FT.
LAUDERDALE, Fla.-Trey Revell completed a career-high 18 passes for 207 yards and
rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead ULM to a 27-25 victory at Florida
Atlantic Saturday night at Lockhart Stadium in the Sun Belt Conference opener
for both schools.
The series,
which was just five games old prior to tonight's installment, has always had a
flair for the dramatic. Neither team had won by more than a touchdown, the
average margin of victory was 3.4 points and the visitor had won each game.
Tonight
played no different as the Warhawks (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) won their first
conference opener since, ironically, they beat Florida Atlantic in Ft.
Lauderdale in 2005 - the Warhawks went on to claim a share of the Sun Belt
title that season. ULM now improves to 6-0 in the state of Florida in Sun Belt
Conference games.
Revell
finished the night with 48 yards on the ground on 11 carries. His favorite
target was LaGregory Sapp, who caught a season-high seven passes for 96 yards.
Darrell McNeal extended his consecutive games with a reception streak to 26 games
and finished with five grabs for 51 yards.
Frank Goodin
moved into sixth place on the ULM career rushing list with 1,677 after rushing
for 71 yards on 18 carries. His 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was his
fifth of the season to tie his career high. The touchdown also moved him into a
tie for eighth place all-time in ULM history with 14 rushing scores.
FAU pulled
with two, 20-18, with a 33-yard Ross Gornall field goal on the opening play of
the fourth quarter. The Warhawks answered FAU's three points with seven points
of their own. Revell completed a pair of passes on the drive and Goodin
tip-toed the sideline for a 14-yard score and 27-18 ULM lead with 12:04 to play
in the game.
FAU (0-3,
0-1) pulled with the final two-point margin on a 5-yard touchdown pass from
Rusty Smith to Darian Williams with 3:05 to play in the game. The Warhawks then
milked the clock down to the two minute mark after recovering the onside kick.
Smith finished the night 30-of-50 for 347 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Following a
delay of game penalty on 4th-and-1, Scott Love angled a perfect punt
out-of-bounds at the Florida Atlantic 6-yard line. The Owls were forced to go
the length of the field with no timeouts remaining. The Warhawk defense came up
with their biggest stop of the night not allowing Florida Atlantic past its own
25-yard line until the final play against a extreme prevent defense.
After the
ULM defense held FAU on the game's first possession, the Warhawks marched down
the field with a chunk of the yardage coming on a 31-yard reception by Sapp.
However, the drive stalled on the 11-yard line and Radi Jabour booted a 28-yard
field goal to give the Warhawks an early 3-0 lead - the field goal snapped a
streak of 11 straight scoring drives by ULM that resulted in a touchdown.
FAU
responded with a methodical 10-play drive kept alive by a pair of third-down
receptions by tight end Jason Harmon of 14 and 19 yards. Alfred Morris capped
the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, but Gornall missed the extra point
attempt. Morris finished his night with 122 yards on 23 carries.
Revell
wasted no time putting the Warhawks back on top on the Warhawks next drive. The
junior signal caller hooked up with McNeal for 16 yards and Sapp for 22 yards
before scoring from seven yards out for his first career rushing touchdown.
After a stop
by the ULM defense, Mickey Groody booted a 46-yard punt that the Owls downed on
ULM's 1-yard line. On the Warhawks first play of the drive, Daniel Joseph and
Michael Lockley stopped Goodin in the end zone for a safety.
The Warhawk
defense continued its strong opening half of play forcing a three-and-out
following the safety.
The ULM
offense, which tallied 222 total yards in the opening half, marched 66 yards
down the field on 10 plays. Revell put the Warhawks up 17-8 with his second rushing
touchdown - a 7-yard run up the middle - in the second quarter. The drive was
kept alive by a roughing the kicker call on a 35-yard field goal attempt by
Jabour, which he placed straight through the uprights.
A heavy dose
of Morris and two big pass plays by Smith pulled the Owls within two, 17-15, at
the half. Morris ran five times for 29 yards on the drive and Smith had a pair
of 18-yard completions, including one to Chris Bonner for a touchdown with 1:25
to play in the opening half.
FAU had
another chance after recovering a fumble near midfield, but the Warhawks
defense held on four straight plays, including on 4th-and-10, to give the
offense the ball back on its own 48-yard line.
Revell
completed back-to-back passes of 13 yards and 17 yards to McNeal and Sapp, respectively,
before Jabour booted a season-high 39-yard field goal as time expired to give
the Warhawks a 20-15 lead at the break.
The Warhawks
open the home portion of their Sun Belt schedule next Saturday when they host
Florida International at 2:30 p.m. on Homecoming at Malone Stadium. The game
will be the first for both ULM and FIU to be televised on the newly formed Sun
Belt Network.
Scoring Summary
ULM - Jabour
28-yard FG, 8:33, 1st 0-3
FAU - Morris
4-yard run (Gornall kick failed), 4:43, 1st 6-3
ULM - Revell
7-yard run (Jabour kick), 0:40, 1st 6-10
ULM - Revell
7-yard (Jabour kick), 5:52, 2nd 6-17
FAU - Bonner
18-yard pass from Smith (Gornall kick), 1:25, 2nd 15-17
ULM - Jabour
39-yard FG, 0:00, 2nd 15-20
FAU -
Gornall 33-yard FG, 14:55, 3rd 18-20
ULM - Goodin
14-yard run, 12:04, 4th 18-27
FAU -
Williams 5-yard pass from Smith (Gornall kick), 3:05, 4th 25-27
