Todd Berry sat at the podium with a peculiar smile on his face.
The kind you wouldn’t expect from a coach who had just seen his team thoroughly whipped in a cold, rain-soaked edition of the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl.
Brent Leonard became ULM’s all-time leading receiver on a record-setting afternoon in Shreveport. But most of those records came at the expense of the Warhawks (8-5).
Triggered by Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton’s hot start and three interceptions from Kolton Browning, the Bobcats (9-4) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in route to a 45-14 victory.
“It’s hard on me right now,” Berry said, flanked by Browning and seniors Leonard and R.J. Young–who had just played their last game as Warhawks.
“We practiced great and I thought we were ready. We’ve got to play better and that’s my responsibility.”
“This is the beginning, not the end.” Todd Berry, ULM Head Coach.
By the end of the game, Ohio had set Independence Bowl records for total offense (556 yards) and margin of victory (31 points). Bobcats running back Beau Blankenship also got in on the fun by setting a new record with four rushing touchdowns in the game.
For the most part, ULM’s first bowl experience is probably best summed up with this.
But regardless of the final score, Berry addressed the media in the bowels of a long-deserted Independence Stadium with the same gracious demeanor many have come to expect from ULM’s head coach.
He called the Independence Bowl a “learning experience” that will benefit the Warhawks going forward.
It’s a sentiment the opposing head coach can identify with. Frank Solich was in a similar situation when he took over at Ohio, looking to resuscitate a perennial doormat. After eight seasons he’s done just that, leading the Bobcats to four straight bowl games.
“[ULM] will benefit from this bowl game,” Solich said. “It may not seem that way to them now because the loss was fairly large, but they will be a better football team because of it.”
Berry will be the first to admit he’s wired a little bit differently. It comes with the territory of being the lowest paid head coach in the FBS with one of the smallest football budgets to work with.
His humble, laid back nature has made him a natural fit in Monroe. But make no mistake. Berry is as competitive as they come.
That point was driven home by an exchange between the coach and his quarterback. While wrapping up his post game comments, Berry assured everyone in attendance that his team would “rally up.”
“Am I right, Kolton,” Berry asked his signal-caller.
“Yes sir,” Browning responded, almost as a reflex. Like there was so little doubt he didn’t even have to think about it.
Maybe this could be the reason for Berry’s smile; he knows he has a good football team coming back next year.
ULM returns 18 starters next year, including Browning, who will likely be the preseason favorite for Sun Belt Player of the Year.
“I would have liked to have played better [today], but I also recognize that opportunities will be there for this team next year,” Berry said. “We will have a great offseason because of what happened today.”
The coach was also quick to point out that a poor bowl performance does not diminish what this team accomplished in 2012. And he’s right.
ULM’s upset of then top-ten ranked Arkansas in September will be remembered as one of the most talked about moments of the season.
A record crowd of 31,175 filled Malone Stadium to cheer on the Warhawks in a nationally televised game against Baylor, reigniting a passion for football that hasn’t existed on this campus since the NLU Indians were a 1-AA power in the 1980s.
He and his staff have done more than just produce ULM’s first winning season at the FBS level.
In spite of financial and competitive disadvantages, they have taken a long forgotten directional school hindered by numerous name changes and given it an identity.
The program of many names became the high-flying Warhawks, a must-see-TV event from the conference fans affectionately dubbed the “Sun-Beast.”
Leonard and this group of seniors will leave school as the class that finally broke through and reached a bowl game, leaving a legacy for others to follow.
“There’s some tremendous athletes on this team,” Leonard said. “They’re going to work hard in the off-season, get prepared and they’re going to build on what we’ve done this year.”
The offseason will begin with a reshuffling of the coaching staff. The Warhawks finished the season ranked 104th in the country in pass defense, costing cornerbacks coach Tony Gilbert his job.
Defensive coordinator Troy Reffett will move from linebackers to cornerbacks coach, while Travis Niekamp will shift to linebackers, leaving ULM in the market for a new tight ends coach.
Entering the fourth year of the Berry era, the Warhawks will be in a position to capture their first outright Sun Belt Conference championship since joining the conference in 2001.
“This is the beginning, not the end,” Berry said in clairvoyant fashion of his program.
For now it seems–even after an Independence Bowl thrashing–ULM has a reason to smile.
Whether peculiar or not.
