MONROE, La. – Pete Thomas racked up a career-best 472 passing yards as the ULM football team fell to UL-Lafayette, 34-27, on a cold Saturday night at JPS Field in Malone Stadium.
The Warhawks (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt) began the evening with a Senior Night celebration, but the night was spoiled by the Cajuns (7-3, 6-0 Sun Belt) who amassed 12 tackles for loss.
Thomas completed 38 passes on 54 attempts as the senior quarterback also garnered three total touchdowns with one coming on the ground.
Rashon Ceaser led the Warhawks with 120 yards on 11 catches and snagged one touchdown. Kenzee Jackson added eight receptions for 95 yards, while Centarius Donald and Tyler Cain had six receptions for 67 yards and 45 yards, respectively.
Gerrand Johnson had 11 tackles on the night including two sacks, while Michael Johnson added seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss. Mitch Lane and Hunter Kissinger each had six tackles.
Terrence Broadway went 10-of-13 with one interception for 173 yards and had two touchdowns.
The ULM defense began the game with a strong stand after ULL found its way into the red zone. Lenzy Pipkins' tackle on third and goal at the five-yard line prevented the Cajuns from finding the end zone, but Hunter Stover connected on a 22-yard field goal as the visitors took a 3-0 lead early in the game.
On their next possession, ULL found the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run by Elijah McGuire.
After a 38-yard pass from Thomas to Jackson landed the Warhawks in the red zone (ULL 18), Thomas found Jackson once again, this time in the end zone on a five-yard touchdown, to cut the lead to 10-7.
ULL stretched the lead out to 17-7 as Broadway found Al Riles on a shovel pass for a 16-yard touchdown.
After Thomas found Rashon Ceaser on a 10-yard pass and Tyler Cain on an 18-yard pass, Justin Manton used a 34-yard field goal to cut the lead to 17-10.
The defense stopped another Cajun drive in its tracks after Kissinger sacked Broadway to give the visitors a fourth-and-16 situation at the ULM 21 yard line. Stover's field goal gave ULL a 20-10 lead with 6:51 remaining in the half.
Manton's kick remained true as time expired in the half, and his 47-yard field goal pulled the Warhawks within seven (20-13) heading into the locker room.
The Warhawks defense came through once again as Justin Backus snatched his third career interception to give ULM the ball back with 4:54 left in the third quarter.
A special teams fumble gave the Cajuns the ball on the ULM 34, and Broadway scrambled 12-yards into the end zone a three plays later to push the lead to 26-13 with 11:00 to go.
Thomas connected with Donald on a 17-yard pass and then found Jackson on a 27-yard bullet to put the Warhawks on the Cajun's four-yard line before he found the end zone on a quarterback keeper to make it a one-score game (27-20) with 6:46 left.
The Warhawks wasted no time in scoring their next touchdown as they went 57 yards in four plays. After rushes by Cain (5-yards) and Ceaser (7-yards), Thomas completed a 45-yard bomb to Ceaser to cut the lead to 34-27 with 1:47 remaining in the game.
ULM regained possession with 1:18 left, but a fumble returned the ball to the Cajuns with 33 seconds left for a final score of 34-27.
The Warhawks take the gridiron again next Saturday as they travel to Las Cruces, N.M. to face New Mexico State at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
First Quarter
10:59: ULL – 22-yard field goal by Hunter Stover, 7-70-4:01, ULL 3-0
7:03: ULL – One-yard run by Elijah McGuire, (Stover, H. XP), 5-61-2:01, ULL 10-0
2:24: ULM – 5-yard throw from Pete Thomas to Kenzee Jackson, (Manton, J. XP), 10-85-4:39, ULL 10-7
00:42: ULL – 16-yard Terrence Broadway to Al Riles, (Stover, H. XP), 4-65-1:42, ULL 17-7
Second Quarter
12:38: ULM – 34-yard field goal by Justin Manton, 11-66-3:04, ULL 17-10
06:51: ULL – 38-yard field goal by Hunter Stover, 12-53-5:47, ULL 20-10
00:00: ULM – 47-yard field goal by Justin Manton, 6-41-0:51, ULL 20-13
Third Quarter
No Scoring
Fourth Quarter
11:00: ULL: 12-yard run by Terrence Broadway, (Stover, H. XP), 3-16-1:32, ULL 26-13
6:46: ULM – 2-yard run by Pete Thomas, (Manton, J. XP), 11-65-4:14, ULL 27-19
2:53: ULL – 36-yard pass from Terrence Broadway to Gabe Fuselier, (Stover, H. XP), 7-75-3:53, ULL 34-20
1:47: ULM – 45-yard pass from Pete Thomas to Rashon Ceaser (Manton, J. XP), 4-57-1:06, ULL 34-27
