott Love's 67-yard punt in the second quarter was a career-high and tied for the eighth longest in ULM history

* Darrell McNeal's 46-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter was the second of his career

* Running back Frank Goodin went over 1,000 yards for his career in the third quarter.  He now has 1,037 for his career

* Safety Josh Thompson recorded 20 tackles on the game, which is the 11^th most in ULM history and the most in the Charlie Weatherbie era

 

ULM linebacker Cardia Jackson (#51)
On his performance
“With my line doing their job this game, we had a heck of a game tonight. We came out in the first half and played real well and allowed only nine points. They kind of jumped on us in the second half a little bit, but we started off great. We have to come out like that more.”

On allowing more points in the second half
“Most teams get relaxed, but I told my team they have to think and stay ahead.”

On getting the team's second win
“It feels good. If I could trade the double-digit tackles with the ?W', that would be even better.”

ULM quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster (#7)
On the touchdown pass by Darrell McNeal
“During the week coach said he might end up with more passing yards then me. We had a couple of trick plays we didn't get to though.”

On the second half
“We just have to learn how to finish the whole game. We came out in the first half very explosive and in the second half I think we really didn't finish the game. We left a lot of plays on the field in the second half that we could have capitalized on and scored more points.”

On the difference in number of offensive snaps between the two offenses
“It doesn't affect us as an offense, but it does affect our defense a lot. The defense is on the field and playing a lot of snaps. It is good to score quickly, but we had a couple of times in the second half where we left some points on the field.”

On if the win will build momentum for the team
“I really think so. We work hard and were finally able to put some things together for us.”

ULM wide receiver Darrell McNeal (#3)
On his passing touchdown
“It is something that we have in our package. We were just waiting on the right time to call the play. Coach did a great job of calling the pass that I threw to J.J. [McCoy].”

On throwing the touchdown pass
“I always want to throw the ball it's just one of my dreams so whenever they call my number I just have to execute my play so they keep calling the play and I can keep throwing the ball.”

On gaining the early lead
“I think we jumped out on them real fast and we had a no huddle offense and the quick pace offense worked well so we stayed with it and we scored on our first three or four possessions.”

On getting the win instead of a lot of receiving yards
“I take this before I take the other one, we got a win. I think we got a good team win. We were running the ball hard and catching the ball well. We did a lot of good things as a team. This is a better game than last week. “

ULM Head coach Charlie Weatherbie
On the game
“It was a great team victory and a great team effort. I'm excited about the win. The taste of victory is always great. I thought North Texas did a great job of fighting back in the second half. We didn't stay on edge. We didn't keep our focus and intensity. There were a lot of penalties that hurt us. We just didn't make the plays in the second half that we did in the first half.”

On developing the killer instinct
“I think they have to go through something like this to see what we are talking about. It is a killer instinct and something that you thrive on and work really hard to get to that point. When you've got someone down you have to keep them down.”

On the difference in number of plays run by the two offenses
“There really wasn't that much of a difference in possession time even though there was the difference in total plays. We know that is what they are trying to do. They want as many ?at-bats' as they can possibly get. That is their offense. What we were trying to do was score more points and find a way to get the win.”

On the ?trick' plays
“We don't call them trick plays, we call them explosive plays. We know that we have an opportunity in a lot of things we do to get a double move of something off our main play. We used plays off the ball.”

North Texas defensive lineman Isaac Thomas (#99)
On the defensive performance in the second half
“We came out in the second half with a little more fire. I guess it just took us a half to get it going. We played exceptionally well in the second half. I just wish we could have come out better early.”

On problems containing Kinsmon Lancaster
“I think it was a little bit of a problem tonight. It comes from us not following our assignments. The coaches put us in the right position but it is up to us to make the right plays.”

On the mindset of being 0-7 on the year
“It gets tough, but that is something we have to overcome. We talk about that all the time ? overcoming adversity. We just have to stick in there together. That is what we are ? a team.”

North Texas wide receiver Brock Stickler (#82)
On the game
“It has been a tough season. We just have to go back, look at film tomorrow and see what we did good and what we can work on to improve next week.”

On drives dying in the red zone
“Penalties are killing us. We are killing ourselves more than anything. We are moving the ball, but then we keep backing up. If North Texas will stop beating North Texas we will get some ?W's'.”

On his performance
“It is disappointing. My individual stats don't mean a thing if we aren't winning.”

North Texas head coach Todd Dodge
On the game
“We go into each week talking about keys to victories and we are just scratching and fighting to get one of these things. We look to eliminate explosives and to protect the football. As I reflect 30 minutes after the game is over, that is kind of what got us into problems right there. We have shown our kids that we can stop people when we are playing consistently and we can move the ball when we are playing consistently. We just have to string more of that together.”

On containing ULM quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster
“That was another one of our things ? to contain number seven. He is a senior and the guy who makes them go. We didn't do a good enough job ? we did at times ? but not well enough.”

On the slow start
“We were moving the ball, but it was penalties that kept putting us behind the sticks. Right off the top of my head I can think of three explosives in the first half that gave them 21 points.”