Jiya Wright gains 29 yards on this keeper around left end in the first half at Texas A&M.
Brendan Maloney
3
ULM ULM 2-1 , 0-0
47
Winner Texas A&M A&M 2-1 , 0-0
ULM ULM
2-1 , 0-0
3
Final
47
Texas A&M A&M
2-1 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ULM ULM 0 3 0 0 3
A&M Texas A&M 10 17 10 10 47

Game Recap: Football |

Texas A&M Strikes Early and Often to Top ULM, 47-3

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The start of ULM's game Saturday against Texas A&M was delayed an hour because of lightning near Kyle Field.

When the teams finally kicked off at 4 p.m., the Aggies were primed and ready to strike from the air too. Texas A&M (2-1) scored on its first seven possessions and stormed to a 47-3 win over ULM (2-1).

Returning to the starting lineup, quarterback Jiya Wright completed 6-of-15 passes for 95 yards and rushed five times for 34 yards. ULM gained 222 yards and made eight first downs while punting eight times.

"Offensively, we're doing pretty good at times," ULM coach Terry Bowden said. "I thought Jiya really handled the offense well, but they were too good for us today."

The Warhawks had few answers for a potent Texas A&M offense that piled up 399 passing yards while amassing 557 total yards and collecting 28 first downs. Quarterback Conner Weigman completed 24-of-29 attempts for 337 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the third quarter with his team leading 37-3. Two Aggies topped 100 yards receiving, with Ainias Smith catching seven passes for 127 yards and Jahdae Walker catching five passes for 110 yards.

"They came out and did what they do best," Bowden said. "They threw the ball, they threw the ball, they threw the ball and we couldn't get them to punt."

A&M kicker Randy Bond booted a 30-yard field goal to give the Aggies a 3-0 lead after an 11-play, 60-yard drive with 8:30 left in the opening quarter.

 The Aggies increased their lead to 10-0 with 2:26 remaining in the first on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Weigman to Walker. A&M drove 90 yards in eight plays for their first touchdown.

Derek McCormick put ULM on the scoreboard with a 24-yard field goal at the 13:19 mark of the second quarter. The Warhawks used a nine-play, 69-yard drive to collect their only points as Wright ran for 29 yards on a fourth-and-1 conversion and also hit a 37-yard pass to Tyrone Howell to keep the chains moving.

The Aggies answered quickly as Weigman finished off a 74-yard, eight-play drive with a 19-yard touchdown scramble, giving his team a 17-3 advantage with 9:37 left in the second quarter.

Bond's second field goal, a 23-yard kick, increased the A&M lead to 20-3 with 4:04 to go before the half. The Aggies scored to end a nine-play, 67-yard march.

ULM's deficit ballooned to 27-3 with 48 seconds showing in the half as the Aggies scored on their fifth-straight possession. Amari Daniels punched in a 4-yard touchdown run to finish a six-play, 63-yard drive.

The Aggies gained 359 yards while holding ULM to 159 yards in the first half. Weigman completed 19
-of-23 attempts for 287 yards and a touchdown to lead the aerial assault.

"If they'll run the ball, we might have a chance, but we can't stop their passing game and they haven't punted the ball yet," Bowden said at halftime. "They've got an outstanding quarterback and great receivers and we can't stop the passing game."

A&M took the opening drive of the third quarter and moved 32 yards in eight plays Bond's 34-yard field goal gave the Aggies a 30-3 edge with 11:00 left in the period.

The Aggies continued their methodical onslaught as Rueben Owens ran for a 21-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 37-3 with 5:54 remaining in the third. A&M's seventh-straight scoring drive covered 60 yards in seven plays.

A&M punted for the first time with 1:08 left in the third quarter.

Back-up quarterback Max Johnson, who relieved Weigman, directed a seven-play, 41-yard scoring drive and tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Raymond Cottrell with 11:15 to go in the game as the Aggies took a 44-3 lead.

Bond's fourth field goal of the game, a 52-yarder with 7:11 left in the fourth quarter, provided the final 47-3 margin for the Aggies.

"The kids will respond from that," Bowden said. "I've been doing this too long. That's why they pay you a lot of money to come out to places like this."

Up next: Following an open date, ULM begins Sun Belt Conference play at home with a visit from App State on Sept. 30. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

"We really need a bye week right now," Bowden said. "We've had a quarterback (Hunter Herring) get hurt and we've got some people banged up. We've had a tough three games and it will be a good time for us to get rested up."

Tail feathers: ULM Game Captains were CB Car'lin Vigers, RB Isaiah Woullard and OLB Ja'Terious Evans. … ULM fell to 0-5 vs. A&M. The Warhawks and Aggies met last on Sept. 15, 2018, when A&M defeated ULM, 48-10, in College Station. … ULM's roster features 21 players from the state of Texas. … Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman winner, was in attendance.
 
 
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