MOBILE, Ala. – The ULM football program dropped a 36-14 decision to South Alabama on Saturday evening at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Rashon Ceaser led ULM (5-6, 3-3 SBC) offensively with a game-high 138 receiving yards and a touchdown. He caught nine passes from
Kolton Browning who threw for 196 yards and a touchdown. Browning was 18-for-26 in the air and also rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Ross Metheny guided USA (4-6, 2-3 SBC) with 194 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 142 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Shavarez Smith totaled a team-high 90 yards receiving with a touchdown.
Defensively for the Warhawks,
Hunter Kissinger and
Cameron Blakes led the team with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively.
Ray Stovall,
Gerrand Johnson and
Darius Lively each recorded a sack, while
Justin Backus grabbed an interception.
The Jaguars got on the board first when a 43-yard field goal by Aleem Sunanon split the uprights with 6:38 remaining in the first quarter. It capped off an eight-play, 48 yard drive.
Sunanon came onto the field again with 3:07 left in the first quarter and hit a 45-yarder to give USA a 6-0 advantage. The field goal ended a six-play, 50 yard drive. A 43-yard pass from Metheny to Smith on the second play of the series setup the scoring opportunity.
The Warhawks took the lead, 7-6, after a six-yard touchdown scramble by Browning. The senior dropped back in the pocket, and after scanning the field, he dashed left into an opening between his left guard and tackle into the endzone. It completed an 11-play, 80 yard drive. An 18-yard rush by
Jyruss Edwards and an 18-yard completion from Browning to Ceaser highlighted the drive.
On a 29-yard passing touchdown from Matheny to Smith, USA re-gained the lead, 12-7 with 9:13 remaining in the second quarter. The point after attempt failed after a fumbled snap. The series started on USA's own 25-yard line after a touchback. The Jaguars had a pair of third-down conversions on the drive.
With 15 seconds remaining in the half, Matheny found Jereme Jones for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the back-left corner of the endzone. The score increased USA's lead to 19-7 at the intermission after an 85-yard drive.
The Warhawks came out and scored on their first drive of the second half on a 44-yard strike from Browning to Ceaser. ULM converted a 3rd-and-5 on a 13-yard pass to
Ajalen Holley to extend the drive. After a sack, the scoring play came on a 3rd-and-17 attempt to cut the deficit to 19-14.
The Jaguars responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to push their lead back up to 26-14. The scoring play came on a two-yard play-action pass from Metheny to Ryan Onkka. A 28-yard pass to Bryant Lavender on 3rd-and-7 moved the ball down to the ULM one-yard line. The scoring play came on a third-and-goal from the two-yard line after a tackle for a loss by Lively on the previous play.
USA increased its lead to 29-14 on a 34-yard field goal by Sunanon with 13:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. The field goal capped off a 13-play, 63-yard drive.
Metheny concluded the scoring with a 63-yard rush down the left side with 3:30 left in the game.
ULM will close out the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6:06 p.m. when it takes on UL-Lafayette on the road. The game will be carried on the Sun Belt Network / ESPN3.
Scoring Summary1st Quarter6:38 – 43-yard field goal by A. Sunanon, 8-48-1:40 USA 3-0
3:07 – 45-yard field goal by A. Sunanon, 6-50-1:59 USA 6-0
2nd Quarter12:23 – 6-yard rush by K. Browning (J. Manton XP), 11-80-5:40 ULM 7-6
9:13 – 29-yard pass from R. Metheny to S. Smith (XP failed), 9-75-3:10 USA 12-7
0:15 – 5-yard pass from R. Metheny to J. Jones (A. Sunanon XP), 9-85-3:16 USA 19-7
3rd Quarter10:07 – 44-yard pass from K. Browning to R. Ceaser (J. Manton XP), 6-55-2:48 USA 19-14
5:58 – 2-yard pass from R. Metheny to R. Onkka (A. Sunanon XP) 11-75-4:09 USA 26-14
4th Quarter13:33 – 34-yard field goal by A. Sunanon, 13-63-5:25 USA 29-14
3:30 – 63-yard rush by R. Metheny (A. Sunanon XP), 2-65-0:18 USA 36-14
