FACTS & STATS: Site: Malone Stadium (30,427) — Monroe, Louisiana.
Television: ESPN3.com. Home Record: Troy 0-2, ULM 2-0. Away Record: Troy 0-2,
ULM 0-1. Neutral Record: Troy 0-0, ULM 0-0. Conference Record: Troy 0-0, ULM
1-0. Series Record: Troy leads, 8-6-1.
GAME NOTES: Back in action after a week off, the Warhawks of ULM are at home
this weekend as they entertain the Troy Trojans in a Sun Belt Conference
battle at Malone Stadium.
The Warhawks started out the 2014 campaign with back-to-back victories against
the likes of Wake Forest (17-10) and Idaho (38-31), the latter being the
conference home opener for ULM on Sept. 6. However, a week after the triumph
over the Vandals, ULM was pitted against nationally-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge
and was shut down in a 31-0 final.
Meanwhile, the Trojans have come up empty in their first four games of the
season and have now lost seven of the last eight going back to 2013. The team
has surrendered no less than 34 points in any one game and watched mighty
Georgia nearly double that last weekend in an awful 66-0 display in Athens.
In terms of the all-time series between the squads, the Trojans are ahead by a
count of 8-6-1, stretching back to 1970 when ULM posted a 14-10 victory at
Brown Stadium. Last season, the Warhawks captured a 49-37 victory on the road,
the third straight win in the series and the fourth in five meetings for ULM.
After falling to Abilene Christian by just three points a week prior, the
Trojans figured to have their hands full against a national power such as
Georgia last Saturday and that was clearly the case as the 13th-ranked
Bulldogs ran all over Troy.
The hosts generated a hefty 367 yards and scored five times on the ground,
compared to a paltry 47 net rushing yards for the visitors. Quarterback
Dontreal Pruitt converted 16-of-27 passes for 158 yards, was picked off once
and sacked two times in the demoralizing effort. Only four players had more
than a single catch for Troy.
Defensively, what else can you say about a group that gives up 23 first downs
and 547 yards of total offense? The Trojans failed to stop Georgia in the red
zone, giving up nine scores in as many opportunities. After four games, Troy
ranks 108th in the country in red zone defense, allowing every single
possession by foes inside the 20-yard line to end up on the scoreboard. Of
those 22 instances, opponents have made their way into the end zone 18 times
and settled for field goals only four times.
Needless to say, in giving up 46.5 ppg, Troy is ranked next-to-last in the
FBS. The squad is allowing 495.5 ypg (113th), of which 267.0 ypg (120th) comes
on the ground.
From an offensive standpoint, there has been little to cheer about for the
Trojans, outside of the fighting chance they had versus Abilene Christian.
With an average of only 101.8 ypg on the ground, Troy is 111th nationally in
that department and the team’s 15.5 ppg has it coming in at 120th. Certainly
it doesn’t help that quarterback Brandon Silvers has missed action due to a
concussion.
As for the Warhawks, they’ve had plenty of time to reflect on their loss to
LSU a few weeks back at Tiger Stadium. ULM registered a mere six first downs
in the meeting, one of those coming via a penalty, and generated a pitiful 93
yards on 48 snaps.
The well-traveled Pete Thomas converted 16-of-30 passes for 77 yards, his
favorite target being Rashon Ceasar who tallied six catches for 35 yards.
With all the time they spent on the field, it should come as little surprise
that ULM had three players with double-digit tackles, the leader being Mitch
Lane with 14, adding an interception as well.
For Thomas, who has already made stops at Colorado State and North Carolina
State during his collegiate career, he has an efficiency rating of 106.3 at
the moment, having completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 216.7 ypg, but he
has just two aerial scores. On the ground, Centarius Donald has 252 yards and
three TDs to his credit, but beyond that the ULM offense has been mediocre at
best.
The defense has been a bit more respectable overall, giving up 302.7 ypg to
rank 19th in the nation entering the week. The squad has surrendered only
111.3 ypg rushing, which is good for a tie for 28th in the country.
ULM isn’t about to set the world on fire, but at least the Warhawks have
enough talent on their side to take care of business this weekend versus
visiting Troy.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: ULM 28, Troy 17
