STARKVILLE, Miss.– The ULM football team (0-1) fell to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0) in Starkville on Saturday night (Sept. 5), to a 62-13 score. The Bulldogs collected 762 total yards, while ULM posted 278, only converting three of 16 third downs.
Aidan Armenta racked up 67 yards while posting a 63% (10-16) completion percentage, also recording 15 rushing yards.
Austin Carlisle emerged in the second half with 73 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing 60% and rushing 50 yards to lead the team.
Bryson Roland saw the majority of the carries for the Warhawks, rushing for 42 yards while
Derrick Jameson posted 18.
Marcellus Jackson broke free with six receptions for 37 yards, as Jameson also collected receiving yards, including a touchdown reception.
Noah Flemmings led the team with nine tackles,
Jabari Tiller following close behind with seven.
Armoni Rue broke up two passes to lead the defense, as both
Kelbee Holmes and
LaZavier Amos combined for a TFL.
Mississippi State opened the offense, a few long passes from Kamario Taylor reaching the red zone. A final pass up the middle to Sanfrisco Magee gave the Bulldogs the 7-0 lead with 12:23 on the clock. A three-and-out for the Warhawks handed the ball right back to the home team, as the defense worked to shut down the Bulldogs.
Armoni Rue broke up a pass to force a second down, but a 22-yard completion to Zion Ragins had Mississippi State in the end zone again for the 14-0 edge.
The Warhawks went 1-2-3 again, as the Bulldogs marched downfield. A quarterback scramble from Taylor got the home team on the board for a third touchdown with 6:05 remaining in the first quarter. ULM was able to capture momentum in their next drive,
Aidan Armenta getting the ball to
Marcellus Jackson for the primary first down of the game. A few long passes from Armenta got the Warhawks in Bulldog territory as time expired in the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with
Abram Murray nailing a 43-yard field goal, as ULM got on the board with the 21-3 score. Taylor for the Bulldogs picked up where he left off, however, a handful of completions setting up Mississippi State for another touchdown. The Warhawks went three-and-out on the following drive, before the Bulldogs picked up.
Jayden Lewis and
Jabari Tiller combined for a couple of stops to force the field goal attempt, completed from 26 yards.
After short gains got ULM to a third-and-short, a penalty forced the punt. Taylor picked up on the Mississippi State 20,
CJ Wilson breaking up a pass to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Lewis broke up another pass to force the field goal attempt for a second time, as the home team made it a 34-3 score.
The Warhawks settled for a punt as the Bulldogs slowly made their way downfield again. Xavier Gayten rushed for 14 yards to score another touchdown for Mississippi State as the clock ran down for the halftime score, 41-3.
ULM opened the second half with a quick three-and-out, Taylor then tossing a 70-yard pass to Marquis Johnson for the touchdown. With 13:36 on the clock in the third quarter,
Austin Carlisle entered as the quarterback for the Warhawks. Carlisle opened with an eight-yard pass to move the chains, continuing to move downfield. The Houston transfer then launched a 40-yard shot to
Derrick Jameson, who reached the endzone for ULM's first touchdown of the season, the score now 48-10.
After an unnecessary roughness call forced the Bulldogs back to the one-yard line, the home team made quick work of short gains. But a handful of incomplete passes set up a punt and gave the ball back to the Warhawks. Carlisle connected with Jackson multiple times before an 18-yard quarterback keeper got ULM into home territory. While the Warhawks could not convert on third down, it was
Abram Murray who kicked a career-high 52-yard field goal to add three points to the board. It is the seventh time a Warhawk has completed a 52-yard field goal, not occurring since 2021.
Mistakes began to ravage the Bulldogs as penalties forced another punt and allowed for another offensive attempt from ULM. With 1:02 in the third quarter, ULM tried to make quick work of the offense. But time expired just as the Warhawks began to prepare for a third-and-long, down 48-13.
A quarterback sneak in the opening of the fourth quarter allowed for the conversion on fourth down, Warhawks knocking on the door. A third attempt at a field goal then failed, as the home team received possession with 9:22 left in the contest. After a handful of short gains for Mississippi State, a 57-yard rush from J.J. Hill gave the Bulldogs the 55-13 edge. After getting the ball back with less than seven minutes on the clock, Hill drove the offense to score the final touchdown for the 62-13 final score.
The Warhawks will take another road trip next weekend, taking on the UAB Blazers in Birmingham. Kickoff on Saturday (Sept. 12) is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.
