BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- ULM
(5-2, 3-0) ruined the Homecoming festivities for Western Kentucky (5-2, 2-1), 43-42, in overtime inside L.T. Smith
Stadium. Kolton Browning rushed the touchdown before finding Rashon Ceasar on
the two-point conversion to secure the victory.
Browning engineered a seven-play, 90-yard drive ending with
a 12-yard pass to Ceasar for the touchdown to tie the game and send it to
overtime. The win guaranteed ULM its best overall start since 1993 and best Sun
Belt start since 2009 (3-0). In addition, it is the first four-game winning
streak in FBS era. ULM won five in a row from Oct. 16 to Nov. 13 in 1993, their
last as a I-AA program.
ULM was down 28-7 before scoring 21 straight unanswered
points to tie the game in the fourth quarter. ULM began the comeback with an
eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by a Browning rushing touchdown. A quick stop
by the ULM defense gave the Warhawks the ball with 1:07 in the first half.
Browning connected with Cortney Davis for a 30-yard touchdown to cap a
eight-play, 64-yard drive as time expired. It was Davis' first career catch and
touchdown.
ULM threatened in the third quarter as Jyruss Edwards caught
a 44-yard pass and was pulled down at the one-yard line. WKU stuffed ULM to
turn the Warhawks over on downs, highlighted by a missed fake field goal.
The third quarter marked the first time in a ULM game this
season that neither team scored.
Browning found Harper for a 16-yard touchdown with 11:23
remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28-all. The drive covered 46
yards in seven plays.
ULM had a chance to take the lead on its next possession but
was forced to punt giving the ball back to the Hilltoppers at their own 36-yard
line. WKU marched 64 yards in 10 plays for the touchdown capped by Antonio
Andrews' two-yard run with 2:29 to play in regulation.
Browning finished 22-for-41 passing with four touchdowns and
308 yards while rushing for a team-high 69 yards and two touchdowns. Harper
caught seven balls for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Western Kentucky began the game with a scoring drive capped
by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kawaun Jakes to Willie McNeal giving the
Hilltoppers a 7-0 advantage with just 3:40 off of the clock.
WKU picked off Browning on ULM's first play from scrimmage.
On the ensuing drive the Hilltoppers elected to go for it on fourth down and
Isaiah Newsome came up with his second interception of the season and sixth of
his career.
A Justin Manton punt was downed inside WKU's own one-yard in
an attempt to slow the Hilltopper offense. However, the Hilltoppers were able
to string first downs together and end the drive with WKU extending its lead to
14-0 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jakes to Jack Doyle with 13:02 left in
the half. The drive went 99 yards and lasted 8:23.
An excellent 51-yard kickoff return from Cortney Davis gave
ULM excellent starting field position. Browning scampered for 13 yards before
finding Je'Ron Hamm for a 16-yard touchdown pass to get the Warhawks within a
score, 14-7, with 11 minutes remaining.
A 58-yard kickoff return from Antonio Andrews sent the
momentum back to the home sideline. WKU continued to attack and went up 21-7 on
a five-yard touchdown pass from Jakes to Austin Aikens with 8:37 left in the
half.
Browning threw his second interception of the day, this time
by Cam Thomas to give WKU the ball on ULM's 18-yard line. Jakes found Doyle
again for a 19-yard touchdown, giving the Hilltoppers a 28-7 lead with just
under six minutes before halftime.
The Warhawks will be at home the next two weeks
beginning with Homecoming against South Alabama at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Post-Game
Quotes
Head Coach Todd Berry
On the strategy in overtime...
"Certainly us having the opportunity to play defense first gave us an
opportunity to say 'OK, how is this going to be played out? How is the overtime
going to be played out?' It was expressed pretty early that we were going to
have a pretty difficult time stopping them and so at that point and time you
might as well end it."
On
the two-point conversion in overtime to win the game...
"I felt great about the call. Coach [Steve] Farmer did a great job. There were
certainly a lot of things that happened during that game. Everything was
operating in two-minute mode it seemed like the entire game and he [Farmer] did
a great job calling plays. We had a lot of confidence
in the two-point conversion. I knew when the play was called we had it. As soon
as I saw the defense, I knew we had it."
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
WKU - 22-yard pass from K. Jakes to W. McNeal (G. Schwettmann XP), 6-75 3:40
WKU 7-0
2nd Quarter
WKU - 12-yard pass from K. Jakes to J. Doyle (G. Schwettmann XP), 13-99 8:23
WKU 14-0
ULM - 16-yard pass from K. Browning to
J. Hamm (J. Manton XP), 4-32 1:53 WKU 14-7
WKU - 5-yard pass from K. Jakes to A. Aikens (G. Schwettmann XP), 4-32 2:13
WKU 21-7
WKU - 19-yard pass from K. Jakes to J. Doyle (G. Schwettmann XP), 3-18 1:32 WKU
28-7
ULM - 20-yard run from K. Browning (J.
Manton XP), 8-75 2:24 WKU 28-14
ULM - 30-yard pass from K. Browning to C. Davis (J. Manton XP), 8-64 1:07 WKU
28-21
3rd Quarter
None
4th Quarter
ULM - 16-yard pass from K. Browning to C. Harper (J. Manton XP), 7-46 2:23 Tied
28-28
WKU - 2-yard run from A. Andrews (G. Schwettmann XP), 10-64 4:49 WKU 35-28
ULM - 12-yard pass from K. Browning (J.
Manton XP), 7-90, 1:50 Tied 35-35
Overtime
WKU - 9-yard run from K. Jakes (G. Schwettmann XP), 2-25 WKU 42-35
ULM - 3-yard run from K. Browning (K.
Browning to R. Ceaser Good) 4-25 ULM 43-42
