The University of Louisiana Monroe football team dropped their Sun Belt opener on the road to South Alabama in a high-scoring game, 52-35.
“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.
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. Three more third-down conversions and one on fourth down allowed 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 in receiving, with 93 yards off five catches. Parker Fulghum was the target in the end zone; however, another touchdown came for the Warhawks, chipping away at the deficit. But the Warhawks turned around and punted themselves. But Armenta’s pass was intercepted on his second play of the next drive, handing the ball back to the Jaguars.
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. 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, his first rushing TD of the season.
South Alabama opened the fourth quarter with a penalty forcing the punt. 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 responds with a touchdown, with 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, with 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.