Colby Suits rollout vs. Texas State 2020
Siddharth Gaulee/ULM Photo Services
38
Winner TEXAS STATE TXST 1-2 , 1-0
17
ULM ULM 0-2 , 0-1
Winner
TEXAS STATE TXST
1-2 , 1-0
38
Final
17
ULM ULM
0-2 , 0-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TXST TEXAS STATE 14 17 0 7 38
ULM ULM 7 7 3 0 17

Game Recap: Football |

ULM Can’t Overcome Slow Start; Drops League Opener to Texas State, 38-17

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

MONROE, La. – ULM gave up too much, too early and couldn't claw back Saturday night at Malone Stadium.

The Warhawks spotted Texas State a 17-point first-half lead and dropped a 38-17 decision in their home and Sun Belt Conference opener.

ULM (0-2, 0-1) slowed Texas State over the final two quarters and quarterback Colby Suits enjoyed a breakout performance in his second collegiate start. But Texas State's early offensive onslaught was too much to make up.

"We're just not playing real good," ULM coach Matt Viator said. "We're not playing good offensively, and we certainly didn't play good in the first half on defense as well. We didn't play good enough. We kept competing the entire game, but we've got to get better quick."

Suits completed 35-of-53 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns and hit 11 different receivers in a solid outing. His 35 completions tied the sixth-highest single-game total in ULM history.

However, the Warhawks came up with just three points on three red-zone trips in the second half that could have helped them reverse course.

"I feel like I made some mistakes like any quarterback does," Suits said. "I feel like I did some good things too. We've really got to come back from mistakes. I've got to do a better job and rally the guys. As a whole team, we've got to do a better job.

ULM wasn't able to get star running back Josh Johnson untracked as he finished with 51 yards on 17 carries. ULM gained just 67 yards on the ground.

"We didn't run the ball," Viator said. "We got away from the run too fast. We were getting behind the chains there. We had a little success throwing, but you have to be able to run the football and we weren't able to do that."

Texas State quarterback Tyler Vitt was a dual threat on this night with 256 passing yards and 82 on the ground as his team attacked early. Jeremiah Haydel was his top target with six catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

"We gave up way too many big plays in the first half," Viator said. "Give Texas State credit. A lot of really good throws and catches."

Texas State opened the game with an 85-yard drive to go up 7-0 with 11:21 left in the first quarter. Calvin Hill's 4-yard touchdown run finished a 10-play drive that included a 36-yard completion from Vitt to Marcell Barbee, a ball tipped by ULM cornerback Corey Straughter before the catch.

Junior receiver Jevin Frett introduced himself to the locals with a 20-yard touchdown catch from Suits to tie the game with 2:52 left in the first quarter. The seven-play, 40-yard drive followed a defensive stop that saw Buck safety Keilos Swinney register a sack with a forced fumble that led to a punt after the big third-down play.

Texas State answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Vitt to Haydel and regained the lead at 14-7 with 42 seconds to go in the first. The Bobcats needed 2:09 to cover 75 yards in six plays.

ULM and Texas State traded miscues early in the second quarter, with the advantage going to the visitors.

ULM's Jahquan Bloomfield recovered a fumble off a punt at the Texas State 28 with 14:46 left in the second quarter. But on the first play of the ensuing series, Johnson lost a fumble recovered by the Bobcats and returned 18 yards out to the Texas State 38.

Texas State turned the turnover into points and a 21-7 lead by marching 62 yards in seven plays. Vitt, who had a 21-yard run on the drive, finished with an 8-yard touchdown scramble.

ULM's next drive ended with a turnover on downs as Johnson was stuffed and fumbled on fourth-and-1 from the Warhawks 45. The Bobcats moved into scoring position and led 24-7 after Seth Keller's 40-yard field goal with 6:17 to go before the half.

The Warhawks pulled within 24-10 with 1:34 left in the second quarter after a successful 11-play, 75-yard drive. Suits, who completed 7-of-9 passes for 68 yards on the march rolled out right and found Chandler Whitfield on third-and-goal for a 5-yard score. The touchdown was a career-first for the red-shirt freshman receiver.

Texas State, which had scored 17 unanswered points before ULM's touchdown, struck again on its next offensive play with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Vitt to Haydel and carried a 31-14 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Vitt passed for 233 yards and two scores in the half while Haydel had five catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

After 45 total points in the opening half, the second half didn't deliver as many fireworks for either team but for ULM, it was all about a comeback that didn't quite materialize.

A personal foul by the Bobcats on a punt return set up ULM at the Texas State 38 for its second series of the third quarter.  Facing fourth-and-7 from the 11, Davis Hughes kicked a 28-yard field goal to pull ULM within 14 points at 31-17 at the 8:42 mark.

ULM kept Texas State scoreless in the third quarter and outgained Texas State, 112 to 19, to keep itself within striking distance but couldn't convert on fourth-and-8 from the Bobcats' 16 on the second play of the final period as a 13-play, 72-yard drive fizzled on an incomplete pass.

Down by 14 points, ULM's last meaningful offensive series started at its own 3 with 4:29 left in the game.  The Warhawks converted a fourth-and-17 from the 31 on a 19-yard pass from Suits to Josh Pederson. But again, ULM came up empty as cornerback Jarron Morris intercepted Suits in the end zone and returned it 100 yards for a final touchdown.

"The second half, we came out to play," safety Austin Hawley said. "The first half, we came out flat to me. We had no energy. I think guys let loose in the second half and we played and everybody was having fun. That's when we had stops."

Up next: ULM plays host to UTEP at 2:30 p.m. ESPNU will televise the game from Malone Stadium.

Tail feathers: ULM remembered former band director Jack White with a moment of silence at halftime. White, ULM's director for 21 years, died on Aug. 19 at age 84. The "Sound of Today" played "Amazing Grace" in his honor.  … ULM fell to 33-10 in home openers at Malone Stadium. … ULM game captains were Ty Shelby, Austin Hawley and Traveion Webster. … Shelby and Ivin White Jr. returned to the starting lineup at defensive end for ULM. Shelby finished with a career-high seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss … The loss ended ULM's four-game winning streak in the series with the Bobcats. … Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ULM was limited to 25-percent capacity and announced attendance at 5,816.
 
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