On the road. An SEC opponent. National television. A hostile crowd of over 50,000 hog-calling lunatics. For Arkansas native Mitch Lane, it was the perfect homecoming.

Making his first career start, the redshirt freshman experienced some nerve-racking moments during ULM’s upset of the Razorbacks. Lane’s play on the field; however, told a completely different story.

“The only thing that was going through my head was to keep playing for my team,” Lane said.

He certainly did that, tying for the team lead with 5.5 tackles and breaking up two key passes that kept the Hogs out of the end zone in overtime. Lane, who grew up in Pine Bluff, relished the opportunity to face the team he grew up cheering for.

“That’s about the only team we’ve got in Arkansas,” Lane said. “It was a great experience to play my first college game in front of a lot of friends and family.”

Lane may be the youngest starter on the Warhawk defense, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the unit’s most consistent performers. He is the team’s second leading tackler, leader in pass breakups and second leading interceptor.

Lane won the job at “hawk” safety–a position head coach Todd Berry calls “critical” to ULM’s 3-3-5 scheme–during preseason camp. Berry’s philosophy is to get his best players on the field regardless of age, and he’s excited about having a young gun step in and excel at a crucial spot.

“Mitch has come in and picked up things extremely well. He gets better every game,” Berry said. “The game comes easy to him, he works extremely hard and he’s a physical talent.”

Coming out of high school, Lane chose ULM over in-state programs Arkansas State and Central Arkansas. He arrived on campus in the fall of 2011, redshirting during his true freshman season. Lane was able to use the year to his advantage, getting stronger and playing on the scout team defense before turning heads in spring practice.

Despite a solid start to the season, Lane remains focused on the team’s performance and not his individual play. He expects the Warhawks to build on their 2-2 start and carry that momentum through the rest of the season.

“It’s a sign of great things to come,” Lane said. “We’ve got a bright future.”