Since game one against Jackson State, the Warhawks (3-1) displayed a brand-new look that generated buzz around the recent hire of head coach Bryant Vincent. The team’s veteran players and new transfers started working together to transform ULM football into a team that attracts attention for more than just its wins.
Over 70 transfers and a shuffled coaching staff gave the Warhawks a largely unfamiliar roster. The most noticeable change is the run-heavy offensive scheme. Compared to last year’s average of 175 passing yards and 146 rushing yards per game, the team posted 87 passing and 209 rushing yards in their recent win against the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). Freshman Ahmad Hardy emerged as a critical player on the team’s new offense. In his senior year of high school, Hardy tallied 2,200 yards on the ground, which prepared him to take on the college field. His first two showings against JSU and UAB saw him gain 5.4 and 4.1 yards per carry, making it easier for ULM to move the chains and avoid 3rd-and-long situations.Hardy explained that it isn’t easy to be the one to get the ball, describing the decision as “a challenge every day.” “Every day at practice, we’re all trying to get that No. 1 spot,” Hardy said. “No matter who they call on, we make sure we’re all ready to go.”
Junior quarterback General Booty averaged 284 passing yards per game at Tyler Junior College, ranking him 2nd nationally in the NJCAA. Booty recognized the transition has been challenging but emphasized that he’s familiar with adapting.
“I’ve been in a lot of different offenses before, and I’ve always done a great job adapting and learning the offense that I’m in,” Booty said. “We haven’t been able to do some things in the last game, but the numbers show we’ve been loud on the ground, and that’s what it took to win some of those games.”
Despite the offense changing from air to ground, the defense still has one job: keep the offense from scoring.
Turn your eyes from the blemish that resulted from playing the number
one team in the country at Austin, and you’ll see that ULM’s defense has upheld their end of the bargain. ULM allowed 35 points per game last season, and in its first two games, opponents barely broke double digits.
Car’lin Vigers has served some time on the defensive side of the ball for a few years at ULM. If people didn’t know him before his electric performance against UAB, then his memorable nail- in-the-coffin pick-six made sure eyes were always glued onto him when he took to the field.
Vigers remains humble, and he said he feels the defense has many leaders, such as Jaylan Ware, Tyrese Hopkins and Wydett Williams. Posting 25 tackles and 29 assists last year, Vigers remains on pace with his current eight tackles and ten assists.
Refusing to rest on his laurels, Vigers points out that there’s still much work to do, especially coming off the team’s loss to Texas. He mentioned how his teammates and he bounced back from a rough week.
“You have to come in with your mind- set whenever you walk into the facility knowing that you had downfalls last week, and they won’t happen again this upcoming week,” Vigers said. “Be better than last week.”
The conference slate opens for the Warhawks with a trip to Auburn late in the season.
For Vincent and his players, the big picture remains the same: win, go to the Sun Belt Conference Championship and win a bowl game. It may be lofty for a team to dream that big, but the first two outings show that this ULM squad should not be compared to last year’s team.
