By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – ULM was clinging to a one-point lead Saturday night at "The Rock" and had a defense that had come through time and time again.
But the Warhawks needed one last stand to claim a win at Southern Miss.
"What we talk about is, 'Can you strain your gut?'" ULM defensive coordinator Mike Collins said. "Tonight, they did. We had to to win it."
"Going back on the field one final time," ULM linebacker Cortez Sisco Jr. said, "Our mindset was to put the step on Southern Miss."
Continuing a game-long trend of defensive playmaking, Sisco Jr. made a leaping interception in the waning seconds and sealed a 21-20 victory for ULM at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
"To win a game like this in this environment, against a team like this and to win it with this script is really good for us," ULM head coach Matt Viator said. "I couldn't be more happy for our defensive players and coaches to come into this environment and play like that."
The Warhawks (2-0) registered five sacks and made four takeaways in one of their best defensive efforts in recent memory.
"It's a blessing to be able to come out on the field and do what we love," said defensive end Donald Louis Jr., who registered two sacks, three tackles for losses, forced a fumble and made six tackles. "We weren't tired at the end. This was an opportunity to show that this is a different defense this year and we've got something different. We're playing with a different energy and a different attitude."
Southern Miss (1-1) had the ball second-and -8 at the ULM 45 before Sisco Jr. went high for his game-saving pick at the ULM 35, then raced 46 yards back to the USM 19 with seven seconds left. The Warhawks ran off the final seconds in the victory formation.
"This is probably the hardest I've ever seen the ULM defense perform," Sisco Jr. said. "From the defensive line to the linebackers to the DBs, we covered well, tackled well and the D-line had the best rush on the quarterback I've ever seen. I'm just proud."
ULM's defense delivered on a night where the offense wasn't as effective as usual. Southern Miss ran 80 plays to the Warhawks' 58 and outgained ULM, 436-354.
"We made a bunch of mistakes offensively and even defensively, we missed tackles," Viator said. "But we kept playing hard and that's the big key."
Still, ULM did just enough as Mississippi native Marcus Green caught four passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns and Austin "Bus" Vaughn gained 85 yards on nine attempts. Quarterback Caleb Evans hit 15-of-28 attempts for 195 yards and two scores with one interception.
"Defense was big tonight," Green said. "They stepped up. They cut down on the amount of deep balls and that was big time. Our corners, Corey Straughter and Marcus Hubbard and 'Bunny' (Kenderick Marbles) really stepped up tonight."
ULM's defense rebounded nicely from a jolting start.
Southern Miss scored on its first play as Jaylond Adams took a short pass from Jack Abraham and scampered 75 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 lead 13 seconds into the game.
ULM tied the score 7-7 with its first monster defensive play as Sam Miller recovered an Abraham fumble in the end zone. On the third-and-9 attempt, Louis sacked Abraham and knocked the ball loose with 12:05 left in the first quarter.
"Plays like that and momentum plays are what get everybody going," Louis said. "As many of those we can get is as many of those as we'll take."
ULM parlayed another turnover into points later in the first quarter after Hubbard's interception. Immediately after the takeaway, Evans went over the top to Green for a 49-yard score to put ULM ahead 14-7with 4:37 showing in the opening period.
Parker Shaunfield's 42-yard field goal with 2:01 to go in the first brought Southern Miss within 14-10.
The Golden Eagles regained their edge 17-14 with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Abraham to Quez Watkins to wrap a seven-play, 64-yard drive with 6:36 left in the half. Abraham completed 31-of-46 attempts for 378 yards and two scores despite the heavy pressure.
Louis registered his second sack for a 9-yard loss late in the second quarter to push Southern Miss back and Shaunfield missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt with 38 seconds remaining.
Vaughn provided a spark for ULM as he opened the second half with a 56-yard burst up the middle down to the Southern Miss 9-yard line. Two plays later, Evans hit Green for a 4-yard touchdown pass and ULM was up again 21-17.
Southern Miss went 45 yards in 14 plays but settled for another Shaunfield field goal from 47 yards out with 6:51 to go in the third. ULM's Marbles, who had three pass breakups, busted up a pass at the goal line to help the Warhawks defend the red zone.
"I loved the way our corners battled," Viator said. "They've got playmakers everywhere and they got out there and battled them, so we could put pressure on the quarterback. They took their shots; Hubb had a nice pick and it seemed like Corey Straughter and Kenderick Marbles made play after play on those wideouts."
The defense provided another opportunity when Miller sacked Abraham and forced a fumble recovered by Mason Husmann. But two plays later, Evans was picked off on an underthrown ball at the USM 8.
"I wish we could have taken more advantage of the turnovers," Green said. "I felt like sometimes we got the ball and shot ourselves in the foot. But sometimes we made the plays we needed."
Southern Miss started the fourth quarter with a fresh set of downs at the ULM 46, but the defense rallied again. Sisco Jr. stopped T-Rod Daniels on fourth-and-1 at the 39 for another pivotal play.
Vaughn rushed for 19 yards on three carries as the Warhawks moved to the USM 35 in nine plays, but Craig Ford's 42-yard field-goal try was wide left with 9:15 remaining.
The Golden Eagles took over and advanced to the ULM 34 but missed their chance to regain the edge when Shaunfield missed a 49-yard field with 5:42 left in the game.
"It wasn't pretty on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense stepped up," Green said. "Defensive is what wins games and wins championships."
"I've never been a believer in momentum," Viator said. "But I do believe in confidence. Hopefully, this can give our whole football team confidence."
Up next: ULM travels to College Station, Texas, on Sept. 15 to face Texas A&M (1-1). Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. Clemson beat the Aggies 28-26 on Saturday night.
Tail feathers: WR D'Marius Gillespie, WR Marcus Green, TE Josh Pederson and DE Shaquille Warren served as team captains for ULM. Special guests Doug Pederson, whose Philadelphia Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and USM's Brett Favre served as honorary captains. Pederson and Favre spent seven years as teammates with the Green Bay Packers (1996-98 and 2001-04). … The Warhawks wore new white jerseys and gold pants for the game.
