Caleb Evans run vs Ragin' Cajuns 2019
Ben Massey
30
ULM ULM 5-7 , 4-4
31
Winner Louisiana LA 10-2 , 7-1
ULM ULM
5-7 , 4-4
30
Final
31
Louisiana LA
10-2 , 7-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 7 7 10 6 30
LA Louisiana 7 14 7 3 31

Game Recap: Football |

ULM Loses Heartbreaker in Closing Seconds to Rival Ragin’ Cajuns, 31-30

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

LAFAYETTE, La. – By the narrowest of margins and in familiar fashion, ULM's season ended at Cajun Field Saturday night with a 31-30 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Warhawks (5-7, 4-4 Sun Belt) gave themselves a chance at the end, but placekicker Jared Porter pushed a 35-yard field goal wide left with two seconds remaining.

"It would have been a tough kick into that wind," ULM coach Matt Viator said. "It was wide right last year and wide left this time. But I liked the effort. I thought our kids played hard against a good football team. We came up a little short."  
 
In 2018, Craig Ford missed a 36-yard field goal as time expired in a 31-28 loss to ULL in Monroe.    

ULM drove 57 yards in 10 plays in just 1:19 after ULL took its lead on Stevie Artigue's 27-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the game.  

Playing in his final game, ULM quarterback Caleb Evans passed for 330 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 77 yards and a score. Josh Johnson added 109 yards rushing as the Warhawks outgained ULL with 570 total yards to 522.

ULM led in the fourth quarter but woes in the kicking game came back to haunt the Warhawks in the end.

Starting a drive at its own 1 with 11:17 to go, ULM dug out of the hole with a 53-yard run by Johnson to the ULL 34. Austin Vaughn's 11-yard touchdown run with 7:56 remaining capped an eight-play, 99-yard drive. Porter missed the PAT, but ULM led 30-28.

ULL's go-ahead drive took 16 plays as the Cajuns moved 62 yards to kick the game-winning field goal.

"Our kids played hard," Viator said. "Hell of a football game. We just needed to make another play or two."

ULM missed out on its chance to attain bowl eligibility with a sixth win.

"I don't know if we'd have made it or not to a bowl game," Viator said. "But it would have been nice to have made it. We just came up a little short."
 
Levi Lewis tossed three touchdown passes and passed for 270 yards to lead ULL (10-2, 7-1). Raymond Calais rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and Elijah Mitchell gained 102 yards on the ground.

The game featured momentum swings throughout as the Warhawks took their shots.
 
ULM's opening drive ended with a turnover after entering Cajuns territory. Facing fourth-and-8 from the 24, Bralen Trahan intercepted Evans and returned it 54 yards to the ULM 40.

ULL fared better on fourth-and-6 with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Levi Lewis to Jamal Bell. The Cajuns led 7-0 with 10:02 remaining in the first quarter.

The Warhawks tied the score at 7-7 with 3:03 left in the first quarter when Evans finished off a 62-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run.

Following a 72-yard punt by Jared Porter, ULL drove 99 yards in seven plays and scored on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Ja'Marcus Bradley. The Cajuns led 14-7 with 10:41 left in the second quarter.

On third-and-1, Evans found Josh Pederson wide open down the middle of the field for a 47-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14-14 with 2:24 in the second quarter. ULM moved 80 yards in four plays.

One play after a ULM punt, Raymond Calais stunned the Warhawks with an 83-yard touchdown run that gave the Cajuns a 21-14 lead with 28 seconds remaining.

"The turnover, the play right before the half hurt us," Viator said. "But our kids fought back."

ULM's defense forced a three-and-out to open the third quarter, and Perry Carter returned the ensuing punt 22 yards to the ULL 29.  It turned into another missed opportunity though as Johnson gained 1 yard on fourth-and-2 at the ULL 21 for a turnover on downs.

The defense rose to the challenge again by stopping ULL on fourth down. Trey Ragas gained 2 yards on fourth-and-3 from the Warhawks 46.
 
This time the ULM offense did something with their chance as Evans went over the top to hit Jonathan Hodoh for a 40-yard touchdown. The Warhawks needed five plays to go 54 yards and tie the game at 21-21 with 8:17 left in the third.

Lewis linked up with Bradley again one play after the touchdown for 74 yards down to the ULM 1. The defense stiffened, but Lewis found Peter LeBlanc on fourth-and-goal from the 2 for a score and ULL was back on top 28-21 with 5:34 showing.

A 66-yard pass from Evans to Perry Carter flipped the field and set ULM up at the ULL 4. Porter's 23-yard field goal completed the 12-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to 28-24 with five seconds left in the third quarter.

"We were right there," Viator said. "Give our kids a lot of credit. A couple of times we fought back there and gave ourselves a chance to win."

Tail feathers: ULM game captains were QB Caleb Evans, LB Cortez Sisco Jr., C Bobby Reynolds and NT Larance Shaw. … Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill attended the contest. … Sisco's sack for a 13-yard loss was his first of the season. … Free safety Cameron Solomon was disqualified for targeting at the end of a 6-yard reception by Markis McCray. … ULM held ULL to minus-3 yards rushing in the first quarter. … ULM's Porter boomed a career-long 72-yard punt to pin ULL back at the 1 early in the second quarter. 
 
 
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