Article Courtesy: Tabby Soignier, The News-Star
LAFAYETTE, La. -- It wasn't a conference championship and it will likely not get ULM to a bowl game, but the Warhawk seniors went out with a win over in-state rival the University of Louisiana at Lafayette 31-28 Saturday night at Cajun Field.
It was the first win over the Ragin' Cajuns since 2007 and gave ULM its first back-to-back seasons to reach bowl eligibility.
The Warhawks did it in the team's true, old school fashion with the offense using the vertical field to move the ball, and senior quarterback Kolton Browning finished his college career with a 272-yard passing night, completing 19-of-29 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
UL Lafayette (8-3, 5-1) started the night with back-to-back scoring drives, starting with its opening possession that spanned 68 yards on nine plays, culminated by a two-yard run by quarterback Terrance Broadway, after three plays of 10 yards or more in the drive.
After a three-and-out by ULM and backed up in its own endzone, punter Justin Manton's 44-yard punt still gave UL-Lafayette extremely favorable field position at the ULM 35 after a sizable return by Darryl Surgent.
UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire put the team at first and goal on a 22-yard run and punched it in two plays later on a three-yard score.
ULM, however, knew it had nothing to lose and Browning started slinging the ball around, starting with a 29-yard touchdown pass on the Warhawks' ensuing drive.
ULM (6-6, 4-3) tied it up after the Warhawk defense forced UL-Lafayette's first punt of the night to start the second quarter.
The offense needed just three plays as fourth-team running back DeVontae McNeal barreled through the line on a third-and-2 run that resulted in a 77-yard touchdown run.
UL Lafayette would take the lead into halftime, though, with a 24-yard pass from Broadway to Surgent, but the Warhawks did not allow another Cajun touchdown until the final minute of the contest.
By then, however, the ULM offense had found its identity – finally – coming out after halftime with the opening possession with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Browning to sophomore Rashon Ceaser.
The drive forced ULL to use an early timeout after the Warhawks confused the Cajun defense with Browning and backup quarterback Brayle Brown in the game.
The duo helped drive the ball down the field, including a game-long rush by Browning for 22 yards.
Manton's PAT hit the right upright to keep the Warhawks down by one, but ULM head coach Todd Berry continued to push the button with nothing to lose.
After the Warhawks went ahead on a four-yard run by junior running back Centarius Donald, Berry called for two and Browning hit Ajalen Holley after scrambling out of trouble to give ULM a seven-point lead.
The Warhawks took their largest lead of the game on a 28-yard field goal by Manton to begin the fourth quarter, but the defense had to hold off a Cajun offense that freshman Brooks Haack took over when Broadway left the game with an arm injury.
The back up quarterback guided the team 80 yards on eight plays and found Jamal Robinson for a 25-yard touchdown with 53 seconds left to play. The Cajuns attempted an on-side kick, as they had two years ago in the last game at Lafayette as they came back from behind, but ULM denied UL Lafayette a chance to dash its hopes of the Warhawks finishing the game with anything but a win.
Ceaser finished his fourth straight game with 100 yards or more receiving. The sophomore had six catches for 110 yards and one touchdown, while Holley finished the night with three catches for 68 yards and a score.
McNeal led the running game with 4 carries for 76 yards, and Browning added 36 yards on the ground on his seven carries.
The defense held UL Lafayette to 394 yards of total offense with three interceptions, including two in the end zone to kill the Cajuns' drives.
Broadway finished the game with 178 passing yards, completing 13-of-27 passes with one touchdown. McGuire had 14 carries for 119 yards with a touchdown and Robinson led the receiving corps with 98 yards on five catches and a score.
