ULM Warhawks

Edwards has scored seven touchdowns -- six rushing -- and totaled 297 yards from scrimmage over the past two games. His 191 rushing yards are the seventh most in school history. Edwards moved into a tie for seventh place on the ULM single-season rushing touchdown list with nine and a tie for 11th on the ULM career rushing list with 13. Today, Edwards had touchdown runs of 17, 41 and 31 yards.

The Warhawks (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt) scored on their first five possessions of the game -- a Sun Belt Conference era record for ULM -- to take a commanding 35-0 lead with nearly 10 minutes remaining in the opening half. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Warhawks against the Blue Raiders.

ULM gashed the Middle Tennessee defense for 260 yards on the ground and 193 yards through the air for 453 yards total. Kolton Browning completed 15-of-18 passes with touchdown passes to Je'Ron Hamm and Brent Leonard; his two touchdown passes moved him into a tie for sixth on the all-time ULM touchdown passes list with 29.

The Warhawk defense held the Blue Raiders to 138 yards on 38 carries; it marked the 24th time in 34 games under defensive coordinator Troy Reffett that ULM held its opponent under its season rushing average.

Luther Ambrose set the tone on the opening kickoff of the game as he returned it 59 yards to the Middle Tennessee 38-yard line; it was his fifth return of 40 or more yards this season. The Warhawks needed just six plays for Browning to find the end zone from three yards out for his seventh career rushing touchdown.

On the Blue Raiders (2-7, 2-4) third play of the game, Andrew Banks fumbled and Ken Dorsey recovered for the Warhawks; ULM has forced a turnover in 30-of-34 games under Reffett.

Another six-play drive for the Warhawks resulted in a 14-0 lead for the home team. Edwards carried the ball on five of the six plays, including a 17-yard touchdown run to cap the drive. Another turnover, this one on an interception by Vincent Eddie on Middle Tennessee's first play of the ensuing possession, set the Warhawks up at the 43-yard line.

The Warhawks were a little more methodical on their next drive as they used nearly six minutes of game clock and 13 plays before Browning found Leonard from 12 yards out for the score. ULM controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes in the game despite running 17 fewer plays than Middle Tennessee.  

Following a Middle Tennessee punt, Browning needed just five plays to extend the Warhawk lead out to 28-0. Following a 16-yard completion to Mitchell Bailey on third-and-four, Browning hooked up with Hamm for a 50-yard touchdown strike; the play was the fifth longest of the season for the Warhawks and longest touchdown pass of the year.

Another three-and-out by the Warhawk defense and punt by the Blue Raiders gave the ball back to the ULM offense. After converting a third down, Edwards rushed around left-end for a 41-yard score and a 35-0 lead.

The Blue Raiders finally got on the board on a 19-yard touchdown pass by Logan Kilgore to Sancho McDonald with 3:45 to play in the opening half. Kilgore finished the game 21-of-30 for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His second touchdown of the night came on MTSU's opening possession of the second half with a 14-yard pass to Tavarres Jefferson.

Edwards capped his impressive night with a 31-yard run right up the gut of the Blue Raider defense late in the third quarter.

ULM wraps up the home portion of its schedule next Saturday when FIU comes to Malone Stadium. Kickoff on Senior Day is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Scoring Summary
ULM - Browning 3-yard run (Manton kick), 12:30, 1^st                                    7-0
ULM - Edwards 17-yard run (Manton kick), 8:39, 1^st                                    14-0
ULM - Leonard 12-yard pass from Browning (Manton kick), 2:34, 1^st             21-0
ULM - Hamm 50-yard pass from Browning (Manton kick), 13:55, 2^nd            28-0
ULM - Edwards 41-yard run (Manton kick), 9:48, 2^nd                                   35-0
MTSU - McDonald 19-yard pass from Kilgore (Gendreau kick), 3:45, 2^nd       35-7
MTSU - Jefferson 14-yard pass from Kilgore (Gendreau kick), 12:48, 3^rd       35-14
ULM - Edwards 31-yard run (Manton kick), 3:28, 3^rd                                   42-14

ULM Team Notes

-Kolton Browning, Ken Dorsey and Luther Ambrose were named team captains and represented ULM during the opening coin toss.

-Middle Tennessee won the opening toss and deferred possession to the second half.

-Dorsey and Jason Edwards each made their 22nd straight start for the ULM defense, second among active players behind Darius Prelow (24).

-Luther Ambrose's 59-yard kickoff return to open the game was his fifth of 40 or more yards this season.  Ambrose's long was a 100-yard touchdown at North Texas Oct. 22.

-Ambrose moved into eighth place in single-season kickoff return yardage (659).

-Kolton Browning's 3-yd touchdown run in the first quarter was his third of the season and the seventh of his career. 

-The Warhawks have scored on their first possession in four games this season, including two straight contests.

-ULM has forced a punt or a turnover on its first defensive drive in eight of 10 games.  Five such drives have been three-and-outs.

-The Warhawks have recorded a takeaway in 30-of-34 games under defensive coordinator Troy Reffett.

-Vincent Eddie logged his second interception of the season in the first quarter, picking off Logan Kilgore along the home sideline.

-Browning moved into sixth place in single-season completions (202) and tied Robert Cobb and Stan Humphries for sixth all-time in career touchdown passes (29).

-Brent Leonard's 12-yd touchdown catch in the first quarter marked the 22nd straight game he has recorded a reception.

-ULM now holds a 56-14 scoring advantage over opponents in the first quarter in 2011.  It was the first time in the Sun Belt Era that the Warhawks scored on five straight possessions to begin a game.

-Je'Ron Hamm's 50-yd touchdown reception was his first of the season and the longest catch of his career.  Hamm set a personal-best with four catches for 91 yards.

-Browning completed nine of his first 10 passes, the best percentage to start a game in his career.

-Jyruss Edwards' 41-yd touchdown run in the second quarter insured his first career 100-yard rushing performance.  His 191 yards on the ground were the seventh-most in a single-game in school history.

-35 points in the first two quarters were the most the Warhawks have scored in a half since a 42-point outburst against Texas Southern Sept. 13, 2009.

-Edwards' 31-yd score in the third quarter marked his second straight game with three touchdown runs.  The sophomore running back is tied for seventh in single-season rushing touchdowns (9) and has scored 13 times on the ground in his career.

-ULM has gained 400 or more yards of total offense in six of 10 games after picking up 453 yards against Middle Tennessee.

-The Warhawks have held an opponent under its rushing yardage average in 24-of-34 games in the Reffett Era.  Middle Tennessee finished with 132 yards rushing, 27 under its season average.

-54 rushing attempts were the most for ULM under head coach Todd Berry.  260 net rushing yards were also the most for the Warhawks in the Berry Era.

-Prelow has recorded at least one tackle in a team-high 37 straight games.  Troy Evans has made one or more stops in 25 consecutive games.

-The Warhawks converted three red zone possessions into touchdowns.  ULM has now scored 23 times in 32 trips inside the 20-yard line (71.9 percent).     

"It makes it even more frustrating because you heard Kolton and Jyruss both talk about the seniors and how significant this group has been for us in terms of leadership and the mentality and attitude. We all wanted to do these kinds of things for them and it's still a big driving force in the way that we try and prepare for each game."