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ULM Prepares for First Road Test at Florida State

ULM Prepares for First Road Test at Florida State

Football Sep 03
Game 2: ULM (1-0) vs. FLORIDA STATE (0-1)
Tallahassee, Fla. | Doak Campbell Stadium (79,560)
Saturday, Sept. 7 | 5:05 p.m. ET | ACC Network

ULM Football Notes: Game 2 vs. Florida State
 
Video | Coach Viator Weekly Press Conference
 
FIRST-AND-10 –
• Saturday's game marks the third meeting between ULM and Florida State. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 2-0, with both games played in Doak Campbell Stadium.
 
In the last meeting, Jacques Patrick and Cam Akers combined to rush 38 times for 275 yards and four touchdowns to lead Florida State to a 42-10 victory in the 2017 regular-season finale. Patrick carried 19 times for 155 yards, including a pair of 2-yard TD runs, while Akers gained 117 yards on 19 attempts and scored on TD runs of 4 and 24 yards. As a team, the Seminoles rushed 45 times for 305 yards and five scores.   
 
FSU led 14-0 at halftime but broke the game open by scoring TDs on four of its first five possessions in the second half. The Seminoles outgained ULM in total yards, 504-300.
 
• ULM has compiled a 4-5 record (.444) against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference
(0-1 vs. Clemson, 0-2 vs. Florida State, 2-2 vs. Louisville and 2-0 vs. Wake Forest). ULM's last win over an ACC opponent came against Wake Forest, 17-10, in the 2014 season and home opener.
 
• Junior Josh Johnson rushed 10 times for 173 yards, including touchdown runs of 51 and 37 yards, to lead ULM to a 31-9 victory over Grambling State in the season opener for both teams. On his first carry of the season, Johnson scored on a 51-yard run up the middle as the Warhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. He iced the game with a 37-yard TD run around left end early in the third quarter. Six of his 10 carries resulted in either a TD or first down.
 
In nine games last season, Johnson gained 69 yards on 19 carries and scored one rushing TD.
 
• Johnson leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 14th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing, averaging 173.0 yards per game.
 
• ULM leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks No. 14 in the NCAA FBS in rushing, averaging 315.0 yards per game. It marked the Warhawks' highest single-game rushing total since gaining 307 yards at South Alabama in 2017. It also marked ULM's highest rushing total in a season opener since rolling up 325 yards on the ground vs. Southern in 2016.
 
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Chase Day, who recorded a career-high 12 tackles and an interception in ULM's 31-9 win over Grambling State in the season opener, has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Defensive Player of the Week. His second career interception came late in the second quarter and his 13-yard return helped set up a field goal as the Warhawks built a 17-6 lead. Early in the third quarter, Day stopped Grambling quarterback Jeremy Hickbottom a yard shy of a first down on a fourth-and-6 play from the ULM 27. He also was credited with a 2-yard tackle for loss early in the fourth quarter.
 
• The ULM defense pitched a second-half shutout in the season opener as Grambling's four second-half possessions resulted in two fourth-down stops and two punts. The Tigers went 2-for-6 on third-down conversions in the second half. Grambling's 9 points marked the fewest allowed by ULM under head coach Matt Viator.
 
• ULM senior quarterback Caleb Evans has completed 537-of-887 passes (.605) for 6,754 yards, 38 TDs and 25 interceptions in 32 career games. Evans already ranks among ULM's all-time Top 10 in completion percentage (second), passing efficiency rating (third at 133.0), total offense (third with 8,150 career yards), pass completions (fifth), passing yards (fifth), pass attempts (sixth) and TD passes (tied for sixth).
 
• The Warhawks displayed dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the football in 2018, allowing 111 fewer points (9.2 per game) than the previous season. ULM also created more negative plays, increasing its totals in tackles for loss (+30) and sacks (+13) from 2017. The Warhawks ranked second in the conference and No. 22 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging 2.8 sacks per game. In addition, ULM held three opponents under 100 rushing yards.
 
• With a 38-10 victory at South Alabama last November, ULM became bowl eligible for the first time since 2013. The Warhawks entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to claim at least a share of the West Division title.
 
CLASS BREAKDOWN (STARTERS) –
ULM Offense: 8 seniors, 3 juniors
ULM Defense: 5 seniors, 5 juniors, 1 freshman
Florida State Offense: 1 senior, 5 juniors, 4 sophomores, 1 freshman
Florida State Defense: 2 seniors, 5 juniors, 4 sophomores
 
STAT LEADERS –
ULM (after one game):
Rushing – Josh Johnson (10 carries for 173 yards, 17.3 avg., 2 TDs)
Passing – Caleb Evans (19 of 25 for 183 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)
Receiving – Xavier Brown (6 catches for 68 yards, 11.3 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles – Chase Day (12 tackles, 5 solos, 7 assists, 1 TFL, 1 INT)
 
Florida State (after one game):
Rushing – Cam Akers (15 carries for 116 yards, 7.7 avg., 1 TD)
Passing – James Blackman (23 of 33 for 327 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs)
Receiving – Tamorrion Terry (4 catches for 99 yards, 24.8 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles – Hamsah Nasirildeen (12 tackles, 8 solos, 4 assists, 2 FF)
 
ULM/FLORIDA STATE SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the third meeting between ULM and Florida State. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 2-0, with both games played in Doak Campbell Stadium.
 
THE LAST MEETING –
Florida State 42, ULM 10 (Dec. 2, 2017, in Tallahassee, Fla.): Jacques Patrick and Cam Akers combined to rush 38 times for 275 yards and four touchdowns to lead Florida State to a 42-10 victory in the 2017 regular-season finale. Patrick carried 19 times for 155 yards, including a pair of 2-yard TD runs, while Akers gained 117 yards on 19 attempts and scored on TD runs of 4 and 24 yards. As a team, the Seminoles rushed 45 times for 305 yards and five scores.   
 
FSU led 14-0 at halftime but broke the game open by scoring TDs on four of its first five possessions in the second half. The Seminoles outgained ULM in total yards, 504-300.
 
WARHAWKS vs. ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE OPPONENTS –
ULM has compiled a 4-5 record (.444) against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference
(0-1 vs. Clemson, 0-2 vs. Florida State, 2-2 vs. Louisville and 2-0 vs. Wake Forest). ULM's last win over an ACC opponent came against Wake Forest, 17-10, in the 2014 season and home opener.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
ULM 31, Grambling State 9 (Aug. 31, 2019, in Monroe, La.): Josh Johnson rushed 10 times for 173 yards, including touchdown runs of 51 and 37 yards, to lead ULM to a 31-9 victory over Grambling State in the season opener for both teams. The Tigers and Warhawks played before a crowd of 28,327 – the fourth-largest single-game total in Malone Stadium history.
 
Grambling and ULM squandered early scoring opportunities as the teams traded missed field goals on their first possessions.
 
On his first carry of the season, Johnson opened ULM's second offensive series with a 51-yard TD run up the middle as the Warhawks took a 7-0 lead with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
 
Grambling responded with 12-play, 76-yard drive and pulled to within 7-6 on Geremy Hickbottom's 15-yard TD toss to Lyndon Rash with 31 seconds to play in the first quarter. Garrett Urban missed the extra-point attempt wide right.
 
Early in the second quarter, Isaiah Phillips took a handoff on a third-and-1 play and broke a 25-yard run around left end for a first down at the Grambling 16-yard line. On the next play, Caleb Evans hooked up with Xavier Brown for a 16-yard scoring play as ULM built a 14-6 advantage with 12:50 remaining in the first half.
 
Midway through the second quarter, ULM's defense produced its first takeaway as Chase Day recorded his second career interception, picking off Charles Wright's third-down pass attempt and returning it 13 yards.
 
ULM converted the takeaway into points, as a nine-play, 40-yard drive resulted in Jacob Meeks' first career field goal, a 40-yarder, for a 17-6 lead with 1:16 left in the second quarter.
 
Grambling manufactured an eight-play, 46-yard drive and cut its deficit to 17-9 on Urban's 41-yard field goal with :07 remaining in the first half.
 
The Warhawks opened the second half with a seven-play, 76-yard scoring drive. On the second play from scrimmage, Markis McCray gained 39 yards on a reverse along the far sideline and picked up another 15 yards to the Grambling 21-yard line after Devanir Martin was flagged for targeting. On the next play, Evans connected with Brandius Batiste for an 18-yard completion to set up first-and-goal at the Tiger 3. On fourth-and-goal, Austin Vaughn scored on a 1-yard plunge off left guard as ULM extended its lead to 24-9 with 11:59 to play in the third quarter.
 
The Tigers responded with a nine-play, 56-yard drive, but the scoring threat ended when Day stopped Hickbottom a yard shy of a first down on a fourth-and-6 play from the ULM 27.
 
On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Johnson capped off a six-play, 97-yard drive with a 37-yard TD run as ULM took a 31-9 lead.
 
On its next series, Grambling marched 86 yards in 10 plays, but the ULM defense came up with its second fourth-down stop of the night as Rashaad Harding broke up Hickbottom's pass, intended for Dorrell James, in the end zone.
 
As a team, ULM's running game accounted for 315 yards and three scores. It marked the Warhawks' highest single-game rushing total since gaining 307 yards at South Alabama in 2017. It also marked ULM's highest rushing total in a season opener since rolling up 325 yards on the ground against Southern in 2016.
 
Evans finished 19-of-25 passing for 183 yards, one TD and one interception.
 
ULM outgained Grambling in total yards, 501-407, and never punted.
 
Day tallied eight of his team-high 12 tackles in the second half as the Warhawks shut out the Tigers over the final 30 minutes.
 
JOHNSON RECORDS HIS FIRST CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME –
Junior Josh Johnson rushed 10 times for 173 yards, including touchdown runs of 51 and 37 yards, to lead ULM to a 31-9 victory over Grambling in the season opener for both teams. On his first carry of the season, Johnson scored on a 51-yard run up the middle as the Warhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. He iced the game with a 37-yard TD run around left end early in the third quarter. Six of his 10 carries resulted in either a TD or first down.
 
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Johnson leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 14th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing, averaging 173.0 yards per game.
 
In nine games last season, he gained 69 yards on 19 carries and scored one rushing TD.
 
DAY SELECTED LSWA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK –
Fifth-year senior linebacker Chase Day, who recorded a career-high 12 tackles and an interception in ULM's 31-9 win over Grambling in the season opener, has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Defensive Player of the Week. His second career interception came late in the second quarter and his 13-yard return helped set up a field goal as the Warhawks built a 17-6 lead. Early in the third quarter, Day stopped Grambling quarterback Jeremy Hickbottom a yard shy of a first down on a fourth-and-6 play from the ULM 27. He also was credited with a 2-yard tackle for loss early in the fourth quarter.
 
Day reached double-figure tackles for the second-straight game, as he closed out the 2018 season with 10 stops in the home finale against the Ragin' Cajuns.
 
NCAA STAT LEADERS –
Here's a glance at how ULM ranks among the NCAA individual stat leaders in 2019:
 
Individual Statistics (Top 50)
Rushing Yards: Josh Johnson (6th at 173.0 rushing yards per game)
Rushing Yards Per Carry: Josh Johnson (1st at 17.3 rushing yards per carry)
Pass Completion Percentage: Caleb Evans (12th at .760)
Receptions Per Game: Xavier Brown (47th with 6.0 receptions per game)
Scoring: Josh Johnson (26th at 12.0 points per game)
Total Touchdowns: Josh Johnson (15th with 2 total touchdowns)
All-Purpose Yards: Josh Johnson (16th at 173.0 all-purpose yards per game)
Field Goals Per Game: Jacob Meeks (42nd at 1.0 field goals made per game)
Total Tackles: Chase Day (21st with 12.0 tackles per game)
Interceptions Per Game: Chase Day (8th at 1.0 interceptions per game)
Passes Defended: Corey Straughter (15th at 2.0 passes defended per game)
 
WARHAWKS FEATURED ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS FOR FOUR NATIONAL AWARDS –
Three ULM players – quarterback Caleb Evans, offensive guard T.J. Fiailoa and center Bobby Reynolds – combined for mentions on four different preseason watch lists for national awards.
 
Evans is listed on the preseason watch lists for both the Manning Award (presented to the nation's top quarterback after postseason bowl games) and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (nation's top senior of fourth-year junior quarterback). Fiailoa is featured on the preseason watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year while Reynolds is mentioned on the fall watch list for the Rimington Trophy (nation's most outstanding center).
 
ULM RETURNS ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST EXPERIENCED OFFENSIVE LINES –
With right tackle Eastwood Thomas (34 career starts), center Bobby Reynolds (28), right guard T.J. Fiailoa (19) and left tackle Trace Ellison (17) combining for 98 career starts, ULM boasts one of the nation's most experienced returning offensive lines (tied for 15th with Syracuse in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision) for 2019. That combined total also marks the third highest in the Sun Belt Conference, trailing only ULL (131) and Texas State (110).
 
SEASON-OPENING STARTING LINEUP FEATURED FOUR FIRST-TIME STARTERS –
ULM's starting lineup for the 2019 season opener against Grambling State featured four first-time starters, including one on the offensive side of the football, two on defense and one specialist.
 
The first-time starter on offense was left guard Brandon Jones (6-3, 320, Sr.). The first-time starters on defense included BUCK safety Keilos Swinney (6-1, 193, Jr.) and boundary corner Josh Newton (5-10, 188, R-Fr.). Jacob Meeks (6-2, 192, So.) also made his debut as the starting placekicker.
 
EIGHT GRADUATES LISTED ON 2019 ULM FOOTBALL ROSTER –
Eight members of the 2019 ULM football team already have earned their bachelor's degrees: wide receiver Xavier Brown, long snapper Walker Easton, wide receiver Jonathan Hodoh, quarterback JT Jackson, defensive end Donald Louis Jr., offensive tackle Eastwood Thomas, defensive lineman John Washington and offensive tackle Samuel Williams.
 
Those eight student-athletes will wear a Sun Belt Conference graduate patch on their jersey.
 
ULM LEADS NCAA FBS IN LARGEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN HOME ATTENDANCE –
ULM's average home attendance increased by 43.1 percent in 2018 – the largest percentage gain among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs. The Warhawks' average home attendance increased by 4,282 fans per game to 14,210 last season, compared to 9,928 per game in 2017.
 
WARHAWK SINGLE-GAME BESTS UNDER VIATOR –
Here's a look at the top single-game totals produced by ULM during head coach Matt Viator's tenure (2016-present; 37 games):
 
Rushing Yards: 325 vs. Southern, 2016
 
Passing Yards: 454 vs. Arkansas State, 2017
 
Total Yards: 593 vs. ULL, 2017
 
First Downs: 31 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 2018; vs. Texas State and Georgia State, 2016
 
Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed: 42 yards by Georgia State, 2016
 
Fewest Passing Yards Allowed: 0 by ULL, 2016
 
Fewest Total Yards Allowed: 216 by Georgia Southern, 2018
 
Fewest First Downs Allowed: 11 by South Alabama, 2018
 
Sacks By: 5 vs. Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss, 2018; vs. ULL, 2017
 
Turnovers Forced: 4 vs. Southern Miss, 2018
 
Points (Game): 56 vs. ULL, 2017
 
Points (Half): 33 (1) vs. Texas State, 2016
 
Points (Quarter): 23 (1) vs. Texas State, 2016
 
Victory Margin: 28 vs. South Alabama, 2018
 
Fewest Points Allowed (Game): 9 by Grambling, 2019
 
 
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