BoogieKnight TD reception vs ULL 2021
Ben Massey
16
ULM ULM 4-8 , 2-6
21
Winner Louisiana LA 11-1 , 8-0
ULM ULM
4-8 , 2-6
16
Final
21
Louisiana LA
11-1 , 8-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 3 7 0 6 16
LA Louisiana 14 0 7 0 21

Game Recap: Football |

ULM Falls in Season Finale at No. 23 Ragin’ Cajuns, 21-16

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

LAFAYETTE, La.  – ULM couldn't find the firepower to upset No. 23 Louisiana Lafayette in the season finale but the Warhawks made it interesting until the end.

The Warhawks were on the wrong side of a defensive struggle, falling 21-16 on Saturday afternoon at Cajun Field.

All season, coaches asked the team the question "Will you fight or will you quit?" ULM's answer was evident on the final offensive series for the Warhawks, who drove 71 yards on 11 plays to cut the score to 21-16. Malik Jackson scored on a 12-yard run with 1:35 left but the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete.

An onside kick attempt was recovered by the Cajuns, who escaped with the win.

"Offensively and defensively, we all played well," ULM coach Terry Bowden said "On defense, we gave up too many big plays. On offense, we couldn't get an explosive play. But overall, I think everybody played as hard as they could. We just don't have enough big plays in our offense."

In the first year under Bowden, ULM finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Cajuns concluded the regular season 11-1 and 8-0, securing a perfect conference record for the first time in school history.

"They are the elite team of the West Division," Bowden said. "If we can play with them, we should be able to play with other teams in the West Division. We've got to go out in the offseason and get better and begin to challenge. You don't get there overnight. But we're going to work hard and get a little closer."

Coming in as three-touchdown underdogs, ULM trailed by just four at halftime and stayed within striking distance of the Cajuns into the waning minutes. But the offense, limited to just 325 yards, was unable to sustain enough drives to get over the hump. ULM was 4-of-14 on third-down conversions and 2-of-5 on fourth down.

Jackson was a bright spot for the ULM offense, rushing for 122 yards and the touchdown on 22 carries. The Warhawks couldn't find enough consistent success in the passing game as Rhett Rodriguez completed 11-of-24 attempts for 145 yards and one score.

The Warhawks limited ULL quarterback Levi Lewis to 163 passing yards. The Cajuns gained 382 total yards, with 165 rushing.

"Defense did as well as they could, but we gave up too many big plays," Bowden said. "Every score was the result of a big play."

The Cajuns needed two plays to go 75 yards for a touchdown on the game's opening drive. Lewis ran 20 yards for the score after completing a 55-yard pass to Neal Johnson on the first play from scrimmage.

Calum Sutherland kicked a 26-yard field goal with 7:33 left in the first quarter to cut the score to 7-3. ULM mounted a 15-play, 66-yard drive on its first offensive turn, picking up four first downs including a fourth-down conversion.

ULL extended the lead to 14-3 with 3:48 left in the first quarter on a fourth-down touchdown pass from Chris Smith to Kyren Lacy.  Smith took the direct snap on fourth-and-2 from the ULM 37 and connected with the receiver to finish the eight-play, 75-yard drive.

"They took advantage of some things and got ahead," Bowden said at halftime. "We came back and played great defense."

After giving up a pair of touchdowns on ULL's first two drives, the Warhawks settled in.

Following ULM's fourth-down stop against the Cajuns on a tackle by Nick Roberts, the Warhawks scored five plays later on a 46-yard pass down the middle from Rodriguez to Boogie Knight. The Warhawks drove 62 yards to narrow the margin to 14-10 with 12:29 left in the second quarter.

On the ensuing series, Sir'Darrius Ellis and Myles Cole combined to sack Lewis for a loss of 8 yards on first down and the Cajuns went three-and-out. Back on offense, ULM benefitted from a roughing-the-passer penalty that wiped out a ULL interception but gave it back with a turnover on downs at the Cajuns' 38.

ULM forced another three-and-out late in the half and but was fortunate to go to the locker room down just four after Andrew Henry's untimely fumble with 11 seconds remaining. ULL recovered at the ULM 22 and attempted a pass into the end zone before Nate Snyder missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

"There's no way we should have handed the ball of there," Bowden said. "I made a bad mistake but the defense saved us on that one and we didn't give up any points."

ULM gained 176 yards on 37 plays in the first half, with 95 rushing and 81 passing. The Cajuns accumulated 211 yards on 29 plays, with 156 through the air and 55 on the ground.

The Warhawks went three-and-out to start the third quarter, but the ULM defense would force another turnover on downs as the Cajuns stalled at the 31.

After another ULM punt continued the uneventful start to the third, the Cajuns rediscovered the big plays in their offense. Montrell Johnson popped a 42-yard run and Lewis passed 27 yards to Peter LeBlanc to jumpstart a four-play, 85-yard drive. Emani Bailey's 2-yard touchdown run with 5:01 left in the third quarter gave ULL a 21-10 lead.

On fourth-and-7 from the ULM 39 with 2:06 left in the third, the Warhawks attempted a fake punt by Devyn McCormick's pass toward Ty Shelby fell incomplete.

After ULM's turnover on downs, the Cajuns faced fourth-and-1 from the 3 with 13:13 remaining in the game. But the Quae Drake flushed Lewis out of the pocket and he fired incomplete.

With Chandler Rogers in at quarterback, ULM took over moved past midfield but turned the ball over 11 plays later on downs at the ULL 40.

"We had some good stops on defense to give us a chance," Bowden said. "I was just proud of our football team. I was proud of special teams, offense and defense. Everybody played as well as they could play. They were just a better football team than we are."

Something special: The 46-yard touchdown pass from Rodriguez to Knight was both a season-long pass for the quarterback and reception for the ULM receiver.

Good call: On ULM's first series, Rodriguez picked up a first down on fourth-and-1 from the ULL 38. Rodriguez gained 3 yards on a quarterback keeper to the left to keep the drive alive. The Warhawks kicked a field goal after holding the ball for 6:47 on the series.

Tail feathers: ULM game captains linebacker Traveion Webster, defensive end Ty Shelby and center Garrett Hirsch were also elected by their teammates as the permanent captains for the 2021 season. … Jahaziel Lee made his first start for ULM at defensive tackle. Lee, a transfer from Georgia Tech, made 19 starts as an offensive lineman for his previous school.  … ULL was just 1-for-5 on fourth downs.
 
 
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