Has ULM hit its stride? Next 2 weeks will tell

The string of text messages Matt Viator received following his Louisiana-Monroe team’s 38-10 win at South Alabama had a common theme.

 “Congratulations Coach,” most of them read. “But you’ve got another big game this week.”

ULM is indeed in uncharted territory. Already bowl eligible with two games to go, a more elusive prize remains very much in play for the Warhawks (6-4, 4-2 Sun Belt) in a division championship and a shot at the program’s first-ever outright Sun Belt Conference title.

“Quite frankly, we haven’t been in this position before,” Viator said. “The main thing I’m trying to get the players to understand is none of this matters if we don’t continue to play well.

“Hopefully we can continue to handle success the right way. To play at a high level, you have to prepare at a high level and I thought we did a really good job of that last week.”

To achieve both aims, ULM must win on Saturday at rival Arkansas State, a team it hasn’t beaten since 2009. The Red Wolves (6-4, 3-3 Sun Belt) sit one game back of the Warhawks and are tied for second in the Sun Belt West with Louisiana-Lafayette.

“I told the players on Sunday that when you win a big game, the next one becomes even more important,” Viator said. “We’re sitting here in mid-November with a seat at that table and that’s a fun spot to be in.”

Fresh from trouncing Georgia Southern at home, ULM blew out South Alabama in workmanlike form and has won four straight games. South Alabama led 7-0 in the first quarter after turning a muffed punt by Marcus Green into a long touchdown pass that sailed between safety Austin Hawley’s hands.

Craig Ford booted a 31-yard field goal on the next possession and the Warhawks went on to outscore South Alabama 38-3.

 “The punt kind of carried a little bit in the wind and hit a little higher on Marcus, but you have to keep playing and that was encouraging,” Viator said.

“Hopefully we understand that now because that could have been a downer moment for us a year or two ago.”

Viator called Wesley Thompson’s blocked field goal in the second quarter the biggest play of the game.

Caleb Evans drove ULM 73 yards in eight plays after the block and threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to D’Marius Gillespie with 22 seconds before halftime.

“We always stress the two-minute drill and being efficient in those situations,” Gillespie said. “We went into the half with some momentum and it carried over to the rest of the game.”

ULM extended its streak to 10 consecutive games with at least one sack and dropped South Alabama quarterbacks Cole Garvin and Cephus Johnson four times.

“The main thing is we’re doing a good job of getting teams off schedule on first and second downs,” Viator said. “We thought going into the year we had some guys that could rush the passer, but if you don’t get people in those positions, you aren’t going to get the sacks and negative plays.''

Once maligned, ULM’s defense has held three opponents to 20 points or less in the past four games.

“We just needed to come together and find our identity,” linebacker David Griffith said. “It took longer than we wanted, but once we did, everything fell into place.”

Injury Update

Defensive end Sam Miller (calf) and wide receiver R.J. Turner (hip) are questionable to play at Arkansas State. Miller dressed but did not play at South Alabama and Turner left the game in the second quarter.

Linebackers Rashaad Harding (ankle) and Cortez Sisco (knee) also remain questionable after missing the past two games.

 “We have guys out but I think we’re handling it so much better this year,” Viator said. “We’re putting guys in and they’re really playing and I like the way we’re reacting to that for sure.”

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