The ULM football team (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) fell on the road in the nonconference finale to Northwestern (3-2, 1-1 B1G) on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 4). After coming out to an early lead, 42 unanswered points gave the Wildcats the edge.
“Obviously disappointed with the loss,” said head coach Bryant Vincent. “I thought our kids played really hard. We’re going to put this one behind us. I’m proud of our kid’s effort all the way until the end.”
The Wildcats picked up 515 total yards to the Warhawks’ 273, with the home team logging 64% completion passing and averaging 6.5 yards per rush. ULM went 0-1 in the red zone, 3-10 from third downs and 0-1 from fourth downs. Northwestern went 4-4 in the red zone, 11-16 from third down and 2-2 from fourth down.
“When you’re playing these games, you’ve got to maximize your opportunities,” said Vincent. “We didn’t stay on the field offensively to keep the drives going, that makes all the difference.”
The Warhawks got off to a fast start against the Wildcats, finding first down after first down. On the 34-yard line, Armenta took a shot at Nic Trujillo, who scored the touchdown for his first catch as a Warhawk. With an early 7-0 lead, ULM looked to hold Northwestern without a score.
A five-minute drive for the home team had the Wildcats slowly marching down the field. Quarterback Preston Stone converted two third downs to keep pushing. After a penalty on the Warhawk defense, Caleb Komolafe was able to run three yards into the end zone to tie things up.
ULM looked to keep things going on offense, Hunter Herring completing a 48-yard pass to Tyler Griffin to set up good field position. A few incomplete passes and loss of yardage placed Luke Stagg on the field to attempt the field goal. Stagg was unable to get between the uprights from 45 yards to keep the score tied, 7-7, at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Stone started the second quarter hot, rushing 30 yards to cross midfield and enter ULM territory. A deep 17-yard pass to Drew Wagner, following by a 37-yarder to Hayden Eligon II gave the Wildcats the advantage in the game. After a two-point conversion, Northwestern was up, 15-7, with 13:57 remaining in the quarter.
Armenta followed the opposing score with a 14-yard pass to JP Coulter and then again to Julian Nixon to enter opponent territory. After a seven-yard keeper, two short gains set up fourth down and two, with Herring unable to convert and turning the ball over on downs. A seven-minute drive started for Northwestern, as several flags prevented the Wildcats from getting downfield. The home team settled for a field goal to secure the two-possession lead, 18-7.
Trujillo picked up another long reception of 27 yards, a pass interference call pushing ULM even further. But an incompletion, a rush for no gain and a quarterback sack had Makenzie Ryan punting. Northwestern fought the time running down, snagging a few first downs before the half concluded with the Wildcats ahead.
The Wildcats got the ball to start the second half, a few completions getting Northwestern back in ULM territory. Komolafe broke free again, rushing for 39 yards to reach the endzone and extend the lead, 25-7, with 12:04 remaining in the quarter. McReynolds and Armenta continued to find success and first downs, but in short spurts that led to another punt from Ryan.
Dashun Reeder began to break through for Northwestern, gaining 13 and 16 yards to build on the strong momentum for the home team. A 49-yard toss from Stone secured another touchdown, this time caught by Griffin Wilde. Two incompletes and a sack gave the ball back to the Wildcats. A pass interference call in favor of Northwestern placed the Wildcats back in the red zone, a six-yard pass to Wagner extending the lead further, making it a 39-7 score.
In the fourth quarter, another sack came from the Northwestern defense, sending the punting team back out for ULM and the Northwestern offense back on the field. The Warhawk defense pushed against the home team, holding the Wildcats to a field goal with 8:43 remaining in the contest. Both teams traded punts to conclude the game and secure the 42-7 victory for Northwestern.
Aidan Armenta threw 10-for-19 for 129 yards and a touchdown, posting no interceptions on the night. Northwestern’s Preston Stone threw 20-for-31 for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Hunter Herring went 1-of-2 for 48 yards on the evening, with Landon Graves also going 1-for-2.
Braylon McReynolds led the rush with 49 yards off eight carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Graves had the longest run of the day, with a 16-yard rush in the final two minutes.
Nic Trujillo made his debut against the Wildcats, posting 61 yards across two carries, the first ULM reception being a 34-yard touchdown reception. Tyler Griffin also showed out, posting 58 yards across two carries, the long being the 36-yard reception from Herring.
For the defense, Noah Flemmings and Kristopher Robinson each led with eight tackles apiece. Seidrion Langston posted four tackles and a tackle for loss, Kamrin Canterbury also recording a TFL. Lynard Harris and Jaden Hamlin each registered pass breakups, with four different Warhawks recording quarterback hurries.
ULM Football will travel east to take on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Conway for the first time since 2021. Kickoff against the Chants is slated for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET on Saturday (Oct. 11).
Postgame Press Conference: https://youtu.be/1n7UKbUyx3U
