TXST FOOTBALL
Bobcats battles longtime foe ULM in conference action
The Countdown to Kickoff series takes a look at the upcoming 2024 season for the Texas State Bobcats.
This week will take a look at the Bobcats road game against long time rival the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks.
The Warhawks finished the season with a 2-10 record with their only wins coming against the Army and Lamar in the first two games of the regular season.
ULM fired then head coach Terry Bowden after the Warhawks lost to archrival Louisiana 5221.
Going into the 2024 season, the Warhawks will be under new leadership with Bryan Vincent taking over the program.
Vincent helped resurrect the UAB football team, along with former coach Bill Clark, after the school opted to terminate the program after the 2014 season only for the administration to backtrack. The Blazers returned to football in the 2017 season.
Vincent was the interim head coach for the Blazers during the 2022 season after Clark stepped down due to health issues. Vincent helped lead the team to a 6-6 regular season and a win in the Bahamas Bowl against the Miami (OH) Redhawks.
UAB opted not to hire Vincent as the full time head coach in favor of former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer. Vincent was most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the New Mexico Lobos who averaged 27.3 points per game last season.
Vincent will have his work cut out for him on offense as the Warhawks return only one offensive starter from last season’s team that averaged 17.3 points per game.
Elijah Fisher is the lone returner starter for the Warhawks offense who played all 12 games for ULM last season.
Running back Hunter Smith looks to lead the offense after leading the team in rushing. Smith ran for 507 yards on 94 carries and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Hunter Herring is the projected Warhawks starter. Herring passed for 121 yards and threw one touchdown in two games for ULM last season.
On defense, ULM returns five starters from last year’s squad that allowed 34.9 points per game.
Linebacker Carl Glass Jr. is the Warhawks returning leading tackler, having made 59 total tackles, 27 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks. Glass Jr. also had two forced fumbles.
Defensive lineman Jaylan Ware also returns for the Warhawks. Ware made 53 total tackles, 15 solo tackles and one fumble recovery.
The Texas State-ULM series dates back to 1986 when both schools were members of the Southland Conference though the history between the two schools dates back longer.
During Texas State’s pursuit of joining the Southland Conference in 1983, ULM was one of two schools, the other being Arkansas State, to vote against of adding the Bobcats to the conference.
Despite ULM’s attempts to block Texas State from joining the Southland, the Bobcats did join the conference in 1987 when then conference members Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech left to form the American South Conference.
The first ever game between Texas State and ULM took place in 1986 where the Warhawks defeated the Bobcats 17-14.
The Bobcats got their first win over the Warhawks during the 1989 season in a 26-7 win.
ULM dominated the series over Texas State during their time in the Southland Conference with the Warhawks winning six of the seven games.
ULM left the Southland Conference in football to become a Football Bowl Subdivision independent during the 1994 season. The Warhawks stayed as an independent until the 2001 season when ULM joined the Sun Belt.
The Bobcats and the Warhawks met once during ULM’s time as an independent during the 2000 season, ending with a 27-7 win for Texas State.
Texas State and ULM became conference foes once again when the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt. Since 2013, the Bobcats and the Warhawks have played every year.
The series has become more even during Sun Belt play with ULM winning six games and Texas State winning five games.
In their last meeting during the 2023 season, Texas State stormed back from a 20-9 deficit with less than five minutes remaining in the game to beat the Warhawks 2120.
ULM leads the overall series 13-7 making the Warhawks Texas State’s third most played opponent in FBS behind Sam Houston State and North Texas.
Kickoff for Texas State-ULM is set for Saturday Nov. 9 with a time to be determined at a later date.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
