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ULM Becomes Bowl Eligible with 21-18 Victory Over Western Kentucky

ULM Becomes Bowl Eligible with 21-18 Victory Over Western Kentucky

Football Nov 15
MONROE, La. - The ULM football team reach bowl eligibility for the second time in three years with a 21-18 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday (Nov. 14) at Malone Stadium. Junior running back Frank Goodin rushed for a career-best 169 yards and a touchdown for the victorious Warhawks.

Trailing for the majority of the second half, ULM scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The game-winning score came with 5:09 to play as junior running back Rodney Lovett scored from three yards out.

WKU received the opening kickoff and the ULM defense forced a three-and-out, but the Hilltoppers got a second life as the punt was fumbled and recovered by WKU. With the second chance, WKU had an opportunity to open the scoring, but its 46-yard field goal was missed wide left.

ULM was knocking on the door on its second possession of the first quarter before an interception by Korentheus Bailey halted the Warhawk drive. Back-to-back 23-yard gains on a Trey Revell-to-Goodin screen pass and a Goodin rush put ULM in position to take the lead before the turnover.

The Warhawks opened the scoring on the second play of the second quarter; Revell capped an 80-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. On the seven-play drive that took up 3:09, Revell was 4-of-4 through the air, hooking up with senior wide receiver LaGregory Sapp for 24 yards, sophomore wide receiver Luther Ambrose for completions of 17 and 16 yards and senior wide receiver Darrell McNeal for 17 yards.

WKU answered the ULM score with a 43-yard field goal by Casey Tinius. The field goal capped a six-play, 37-yard drive for the Hilltoppers.

Another turnover by the Warhawks put WKU right back in position to score. Trent Calhoun intercepted a Revell pass and returned it 29 yards to the ULM 18-yard line. Despite gaining no yards, the Hilltoppers were able to convert a 35-yard field goal to cut the ULM lead to one, 7-6, with 11:43 to play in the second quarter.

After a ULM punt, WKU took its first lead of the contest on Tinius' third field goal of the game. The key play on the drive was a 48-yard reception by Jake Gaebler on a third down to keep the drive alive. Tinius connected on a 39-yard field goal with 4:54 to play in the half to give WKU a 9-7 lead.

Just before the intermission, Tinius made his fourth field goal of the half, a 41-yard effort, to extend the WKU lead to 12-7.

Tinius' four field goals in the game tied for the second-most made by a WKU kicker in a single-game with Chrin Pino (10/2/93) and Steve Donisi (9/29/90).

ULM outgained WKU, 111-74, in the first half, but three Warhawk turnovers helped the Hilltoppers hold a five-point advantage at the break.

On the first possession of the second half, the Warhawks put together a 12-play, 54-yard drive before stalling at the WKU 19-yard line. Sophomore kicker Radi Jabour's 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

The Warhawks started the fourth quarter with field position inside WKU territory after Ambrose returned a WKU punt 33 yards to the 48-yard line. The return was the longest of the season for ULM.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Goodin scampered 48 yards to the end zone. With the Jabour extra point, ULM took a 14-12 lead.

WKU immediately regained the lead with a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Brandon Smith one-yard touchdown run. Bobby Rainey had a 49-yard rush to set up the Hilltoppers inside the ULM five-yard line on the drive. The Hilltoppers two-point conversion attempt failed and WKU led 18-14 with 10:49 to play.

ULM then took the lead for good on Lovett's three-yard touchdown plunge. The score gave the Warhawks a 21-18 lead with 5:09 remaining in the contest. ULM marched 58 yards in 11 plays on the drive, all on the ground.

WKU moved down to the ULM 15-yard line where Tinius lined up for a 32-yard field goal with just over a minute to play, but Tinius' try was missed wide right and the Warhawks held on for the victory.

Revell finished the game 10-of-19 through the air for 151 yards and two interceptions. Senior linebacker Cardia Jackson finished the contest with 15 tackles, giving him 365 in his career, a new Sun Belt record.

ULM will hit the road next Saturday (Nov. 21) for its final road game of the regular season at Louisiana-Lafayette. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Scoring Summary

ULM - Revell 9-yard run (Jabour kick), 14:27, 2nd                           7-0
WKU - Tinius 43-yard field goal, 12:11, 2nd                                   7-3
WKU - Tinius 35-yard field goal, 10:07, 2nd                                   7-6
WKU - Tinius 39-yard field goal, 4:54, 2nd                                     7-9
WKU - Tinius 41-yard field goal, 0:01, 2nd                                     7-12
ULM - Goodin 48-yard run (Jabour kick), 14:50, 4th                       14-12
WKU - Smith 1-yard run (two-point conversion failed), 10:49, 4th    14-18
ULM - Lovett 3-yard run (Jabour kick), 5:09, 4th                            21-18

ULM Game Notes

  • Western Kentucky won the toss and elected to receive. ULM will defend the south end zone.

  • Saturday's ULM game captains were junior quarterback Trey Revell, senior defensive back James Truxillo, senior punter Scott Love, and senior linebacker Josh Thomas.

  • Today's contest was the fourth meeting between the two programs. Western Kentucky leads the series 3-2.

  • Greg James extended his team-high consecutive start streak to 43 games.

  • Greg James and Cardia Jackson have now started a team-high 43 career games.

  • ULM has scored in 86-of-89 games dating back to Sept. 14, 2002, against McNeese State.

  • Wide receiver Darrell McNeal extended his consecutive games with a reception steak to 32 games.

  • Trey Revell's 9-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter was his fourth of his career. It was also the 33rd rushing touchdown by a quarterback during the Charlie Weatherbie era.

  • Western Kentucky's 25-yard rush in the second quarter was just the fifth rushing play of more than 20 yards that the Warhawk defense has given up this season.

  • Western Kentucky's 41-yard field goal by Casey Tinius in the second quarter was the third field goal completed of more than 40 yards against ULM this season.

  • Western Kentucky's 39-yard field goal in the second quarter was their third of the game. It was the seventh time during the Charlie Weatherbie era that an opponent has successfully completed three field goals in a game.

  • ULM's 113 yards of penalties was a season-high and the most since Oct. 18, 2008 against North Texas when the Warhawks were flagged 14 times for 140 yards.

  • Luther Ambrose's 33-yard punt return in the third quarter was the longest punt return by a ULM player this season.

  • Frank Goodin's 48-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter moved him into a tie for third-place all-time on the ULM career rushing touchdown list with 22. He also moved into a tie for second place on the ULM single-season rushing touchdown list with 13 this year.

  • ULM's 290 rushing yards marked the 20th game in which the Warhawks have rushed for over 200 yards. It was the fifth highest rushing total during the Weatherbie era.

  • Western Kentucky rushed for 195 yards, which was the most rushing yards that ULM has given up this season.

  • Rodney Lovett's 3-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter was his second rushing touchdown of the season and third of his career.

  • Frank Goodin's 19 rushes for 169 yards set a new-career high for rushing yards in a game. His previous career-high was 163 yards on 19 attempts, which was done earlier this season against FIU.

  • Frank Goodin finished the game with 169 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown. Goodin now has 2,357 career rushing yards, which is 461 yards shy of tying third place all-time in ULM history.

  • Frank Goodin's 169 yards rushing yards pushed his season rushing total to 978 yards. He is now four yards shy of tying 10th place on the ULM single-season rushing total with Bobby Craighead's 982, which was done in 1983.

  • Cardia Jackson finished Saturday's game with 15 tackles. He pushed his career total to 365, which set the all-time Sun Belt mark. Jackson also moved into sixth place on the all-time ULM career tackles list and two tackles shy of tying fifth place.

  • Darrell McNeal finished Saturday's contest with one reception, which gives him 163 catches for his career. He is now five receptions shy of tying fourth place all-time in ULM history. McNeal is also four catches shy of tying fourth place all-time in Sun Belt history.

  • LaGregory Sapp has made 33 receptions over the past seven games for a total of 663 yards, for an average of 94.7 yards per game during over the past seven contests.

  • LaGregory Sapp's 33 yards today pushed his season total to 784 receiving yards and into sole possession of 10th place on the ULM single-season receiving yards list.

  • Aaron Morgan recorded one sack in today's contest, giving him 21 for his career and eight on the season. His 21 sacks moves him within a half-a-sack of Brandon Guillory (2002-05) for fourth-place in school history. His eight sacks this season is tied for the 10th-most in school history.



ULM Head Coach Charlie Weatherbie

On going to a bowl
"When it comes down to it, it is going to come down to who is eligible. I don't think that this game is going to have anything to do with going or not based on the performance. I think winning seven-eight games is going to be difference."

On the team's performance
"I was disappointed; I wasn't really frustrated just disappointed in the way we were performing. I know we were better than what we performed. I was excited about the way the defense came in and found a way to win in the two-minute drill, which they have now done three times."

"You have got to come out every day and prepare to win football games and you have got to play one game at a time. You have got to come out that day and play your best game."

Western Kentucky Head Coach David Elson

On the game
“I was really proud of the way we played the full 60 minutes, we just came up short. It's unfortunate because we have a bunch of guys that didn't make the trip, we only came with three corners and, from a banged up standpoint, they battled and fought and did everything they could. You have to give credit to ULM; they were able to pull it out.”

On the players focusing this week
“They have done that all year, they have stayed focused on the task at hand. They came out here and played the way they have played all year. It had absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened this week. This team is getting a little bit better each week, we would like to have gotten a little bit better today but they haven't wavered all year long.”


WKU senior wide receiver Jake Gaebler

On if this week was different than other weeks
“Definitely. I thought that we were a little bit looser and, as far as preparation, it was just like every other game. We worked hard during practice and continued to fight during the game.”

On the remainder of the season
“We're just going to give it everything that we've got. As senior we have been talking about the last two games, the season hasn't been what we would have wanted but we are going to continue to fight and leave it all out there, we have nothing to lose.”


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