Warhawks Outlast South Alabama in Overtime Thriller

MONROE, La. – Freshman quarterback Caleb Evans threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Marcus Green in overtime, as ULM downed visiting South Alabama 42-35 in Sun Belt Conference action inside JPS Field at Malone Stadium on Saturday night.

 

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: ULM 42, South Alabama 35 (OT)

LOCATION: JPS Field at Malone Stadium

RECORDS: South Alabama (4-5, 1-5 SBC)

ULM (3-6, 2-3 SBC)

 

TURNING POINT

-After South Alabama won the overtime coin toss and elected to defend first, ULM moved down the field through the air, with Evans connecting on three of his four pass attempts in the overtime drive for 21 yards, including the seven yard touchdown to Green.

 

-Defensively, ULM forced back-to-back incomplete passes on second and third down for South Alabama and brought pressure on fourth down, with Cortez Sisco credited for the game-ending sack to send the Warhawk sideline into a walk-off frenzy.

 

-Sisco sent the game into overtime with his block on South Alabama’s 50-yard field goal attempt as regulation expired.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The teams traded possessions for most of the night, with the score tied at the end of the first quarter (7-7) and halftime (14-14) before South Alabama took a one-score lead into the fourth quarter. ULM’s 14-point fourth quarter sent the game into overtime to set up the win.

-ULM scored on the game’s first possession, going 79 plays in four plays, capped by a 52-yard touchdown from Evans to R.J. Turner, before South Alabama responded with a long play of its own – a 55 yard quarterback run by Dallas Davis.

-The visitors took the lead early in the second quarter when Davis found Josh Magee on a 24-yard touchdown pass, but the Warhawks tied the score again just before the half when Ben Luckett pushed his way into the end zone with under a minute remaining in the second quarter.

-South Alabama went 75 yards in 10 plays early in the third quarter before another response from ULM tied the score, this time a Xavier Brown 10-yard touchdown reception from Evans. South Alabama took the lead into the fourth quarter after a one-yard rushing touchdown on the final play of the third quarter.

-In the fourth, Thomas Koufie capped off a pair of ULM drives – one eight plays and 69 yards, the other night plays over 68 yards – with two rushing scores. His first, early in the quarter, came from nine yards out to re-tie the game, before his two-yard scamper with 4:27remaining in regulation gave the Warhawks the lead.

-Down a score with under two minutes remaining, South Alabama moved 80 yards down the field in six plays, capped by a 14 yard touchdown run from Dami Ayoola with 50 seconds remaining.

-ULM’s last regulation offensive push saw South Alabama intercept Evan’s pass with five seconds remaining to set up the blocked field goal attempt by Sisco and send the game into overtime.

 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

-ULM finished the night with 460 total offensive yards, its fourth game this season with over 400 yards of offense (all coming at home).

-In his first collegiate start, Evans finished the night 26-for-38 with 279 yards passing, while he added 36 yards rushing.

-With Evans’ three touchdowns, ULM has now had three different quarterbacks throw for two or more touchdowns in a game, joining Garrett Smith and Will Collins. This marks the second consecutive season that the Warhawks have had three different quarterbacks with multiple touchdown games, after they were one of just four FBS programs with that distinction during the 2015 campaign.

-The ULM rushing attack combined for 181 yards between four players, with Koufie leading the way with his two second half touchdowns (70 yards). Luckett finished with 42 yards and his touchdown, while Duke Carter added 41 yards of his own.

-Evans completed passes to 11 different receivers in the win, led by five catches each from Green (37 yards receiving) and Ajalen Holley (40 yards receiving). Turner had the most receiving yards (79 yards), highlighted by the longest catch of the night, good for 52 yards, to go along with his early touchdown.

-The Warhawks were 8-for-18 on third down, but were a perfect 4-for-4 on fourth down, including going for and executing three fourth down conversations on their final drive of the second quarter before scoring later in the drive.

-ULM is now 3-1 at home this season, eclipsing last year’s final win total.

 

UP NEXT

-The Warhawks hit the road next weekend for a Saturday afternoon tilt at Georgia State. It will be just the second all-time meeting between the teams after ULM won the previous meeting on October 26, 2013 (38-10). ULM’s second trip to Peach State this season will kick off just after 1:00 p.m. CST from inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.