ULM ran into an offensive buzzsaw on Thursdsay night in Jonesboro, AR.
Arkansas State used an up-tempo, quick-strike attack to walk out of Liberty Bank Stadium with a 45-23 win and first place in the Sun Belt.
“I think we tried to play hard, but we didn’t play very smart and I don’t think we played very well,” ULM head coach Todd Berry said. “If you don’t do either one of those things you’re going to lose against a good football team.”
The Warhawks (6-4, 4-2) drew first blood, getting on the board with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Cody Wells to Monterrell Washington. It was the only time ULM led all night.
The Red Wolves (7-3, 5-1) answered by scoring the next 14 points. The teams traded a pair of field goals in the second quarter. Leading 17-10, ASU began moving down the field late in the quarter, but a timely interception by Henry Mitchell ended the half.
ULM found the endzone on the first drive of the third quarter on a 37-yard pass from Wells to Rashon Caesar. The tie was short-lived. ASU scored on their very first play of the half with a gadget play that resulted in a 70-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Aplin to Taylor Stockemer.
The Warhawk offense responded with a 14-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions, but came away empty. Monterrell Washington’s fumble ended the drive, allowing the Red Wolves to pull away for good.
Wells, who completed his first nine passes of the game, finished with 357 yards passing, most of which went to Brent Leonard, who had his third straight game with over 100 yards receiving.
In what has become a trend for ULM this season, ASU took advantage of matchups in the secondary, allowing Aplin to blister the Warhawks for 334 yards through the air.
Berry said, “We don’t have anyone else we can put in [the secondary] and we can’t do anymore drills. You either make a play or you don’t make a play and you’re going to be evaluated on it.”
With two conference losses, ULM’s chances at a Sun Belt title are fading, but a bowl birth is still within the realm of possibility. The Warhawks must win their last two games to move into the post season.
The drive to a bowl game begins next Saturday on Senior Day against North Texas. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at Malone Stadium.
