SHREVEPORT, La. -- Ohio
spoiled ULM's bowl debut with a 45-14 victory on Friday in the 2012 AdvoCare V100
Independence Bowl inside Independence Stadium. It was a historic day as ULM
made its first bowl appearance since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision
(FBS) in 1994, but the Bobcats dominated from the opening kickoff and handed
the Warhawks their worst defeat of the season.
Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton
finished 14 of 22 for 331 yards passing and two touchdowns to help the Bobcats
rack up 556 total yards of offense on the afternoon. Running back Beau Blankenship finished with 105 yards
on 19 carries and an Independence Bowl record four touchdowns - three in the second
half.
Tettleton and Blankenship earned Co-Offensive Player of the Game honors
while Ohio's Keith Moore was named
the Defensive Player of the Game with a game-high nine tackles and a sack.
ULM junior quarterback Kolton
Browning finished 21 of 39 for 219 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns,
but he threw a career-high three interceptions in the first half to help Ohio
race to a 24-7 advantage at halftime.
Senior wide receiver Brent
Leonard caught seven balls for 76 yards and became the Warhawks' all-time leader
in receptions in the second quarter, surpassing Mark Vincent (2000-03) with 203
catches. Leonard, who came to ULM as a walk-on, wraps up his career with 208
receptions.
It took Ohio just seven plays and just under seven minutes to build a
14-0 lead in the first quarter. Tettleton completed all three of his passes on
the Bobcats' opening drive, including a 3-yard touchdown pass to
Donte Foster as Ohio grabbed a 7-0
lead.
After a Browning interception on the ensuing ULM drive, Ohio needed
just four plays to find the end zone a second time. Tettleton connected with Chase Cochran for a 68-yard touchdown
pass on third down. Cochran finished the game with three catches for 162 yards
and the one touchdown.
ULM answered with a five play, 53-yard drive capped by a 14-yard
touchdown pass from Browning to wide receiver Tavarese Maye to make the score 14-7 in favor of the Bobcats with
14:37 remaining in the first half.
However, the Warhawks were unable to capitalize on strong drives
throughout the first half. Browning
threw interceptions on two of ULM's first three possessions of the game and
after Ohio tacked on a field goal to make the score 17-7, ULM had its own
43-yard field goal try blocked by Ohio's Josh
Kristoff.
Browning tossed his third interception of the first half at the ULM 5-yard
line midway through the second quarter and Ohio needed just three plays to
punch in a touchdown and take a 24-7 advantage with 4:50 remaining in the half.
The Warhawks marched right back down the field and looked to be closing
in on a touchdown to close out the half, but Browning was sacked for a loss of
nine yards on first-and-goal from the Ohio 1-yard line and the junior
quarterback threw three consecutive incomplete passes to turn the ball over on
downs as time expired in the half.
Ohio again scored on its first two possessions of the second half to
take a 38-7 advantage.
Browning connected with tight end Kevin
Steed for a 1-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 38-14 in the third quarter,
but Ohio answered with an eight play, 76-yard drive capped by a 2-yard rushing
touchdown by Blankenship on the first play of the fourth quarter to finish off
the scoring.
Scoring
Summary
1st Quarter
Ohio - 3-yard pass from T. Tettleton to D. Foster (M. Weller kick), 3-80-1:10 Ohio 7-0
Ohio -
68-yard pass from T. Tettleton to C. Cochran (M. Weller kick), 4-87-1:40 Ohio 14-0
2nd Quarter
ULM - 14-yard pass from
K. Browning to T. Maye (J. Manton kick), 5-53-1:18 Ohio 14-7
Ohio - 38-yard FG by M. Weller, 8-54-3:29 Ohio 17-7
Ohio - 2-yard run by B. Blankenship (M. Weller
kick), 3-3-1:12 Ohio 24-7
3rd Quarter
Ohio
- 2-yard run by B. Blankenship (M. Weller kick), 7-75-2:38 Ohio 31-7
Ohio - 1-yard
run by B. Blankenship (M. Weller kick), 6-70-2:54 Ohio 38-7
ULM -
1-yard pass from K. Browning to K. Steed (J. Manton kick), 12-66-5:45 Ohio
38-14
4th
Quarter
Ohio
- 2-yard run by B. Blankenship (M. Weller kick), 8-76-2:48 Ohio 45-14
