MONROE, La. – The ULM football team (2-8, 2-4 Sun Belt) fell in a Thursday night game to the Ragin' Cajuns (7-3, 4-2 Sun Belt) in Monroe. The 42-21 was pinned by a fumble return to the end zone and a second score coming from a ULM turnover.
The Warhawks recorded 372 yards of total offense, leading between the two teams, also recording 260 rushing yards. While nine of 17 from third down and averaging 6.2 yards per completion, it was the Cajuns' 7.4 yards per play that allowed for the six scores at FMOL Health St. Francis Stadium.
As ULM opened the first quarter with possession, it was
Austin Carlisle who earned the start at quarterback. Carlisle ended the evening with his second consecutive 100+-yard rushing game with 102 yards and a touchdown. Passing, the second-year completed nine of 14 attempts for 42 yards and a touchdown. Small gains downfield in the opening drive set up Carlisle to collect 15 yards and enter the red zone. He then scored first for the Warhawks, a one-yard rushing touchdown to give the home team the lead. In a shorter drive, however, UL-Lafayette was able to find a score themselves, as Lunch Winfield completed a 13-yard pass to Shelton Sampson Jr. to tie it up.
All knotted as time in the opening quarter was ending, ULM worked to string positive plays together. Maintaining possession and in ULL territory as the second quarter began, Carlisle was able to toss the ball to first-year
Jaiden Tucker, who caught his first touchdown reception for five yards. The Warhawk defense held the visitors to the first punt of the contest,
Jay Harper breaking up a pass to force the third down and eventual punt. Harper logged four tackles to pair with his pass breakup.
Carlisle continued to run, splitting time with running backs
Don Chaney and
Bryson Roland. Roland was the other 100+-yard rushing game of the contest, leading the team with 111 yards off 17 carries. Carlisle and Roland become the first pair to both record 100+-yard rushing games for ULM since 2023. Chaney logged 25 yards off six carries, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. With two incomplete passes sending a punt the opposite way, ULL regained possession as the second quarter continued. An opening 23-yard carry prepared the Cajuns to succeed, another for 28 yards getting the team into the red zone. An eight-yard rush for KeDarius Wade tied the ball game yet again, the score 14-14 with less than a minute to go. While the ULM offense made the attempt, Carlisle's final pass of the half was intercepted by Kody Jackson to maintain the tie.
The Cajuns began their first drive of the season half with short gains and pushback from a holding penalty. On third and long,
Jabari Tiller led the defense to a stop that forced another punt. Tiller led the team with nine tackles on the evening, also logging a pass breakup. On the opening play of ULM possession, Carlisle fumbled the ball as Micah Johnson returned it to the end zone 18 yards to find the 21-14 lead in ULL's favor.
Getting possession back, a sack from the Cajun defense then forced another punt from the Warhawks as the visitors kept momentum on their side. Both teams continued to trade punts through the majority of the third quarter, before another fumble–this time from
LT Robinson–handed the ball to the visiting team on the 19-yard line. JJ Garner rushed up the middle for the end zone in the first play, extending the lead further to two touchdowns.
Unable to respond, ULL earned possession as the fourth quarter began. A few short passes from Winfield got the opponents to the red zone yet again, as an 18-yard gain from Garner added to the tally yet again. Now down 21,
Aidan Armenta entered the contest for a full drive for ULM. Armenta completed nine of 15 passes for 70 yards, also rushing for 22 yards. A long 27-yard pass to
Bryce Anderson had the team converting on fourth-and-long as
Nic Trujillo also caught a pass to allow the team to get closer. Anderson led receivers with 34 yards for his stat line, while Trujillo was close behind with 26. Chaney was the one to fight through the scrum into the end zone, the six-yard rush becoming his first touchdown as a Warhawk.
With less than six minutes on the clock, Steven Blanco made quick work for Lafayette, breaking free for multiple double-digit rushes before the two-yard touchdown run settled the 42-21 score with less than two minutes remaining in the contest. ULM maintained possession as time ran out, unable to find a score as the Cajuns took the win.
ULM will hit the road for the final road trip of the season, facing App State in Boone on November 21. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT / 2:30 p.m. ET.
