Game 4: TROY (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. ULM (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 22 | 6:05 p.m. CT
Monroe, La. | JPS Field at Malone Stadium (30,000)
ULM Football Notes: Game 4 vs. Troy
FIRST-AND-10 –
• Saturday's game marks the 18th meeting between ULM and Troy. The Trojans lead the all-time series 9-7-1, including a 2-5-1 record in games played in Monroe, La. ULM has won four of the last five meetings.
• ULM enters its 18th season of Sun Belt competition with a 5-12 record (.294) in league openers. The Warhawks are 1-1 in Sun Belt openers under Matt Viator, including last year's 56-50 double-overtime victory over the Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette.
Saturday's game marks just the second time ULM has opened Sun Belt play against Troy (2007; lost at Troy, 24-7).
• ULM's 2018 roster features two players from the state of Alabama, including junior right tackle Eastwood Thomas (Jackson) and sophomore tailback Josh Johnson (Opelika).
• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in sacks (tied for second at 3.0 per game), rushing defense (third at 137.0 yards per game) and interceptions (tied for fourth with 3).
• The Warhawks rank third in the Sun Belt in passing offense (255.3 yards per game) and fifth in total offense (412.0 ypg.). In addition, ULM leads the league in fewest sacks allowed at 1.33 per game.
• Fifth-year senior Marcus Green leads ULM in receptions (15), receiving yards (270), yards per catch (18.0) and touchdown receptions (4). Green leads the Sun Belt in TD receptions, ranks second in receiving yards (90.0 per game) and third in receptions (5.0 per game). His four TD receptions rank seventh in the NCAA FBS. Green now has 20 career TD catches – good for third place on ULM's all-time list.
In addition, Green leads ULM with six explosive plays (20-plus yards), including four receptions and two kickoff returns. His three receptions of 30 or more yards are tied for second in the NCAA FBS.
• ULM features the Sun Belt's most productive pass receiving duo, in fifth-year senior Marcus Green and junior R.J. Turner. Green and Turner have combined for 28 receptions for 428 yards and five touchdowns. Like Green, Turner is listed among the league's Top 10 in both receptions (tied for sixth at 4.3 per game) and receiving yards (seventh at 52.7 ypg.).
• Junior quarterback Caleb Evans recorded his second 200-yard passing game of the season and ninth of his career, completing 15-of-28 passes for 225 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown toss to R.J. Turner, and one interception. Evans currently ranks second in the Sun Belt in passing yards (255.3 ypg.) and total offense (296.7 ypg.).
• ULM has a diverse running game, led by tailbacks Derrick Gore (33 carries for 145 yards and one TD) and Austin Vaughn (20 for 130) and quarterback Caleb Evans (32 for 124 and one TD). That trio has rushed for a combined 399 yards, accounting for 85 percent of the team's total rushing yards (470).
• Junior bookends Sam Miller (3 for 19 yards) and Donald Louis Jr. (2 for 15 yards) have combined to account for five (34 yards) of ULM's nine sacks (56 yards). Miller leads the Sun Belt in sacks at 1.0 per game while Louis ranks tied for fourth at 0.67 per game.
CLASS BREAKDOWN (STARTERS) –
ULM Offense: 4 seniors, 6 juniors, 1 sophomore
ULM Defense: 4 seniors, 4 juniors, 3 sophomores
Troy Offense: 4 seniors, 6 juniors, 1 freshman
Troy Defense: 3 seniors, 4 juniors, 4 sophomores
STAT LEADERS –
ULM (after three games):
Rushing – Derrick Gore (33 carries for 145 yards, 4.4 avg., 1 TD)
Passing – Caleb Evans (65 of 109 for 766 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs)
Receiving – Marcus Green (15 catches for 270 yards, 18.0 avg., 4 TDs)
Tackles – Cortez Sisco Jr. (21 tackles, 14 solos, 7 assists, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT)
Troy (after three games):
Rushing – B.J. Smith (30 carries for 167 yards, 5.6 avg., 4 TDs)
Passing – Kaleb Barker (48 of 73 for 461 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs)
Receiving – Deondre Douglas (14 catches for 134 yards, 9.6 avg., 2TDs)
Tackles – Tron Folsom (21 tackles, 13 solos, 8 assists, 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INT)
ULM/TROY SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the 18th meeting between ULM and Troy. The Trojans lead the all-time series 9-7-1, including a 2-5-1 record in games played in Monroe, La. ULM has won four of the last five meetings.
SUN BELT OPENERS –
ULM enters its 18th season of Sun Belt competition with a 5-12 record (.294) in league openers. The Warhawks are 1-1 in Sun Belt openers under Matt Viator, including last year's 56-50 double-overtime victory over the Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette. Saturday's game marks just the second time ULM has opened Sun Belt play against Troy (2007; lost at Troy, 24-7).
WARHAWKS FROM THE HEART OF DIXIE –
ULM's 2018 roster features two players from the state of Alabama, including junior right tackle Eastwood Thomas (Jackson) and sophomore tailback Josh Johnson (Opelika).
EVANS LEADS DYNAMIC OFFENSIVE ATTACK –
Junior quarterback Caleb Evans currently ranks second in the Sun Belt in passing yards (255.3 per game) and total offense (296.7 ypg.). The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Evans has completed 65-of-109 throws (.596) for 766 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ranks third on the team in rushing with 124 yards (41.3 per game).
The Mansfield, Texas, native recorded his second 200-yard passing game of the season and ninth of his career, completing 15-of-28 passes for 225 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown toss to R.J. Turner, and one interception.
Evans connected on 15-of-28 passes for 195 yards in ULM's 21-20 win at Southern Miss, including TD strikes of 49 and 4 yards to Marcus Green.
He accounted for 408 yards total offense and three TDs to lead ULM to a 34-31 season-opening victory over Southeastern Louisiana. Evans capped off a seven-play, 63-yard drive with the game-winning 11-yard TD run with 37 seconds left. He also added a two-point run on the conversion to provide the final margin. Evans set career highs for pass completions (35) and attempts (53) against Southeastern, including scoring tosses of 3 and 79 yards to Green. His 35 completions are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in school history (Pete Thomas completed 35-of-50 throws at New Mexico State in 2014). Evans, who completed throws to 10 different receivers, also rushed 13 times for 62 yards and one score.
NCAA STAT LEADERS –
Here's a glance at how ULM ranks among the NCAA individual stat leaders in 2018:
Individual Statistics (Top 50 )
Completions Per Game: Caleb Evans (26th with 21.67 completions per game)
Passing Yards: Caleb Evans (24th with 766 passing yards)
Passing Yards Per Game: Caleb Evans (34th at 255.3 passing yards per game)
Passing Touchdowns: Caleb Evans (42nd with 5 touchdown passes)
Receiving Yards: Marcus Green (37th with 270 receiving yards)
Receiving Yards Per Game: Marcus Green (44th at 90.0 receiving yards per game)
Receiving Touchdowns: Marcus Green (7th with 4 receiving touchdowns)
Total Offense: Caleb Evans (26th at 296.7 yards total offense per game)
Total Touchdowns: Marcus Green (32nd with 4 total touchdowns)
Points Responsible For: Caleb Evans (50th with 38 points)
Field Goals Per Game: Craig Ford (44th at 1.0 field goals made per game)
Sacks: Sam Miller (17th at 1.0 sacks per game)
Total Interceptions: Marcus Hubbard/Cortez Sisco Jr./Corey Straughter (42nd with 1 interception each)
Passes Defended: Marcus Hubbard/Kenderick Marbles/Corey Straughter (49th at 1.3 passes defended per game)
Fumbles Recovered: Mason Husmann/Sam Miller (23rd with 1 fumble recovered each)
