Calum Sutherland vs Jackson State 2021
Siddharth Gaulee/ULM Photo Services
7
Jackson St. JSU 2-1 , 1-0
12
Winner ULM ULM 1-1 , 0-0
Jackson St. JSU
2-1 , 1-0
7
Final
12
ULM ULM
1-1 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
JSU Jackson St. 0 7 0 0 7
ULM ULM 3 0 3 6 12

Game Recap: Football |

Special Teams, Defense Carry ULM to 12-7 Win Over Jackson State in Home Opener

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

MONROE, La. – On a night where man-handling defenses ruled the field, a pivotal play by ULM linebacker Zack Woodard was a fitting exclamation point.

Woodard's interception at the ULM 31 with 5:24 remaining in the game helped the Warhawks escape with a 12-7 win at Malone Stadium.

With a crowd of 21,720 attending ULM's home opener, the Warhawks collected their first win since beating Coastal Carolina on Nov. 23, 2019 at Malone Stadium.

Calum Sutherland kicked a career-high four field goals – including a 49-yarder after the takeaway with 2:24 in the game.  The Warhawks improved to 1-1 under first-year coach Terry Bowden.

"Some days defense has to carry the weight," Bowden said. "Tonight, the defense carried their weight and did a great job. I'm so proud of Zac Alley and his staff and all those players. But when you win it's a team victory. Everybody worked so hard and played so hard. It's a great feeling. They got their first game won at home and we can go get ready for the next one."

Woodard's interception off Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders and 23-yard return to the JSU 46 came on the first play of a drive that began at the ULM 45. The Warhawks were clinging to a 9-7 lead.

ULM picked up 14 yards on five plays for Sutherland to add another field goal to his tally and give the Warhawks their margin of victory.

The defense would need a final stop to preserve victory. After Sutherland missed a 42-yard field goal, JSU had one last drive but time ran out on Coach Deion Sanders' upset bid.

"I do think Jackson State is a very, very good team," Bowden said. "I've played a lot of SWAC teams and HBCUs, and that's about the best team I've played. That was a very good team, well coached. We're proud to go on the field with them and win that football game."

ULM defenders forced three turnovers and limited JSU (2-1) to 269 total yards with just 26 rushing.

The Warhawks managed 250 yards total offense. Starting quarterback Rhett Rodriguez completed 16-of-29 attempts for 150 yards. Chandler Rogers came on in relief and directed the final two scoring drives.

"Our motto is, 'Will you quit or will you fight?'" Bowden said. "We've got some questions to answer on offense. Who's going to be the best this? Who's going to be the best that? But we found some heart and desire."

The Warhawks showed how the game would be played from the start.

ULM's defense forced a turnover on downs to halt JSU's opening drive with a fourth-and-2 stop at the ULM 43.  Woodard and Traveion Webster combined to stuff running back Peyton Pickett 1-yard short.

The Warhawks capitalized with a 10-play, 45-yard drive kept alive by Boogie Knight's 20-yard reception from Rodriguez. Calum Sutherland's 29-yard field goal gave ULM a 3-0 lead with 9:17 left in the first quarter.

Jackson State took a 7-3 lead with 6:03 left in the second quarter with a four-play, 50-yard scoring drive. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Josh Lanier to finish a series that saw ULM safety Nick Roberts ejected after a targeting call.

ULM ventured to the JSU 26 with 2:20 left in the half before facing fourth-and-5. Rodriguez misfired under intense pressure and the Warhawks turned the ball over on downs.

Driving near the end of the half, JSU went for it on fourth-and-8 at the ULM 36, but Ty Shelby sacked Sanders on the play.

Bowden left the field admiring both defenses while searching for a spark from the ULM offense, which gained 146 yards on 39 plays in the half. Facing heavy pressure, Rodriguez hit 12-of-21 passes for 119 yards through two quarters while the running game netted just 27 yards on 16 attempts.

"Both defenses have done a great job," Bowden said as he headed for the locker room. "We have not found any big plays on our offense. It's going to take a big play from our offense to get this thing going."

Not even a pivotal play by the defense could awake the slumbering offense. Keilos Swinney forced a Lanier fumble and Adam Sparks recovered at the JSU 49 with 10:02 to go in the third quarter. But after ULM's first takeaway, the Warhawks responded with a deflating three-and-out series that actually lost yardage.

Another defensive stand and a short JSU punt, finally led to more points for the home team. The Warhawks created a scoring opportunity with a six-play, 27-yard drive that allowed Sutherland to kick a 45-yard field goal with 3:12 left in the third quarter, narrowing the margin to 7-6.

Rogers and a more fruitful running game delivered a go-ahead drive that covered 55 yards in 11 plays, and Sutherland's 42-yard field goal gave ULM a 9-7 lead with 11:37 left in the game. The Warhawks gained 40 yards on the ground, including a 14-yard run by Andrew Henry down to the JSU 30.

"Our defense kept plugging," Bowden said. "And we did something we didn't do last year. We won with our kicking game. Our punting was great, our field-goal kicking was great and kids fought for 60 minutes."

Something special: The last time a ULM player kicked four field goals in a game was Cole Wilson at UL Lafayette on Dec. 2, 2006.

Good call: Originally called an incomplete pass by JSU quarterback Shedeur Sanders as he went to the ground, the play was overturned after a replay, which resulted in a 10-yard sack by ULM defensive tackle Quincy Ledet in the second quarter.

Enemy lines: Sanders completed 27-of-40 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown in his third career start.
Florida transfer James Houston was ejected in the first quarter after a targeting penalty.

Up next: ULM begins Sun Belt Conference play on Sept. 25 with a home game against Troy. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ULM plays four of its next five games at Malone Stadium.

Tail feathers: L Club Hall of Fame quarterback Stan Humphries served as honorary captain for the home opener. Humphries led ULM to the 1987 I-AA National Championship before an eight-year NFL career. Humphries and Coach Sanders were on opposite sidelines when the Chargers and 49ers met in Super Bowl XXIX. ... Prior to the game, ULM dedicated a plaque in the south end zone, commemorating the first touchdown scored in Malone Stadium. Quarterback Kirby Arceneaux, who is pictured on the plaque, scored on a 73-yard run into the same south end zone in a 21-13 win over Arkansas State on Sept. 16, 1978. … Willie Tyler earned his first ULM start at left tackle. Tyler, a 6-foot-7, 330-pound sophomore, is a portal transfer from Texas.
 
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