LEXINGTON, Ky. – The ULM football team led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter, but it was not enough as the Warhawks fell to Kentucky 48-14 on Saturday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium.
Pete Thomas completed 20 of 31 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Kenzee Jackson caught eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Ajalen Holley added four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Kaylon Watson led the Warhawks on the ground with eight rushes for 32 yards.
Cordero Smith, Gerrand Johnson and Mitch Lane had six tackles each, with Smith also garnering a sack and a tackle for loss.
Patrick Towles led Kentucky as he completed 16 passes on 28 attempts for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Kentucky scored the first points of the game. After a 75-yard kickoff return on the opening drive, the Warhawks defense stifled the Wildcats and held them to a 37-yard field goal by Austin MacGinnis.
ULM responded later in the quarter with a touchdown of their own to take the lead. Led by Thomas, the Warhawks marched 84 yards down the field. After a roughing-the-passer call that gave the team a crucial first down, Thomas completed a 12-yard pass to Ajalen Holley to give the Warhawks a 7-3 lead.
The Warhawks defense remained strong on the next drive as Kentucky was once again forced to settle for a field goal attempt. The Wildcats 52-yard attempt fell short and to the left of the goalposts as ULM maintained the lead.
After Hunter Kissinger snatched his second interception of the year and returned it 22-yards, Thomas found Kenzee Jackson in the back of the end zone on a nine-yard pass to increase ULM's lead to 14-3 heading into the second quarter.
Kentucky's Towles completed a pass to Javess Blue for a touchdown to cut into the deficit. The Wildcats then regained the lead as Josh Forrest returned an interception to the end zone with 7:47 remaining in the half.
Towles found Blake Bone on a four-yard pass to give Kentucky 10-point lead that it carried into the locker room.
The Wildcats scored three more touchdowns and a field goal en route to victory.
The Warhawks take the field again on October 25 as they host Texas State at 6:00 p.m. CT.
First Quarter
13:30: UK – 37-yard field goal by Austin MacGinnis, 4-6 yards-1:30, UK 3-0
07:42: ULM – 12-yard pass from Pete Thomas to Ajalen Holley, (Manton, J. XP), 10-84-3:35, ULM 7-3
00:00: ULM – 9-yard pass from Pete Thomas to Kenzee Jackson, (Manton, J. XP), 1-9-00:00, ULM 14-3
Second Quarter
8:52: UK – 83-yard pass from Patrick Towles to Javess Blue, (MacGinnis, A. XP), 2-88-0:00, UK 17-14
4:08: UK – 4-yard pass from Patrick Towles to Blake Bone, (MacGinnis, A. XP), 6-44-2:14, UK 24-14
Third Quarter
07:17: UK – 21-yard pass from Patrick Towles to Javess Blue, (MacGinnis, A. XP), 4-30-1:00, UK 31-14
05:59: UK – 36-yard interception by Marcus McWilson, (MacGinnis, A. XP), UK 38-14
04:07: UK – 58-yard run by Stanley Williams, (MacGinnis, A. XP), UK 45-14
Fourth Quarter
14:10: UK – 30-yard field goal by Austin MacGinnis, 7-52-2:30, UK 48-14
