MOBILE, Ala. – The ULM football team (0-5, 0-1 Sun Belt) dropped their Sun Belt opener on the road to South Alabama (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) in a high-scoring game, 52-35. While the Warhawks posted 442 yards of offense, 570 yards from the home team and over 50% conversion on third downs put South Alabama ahead.
"I was very proud of our effort and our fight 'til the end today," said head coach
Bryant Vincent. "We really found out a lot about our football team."
The tempo proved to be quick, as South Alabama opened with a second-down shot to the end zone, a 72-yard pass from Jared Hollins to Brendan Jenkins. Already ahead by a touchdown, the Jaguar defense capitalized on the momentum, as Masey Lewis recovered a fumble to the end zone for another score, ULM down 14-0 with 13:22 on the clock.
With another chance at offense, starting quarterback
Aidan Armenta got comfortable with long passes to
JP Coulter and
Marcellus Jackson to drive downfield. Armenta finished with 25 completions for a career-high 355 yards, logging two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. It's the first game since last season's season opener that Armenta has logged both a passing and rushing touchdown. But the first score for ULM came from veteran running back
Zach Palmer-Smith, who led the team with 54 yards off eight carries. His breakthrough for 31 yards to the house in the first quarter helped the Warhawks to chip at the lead.
Two third-down conversions for the Jaguars brought the pendulum swinging in their favor, a one-yard rush making it a 21-7 score in the opening quarter. After the South Alabama defense forced a punt, the Jaguars closed the quarter with possession. Three more third-down conversions and one on fourth down allowed for PJ Martin to find the end zone in the second quarter to make it 28-7.
A 44-yard shot from Armenta to Jackson got ULM back in good field position as the visitors fought from behind. Jackson led the team receiving, with 93 yards off five catches.
Parker Fulghum was the target in the end zone, however, as another touchdown came for the Warhawks, chipping at the deficit.
The ULM defense forced South Alabama's first punt of the game,
Noah Flemmings controlling the defense with nine tackles and a quarterback hurry under his belt. But the Warhawks turned around and punted themselves. Moses Madabuike collected a sack for his stat line to force a second-straight punt for USA, momentum moving for the Warhawks. But Armenta's pass was intercepted in his second play of the next drive, handing the ball back to the Jaguars.
While things continued to move for the home team, the Warhawks held South Alabama without a touchdown yet again, as the home team resigned to a field goal as time expired in the first half, the score set at 31-14.
Receiving the ball in the second half, ULM was forced to punt, as a 35-yard pass to Anthony Eager for the Jaguars put another touchdown in the books. Getting back on offense, Armenta found the tight ends for some yardage, first in
Cade Callahan for 36 yards, then tossing to
Bryce Anderson for the third touchdown of the contest.
Almost immediately following, Hollins got back on offense and continued to work, with a 69-yard touchdown pass to Eager to extend the lead further. But the Warhawks continued to fight. 19 yards to Fulghum and a fourth-down conversion to
Nic Trujillo got ULM back to the red zone. The Warhawks remained a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth downs. After another shot to Anderson to reach the 12-yard line, it was Armenta who claimed the keeper, rushing up the middle for a touchdown for his first rushing TD of the season.
With the lead cut at 17, South Alabama opened the fourth quarter with a penalty forcing the punt. A penalty for ULM pushed the team back, as the teams began trading punts. A missed field goal opportunity handed the ball back to the opponents late. With six minutes on the clock, the Jaguars found the end zone one more time, a 32-yard rush to extend the score to 52. ULM responded with a touchdown of its own,
Darrion Gilliam recording his first touchdown reception as a Warhawk after a deep 52-yard shot from Armenta to
Jaiden Tucker to reach the red zone. But the score was settled as the clock expired, the Warhawks falling 52-35.
Following a bye week, ULM will face Louisiana Tech in Monroe for the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown on October 17.
