The Other Side of the Wall: ULM

Disclaimer: details changed for dramatic effect.

The year was 1973.

Troy students shuffled through loose slips of paper, separating them into piles and tallying the results.

The work had been going on for hours. Hours ago, the last student dropped their folded sheet into the box, and hours before that a bus full of football players, coaches and managers left campus headed west.

Finally, one student put the final mark on the chalkboard. One side had more than twice the number of marks the other had, and the count was clear.

“Call them,” one person said. “Tell them they’re Trojans.”

Another student took off down the hall, sliding to a stop at the nearest payphone. He tossed in a quarter; he punched in numbers: 3-1-8…

“Northeast Louisiana,” came the voice on the other end.

“Patch me up to the press box,” he said. After a few beats, the line picked back up.

“It’s me. Tell them they’re Trojans.”

Team	ULM (2-1)
Time, Network	6 pm, ESPN+
2023 Record	2-10 (0-8)
Troy’s Record	12-8-1
Last Matchup	W, 45-14
Preseason Conf. Rank	7th SBC West
FPI Rank	112 (-19)
FPI Win% (Troy)	70.2%
Spread	Troy -7

Troy finally gets in the win column before hosting a team that was unceremoniously dumped in the loss column for the first time last weekend. The trajectories are hopefully very different.

ULM gets a rap for being the perennial bottom-dweller, and for good reason. The Warhawks have had just a single winning season in the last 30 years, the entirety of their time at the FBS level.

Is this team different? Will we see the team that thrashed UAB out for blood after being Texas’s sacrifice? Or will we see the team that barely escaped a Prime-free Jackson State?

For that, we’ve reached out to friend of the blog, Dusty from Warhawk Report.

Describe this season so far like a movie trailer. 
Freddy vs. Jason from the Friday the 13th series – 23 years after the original, it’s really the same script, but you wait and see just how this one turns out.  The Warhawks jumped out to a 2-0 record to start the season…just like last year, then got blown out….just like last year…there’s so much talent on this roster though, so it’s got to turn around, just have to hope it’s before the end.
Well that’s giving me hope… for Troy at least.

What’s your favorite play to run with ULM in College Football 25? 
Not sure of the specific call, but there’s a fake FG that has the holder doing the over the shoulder pitch….works like a champ.
The Mad Hatter Special. I’m sure that’s a favorite all over the state.

Which archetype is Coach Vincent strongest – Recruiting, Motivation or Scheme? 
Motivation – 74 new players and able to get them on the same page and be functional is amazing.  He’s also been able to get the community interested in buying into the program again.
That’s incredibly important. ULM may be down right now, but a young coach bringing excitement to the fanbase? That sounds familiar…

What game are fans looking forward to most? Why? 
I don’t know if there’s really a game that’s circled.  After the loss to a legit #1 Texas there’s already a vocal minority that are ready to throw in the towel and drop down to the FCS ranks.  What ever the next game at home that coincides with an opening on the LSU schedule is perhaps the most convenient.
Been there. It’s so hard to overcome the SEC in-state fandom.

In one word, describe the UAB win. Why that word? 
Revenge is too easy of a word to describe…..so I’ll go with big – big not just for Vincent and company and their snub from being named the head coach and staff, big for the players that transferred from UAB, big for the Alabama natives that are now Warhawks, big for the Sun Belt to get a win over the American…..BIG.
Agreed, even the Alabama natives who aren’t Warhawks enjoyed that one. Trojans, Jags and Gamecocks alike.

In one word, describe the Texas loss. Why that word? 
Not one word, but “We’re BAAAAAACK” without a doubt, Texas is a legit team with so much talent and speed.  Texas may be the only team that can beat Texas.
Someone had to be the sacrificial lamb, but my question is: is that Texas is BAAAAAACK or ULM?

What are three names on defense Troy fans should pay attention to? Why? 
Bully Pullen at the linebacker position – solid player that’s also a vocal leader of the defense. 
Wydett Williams – 2 picks this season, including one against Arch Manning.  He’s legit in the secondary. 
Carl Glass, Jr. – Monroe native that is making big plays at the LB position.
Sounds like a strong front seven, and a primetime matchup for Devonte Ross.

When ULM snaps the ball, what is most likely to happen? 
Based on the first three weeks of the season, it’s a run by one of the multitude of backs the Warhawks have.

If we wake up Sunday and the underdog wins, what happened the day before? 
Troy is favored by 7.5, so ULM has to show that they can actually pass the ball for a 2-dimensional offense.  They could win on a running attack alone, but it’ll be a tall task.
I think for once that may actually be a tall task for Troy. The pass defense has been the weakness for Troy so far.

What’s one question you have for us about Troy, if you have one (we’ll answer in the article)? 
The NCAA says that Trojan is offensive and you can’t have that as a mascot anymore….what’s the new Troy mascot?
Oh, I LOVE this question. The premise is just crazy enough to engage with it alone. I’m going to bring in my compatriot Ben Whitehead for his take too.
Ben: There are only three choices. “Teachers,” because of Troy’s history as a teacher’s college; “Red Wave,” the nickname used from 1931-1973 and by the 1968 NAIA Championship team; or “Stags,” as a nod to Deer Stand Hill.
Thomas: I think the easy choice is “Warriors.” We could keep the imagery, it reflects our University Code and it ties into the Terracotta Warrior installation on campus.
This is where I tell you, the reader, to let us know on social media what YOU think another nickname could be.

So the key for ULM is to pass the ball more.

That means the inverse is true, Troy has to stop the pass. I think anyone looking at the Trojans’ last few games would agree that the defense is the biggest point of emphasis for improvement. (You like how tactfully I put that?)

Team	Pass Yds Allowed	Pass YPG	Rush Yds Allowed	Rush YPG
Nevada	179	185.6	214	193.4
Memphis	161	281.5	211	152.2
Iowa	178	147.5	284	250.2
FAMU	288	248.5	55	89.3
ULM	TBD	91	TBD	156.7

Nevada, Memphis and Iowa ran the ball so well they didn’t need to pass. The three teams averaged 36 rushes, and basically threw the ball 20 times (Nevada was 18, but that’s the same.)

Then, Troy got a weak run team who turned to the pass… and it worked. The Trojan defense bent; it didn’t break, but it certainly folded against FBS competition.

Thing is, even with FAMU’s 55 yards rushing, the four teams have averaged 191 YARDS RUSHING against Troy. The last two years, only three teams ran for more than that—Ole Miss, Louisiana and Army—all in 2022.

So maybe it’s not as tall a task as Dusty thinks.

It’s not fair to compare a brand new staff with brand new players to an all-time standard, but it is fair to say that’s an area that requires urgent development.

That’s especially true when four of the upcoming teams on Troy’s schedule are in the top 51 nationally for rushing (South 20, Coastal 27, Louisiana 48, Texas State 51)

We’ve learned the hard way that a strong offense isn’t enough to overcome a weak defense (unless your name is Major Applewhite apparently), but Troy isn’t necessarily a world beater on offense either.

Troy is currently No. 81 in the nation in passing and No. 98 in rushing.
ULM is No. 77 in pass defense and No. 63 in rush defense.

What does that tell us? Troy’s passing game and ULM’s run game will be the engines for offensive output.

So either Troy’s run game or ULM’s passing game will be the difference maker. The last two years, that answer was obvious, and I think Troy’s similar running back by committee approach will get the job done.

That leaves us with the original issue. Can ULM pass the ball?

Troy’s pass defense of the past few years, even back to Neal Brown, was crowned by its ability to force turnovers. That scared coordinators from passing too much.

Troy has yet to force a turnover this year.

It’s thrown exactly one, a play that Iowa baited into a pick six. It’s lost just one of three fumbles, too.

But the answer to a better defense? Making turnovers.

It has to happen at some point.

The defense has to make a statement.

It has to find an identity.

Tell them they’re Trojans.

Troy 35, ULM 24.

Special thanks to Dusty. You can follow him on Twitter here.