Austin Hawley interception vs. Liberty 2020
Joel Coleman
7
ULM ULM 0-5 , 0-2
40
Winner Liberty LIBERTY 4-0
ULM ULM
0-5 , 0-2
7
Final
40
Liberty LIBERTY
4-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 0 0 0 7 7
LIBERTY Liberty 14 10 7 9 40

Game Recap: Football |

ULM Stumbles at Unbeaten Liberty, 40-7

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

LYNCHBURG, Va. – ULM stumbled into a Liberty ambush on Saturday and staggered out of Williams Stadium on the wrong end of a 40-7 decision.

Overall, ULM's punt team surrendered three touchdowns on a dropped punt, a blocked punt and a punt return, and gave up a lengthy return that set up another score.

"The punt team has really been an unbelievable thing," ULM coach Matt Viator said.

The Warhawks clearly aren't early birds this season. With an 11 a.m. CST kickoff for the nationally-televised contest on ESPN2, ULM (0-5) trailed 14-0 after one quarter and 24-0 by halftime as the offense faltered and special teams made costly blunders. The Warhawks have been outscored 56-10 in the first quarter and 117-38 in the first half of their first five games.

Quarterback Colby Suits came into the game as one of the nation's most productive quarterbacks but struggled to ignite the offense against the Flames, as he completed 13-of-29 passes for 78 yards with two interceptions.

"We were really, really bad offensively and we were bad on the punt team," Viator said.

ULM's score came with 3:34 left in the game on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jeremy Hunt to running back Kadyn Roach, the first of his career. In relief, Hunt completed 3-of-6 attempts for 42 yards and his first ULM touchdown pass.

Liberty (4-0) won its sixth-straight game overall while facing ULM for the first time. The Flames outgained ULM in total yardage, 400-198, while the Warhawks were 1-of-16 on third-down conversions.

"Field position was a big deal in the game," Viator said. "We couldn't flip it on offense. That was the biggest thing. You've got to get first downs and flip the field, so you're not punting from your own end zone. I don't know of anything we did well – throw, block, catch, anything. Just a really, really poor performance."

Liberty's offensive unit spent much of the first half in ULM territory.

Traveion Webster's fumble recovery helped ULM dodge early damage, with the takeaway coming one play after a 53-yard reception.

However, a big special teams return by Liberty put the Flames right back in striking distance.

Demario Douglas delivered a 38-yard punt return to the ULM 24 to set up Liberty's first score. Four plays later, Peytton Pickett scored on a 15-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play with 10:01 left in period as the Flames jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

ULM's early woes continued on the next offensive series as Javon Scruggs intercepted Suits at the Warhawks' 41. Seven plays later, Malik Willis scrambled 6 yards for the score and Liberty led 14-0 with 6:11 remaining in the first quarter. Willis passed for 177 yards and rushed for 87 yards.

In building a two-touchdown lead, Liberty outgained ULM 166-18 in total yards and held the Warhawks without a first down.

The Flames were approaching the end zone again as the opening quarter ended but Austin Hawley picked off Willis two plays into the second and returned it 39 yards to the ULM 48. The Warhawks saw another drive fizzle though, turning it over on downs at the Liberty 31.

"I thought we hung in there defensively for a while," Viator said. "We got the fumble early in the game and we got the pick. But we got backed up several times on offense and couldn't get out."

ULM's shaky special teams unit dealt the Warhawks another blow when punter Daniel Sparks dropped the snap in the end zone, allowing Liberty to recover for a touchdown. The Flames led 21-0 with 3:56 to go before halftime.

Adding to the misery index, Liberty intercepted Suits again with 2:59 left and took over at the ULM 22. Ty Shelby's third-down sack forced the Flames to settle for a 42-yard field goal that extended the lead to 24-0 at the 1:46 mark.

ULM's first-half offensive numbers didn't add up to much. The Warhawks managed one first down with 50 yards, offset by seven penalties for 54 yards. ULM was 0-for-9 on third down.

ULM's special teams' woes continued in the second half as Liberty's Treon Sibley blocked Sparks' first punt attempt of the third quarter and Chancellor Smith recovered in the end zone for another touchdown and a 31-0 lead.

Through three quarters, ULM stuck with Suits, who directed a promising drive that ended on downs at the Liberty 1, with Chandler Whitfield catching a 7-yard pass on fourth-and-8.

The Flames took over and marched 87 yards on 15 plays to kick a 30-yard field goal for a 34-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.

With 10:47 left in the game, Demario Douglas returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown that gave Liberty a 40-0 edge.

Up next: ULM will have an open date on Oct. 17 before returning to Sun Belt Conference action for a scheduled game at South Alabama on Oct. 24.

Tail feathers: With his 21-yard reception from Suits on a third-and-8 play midway through the third quarter, Josh Pederson became only the fifth tight end in ULM history to reach the 1,000-yard career milestone. … ULM game captains were free safety Tyler Glass, Buck safety Keilos Swinnney and defensive end Ivin White Jr. … The game reunited several former teammates. Liberty senior CB Emanuel Dabney and ULM senior DE Ivin White Jr. were teammates at Hinds Community, while Liberty fifth-year senior TE Chris Barrett and ULM red-shirt freshman K Davis Hughes both played at Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida.
 
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