ULM Warhawks Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
ULM Warhawks Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the ULM season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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ULM Warhawks Preview
Head Coach: Terry Bowden, 2nd year at ULM, 4-8
27th year overall, 179-122-2, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 4-8, Conference: 2-6
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
ULM Top 10 Players | ULM Schedule & Analysis
ULM Warhawks Preview 2022
There was a moment.
No one was expecting anything coming off an 0-10 season and without a winning season since 2012, but all of a sudden ULM looked like it was on track to go bowling in Terry Bowden’s first year.
The Warhawks shocked Liberty and beat South Alabama for a 4-3 start, had two winnable games in the last five, and then …
4-8.
But to be fair, four of those last five were on the road and three of those were against LSU, Louisiana, and Appalachian State. The other two games – at Texas State and against Arkansas State – were close.
Now there are just enough veterans to make a push for those six wins, even if it’s going to take something miraculous against an even tougher schedule to make that happen.
ULM Warhawks Preview 2022: Offense
There were too many problems on third downs, the downfield passing attack wasn’t there, and the offensive line was a turnstile. However, the offense had a few decent moments and there’s just enough experience back to be better. However …
The offensive line has the be a LOT better, and it has to do it without left tackle Willie Tyler off to Rutgers. Two starters are back and there’s a little help from the transfer portal with Zarian McGill an important get at center.
The running game didn’t have any room to move, but the two main backs return. Andrew Henry led the team with 482 yards and four scores, and Malik Jackson ran for 451 yards and added more burst. Jackson, though, will likely work mostly at receiver after flirting with the transfer portal.
This should be Chandler Rogers’ show to run – he likely won’t be splitting time like he did last year. The sophomore was third on the team in rushing and led the was with 1,311 passing yards with nine touchdowns and three picks.
The delightfully-named Boogie Knight earned All-Sun Belt status as the team’s leading receiver, but he’s not alone with most of the top targets back for Rogers to spread it around. That includes TE Zach Rasmussen – three of his catches went for touchdowns.
ULM Warhawks Preview 2022: Defense
The offense struggled, and the defense didn’t do a whole lot to help. There wasn’t enough push into the backfield, and the pass defense was among the worst in the country, but the group did a decent job of taking the ball away and wasn’t totally awful against the run.
The linebacking corps in the 4-2-5 has a thumper in Zack Woodard. If he doesn’t lead the team in tackles, he’ll be close, Quae Drake adds some experience and hitting ability on the outside, and the hope is for Harding transfer Carl Glass to work in a hybrid role like another safety on the field.
The front four might be one of the teams earlier strengths. There’s good size, and what the depth lacks in experience it makes up for in bulk. Top end Ty Shelby is done. but the tackle combination of Caleb Thomas and Quincy Ledet should be able to hold up.
The secondary struggled, so losing corner Josh Newton to TCU and S Nick Roberts to SMU isn’t that massive. However, this group needs to find playmakers in a big hurry. It’s not a total do-over, but it’s not far off around third-leading tackler Jabari Johnson.
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
ULM Top 10 Players | ULM Schedule & Analysis
ULM Warhawks: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
ULM Warhawks: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
ULM Warhawks: Key To The 2022 Offense
Be more effective running the ball.
It all starts with being able to keep defenses out of the backfield on a regular basis.
Last year’s Warhawk offensive front allowed 39 sacks and 104 tackles for loss, and it all led to big problems on third downs, stalled drives, and a passing game that had to force things. For now, just blasting away a bit better on early downs for the ground game would make a big difference.
ULM doesn’t have to start cranking out 200 yards a game – it hasn’t rushed for 200 since the end of the 2019 season – but it has to start averaging more than four yards per carry. That has happened just four times over the last 22 games.
ULM Warhawks: Key To The 2022 Defense
The pass defense has to be more effective.
That might be tough with a revamped secondary, but the pass rush should be just good enough to help the cause.
Last year’s pass defense got ripped to shreds, allowing 289 yards per game, over eight yards per pass, and allowed 240 yards or more against everyone but Liberty and Louisiana – oddly enough.
Overall the defense wasn’t all that bad in scoring D late last season, but it can’t give up big yards – the O won’t be able to keep up.
ULM Warhawks: Key Player To The 2022 Season
OT Victor Cutler, Soph.
Is he ready to be a factor on the outside? The 6-3, 292-pounder is more of a natural center, but the Warhawks might have come up with the answer for the position through the transfer portal.
Cutler might technically be a sophomore, but this is his fourth year, and he’s going to get every shot to take over for Willie Tyler. If he’s great, that makes a whole lot of things easier.
ULM Warhawks: Key Transfer
WR Tyrone Howell, Sr.
The Warhawk offense needs more dangerous receiving weapons and more deep threats. It has veterans, and it has a No. 1 guy in Boogie Knight and several options back in the mix. However, the 6-2, 202-pound Kansas State transfer might just be the breakout downfield playmaker.
He only caught seven passes for 98 yards last year for the Wildcats, but he’ll make an already decent situation even better.
ULM Key Game To The 2022 Season
Louisiana, Sept. 17
It’s asking a ton to rise up and rock against the defending Sun Belt champs, but Louisiana is changing things up a bit with a new coaching staff, it’s early in the season, and the Warhawks almost pulled off the shocker with a 21-16 rivalry loss late last year.
More on this in the next section, but as tough as this might be, it could be one of the most winnable games until November. Lose, and a 1-7 start is possible before getting the week off.
ULM Warhawks: 2021 Fun Stats
– 1st half scoring: Opponents 245 – ULM 101
– Penalties: Opponents 70 for 694 yards – ULM 45 for 391 yards
– Time of Possession: Opponents 31:09 – ULM 28:40
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
ULM Top 10 Players | ULM Schedule & Analysis
ULM Warhawks Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
ULM Warhawks Season Prediction, What Will Happen
The four wins of 2021 was a nice step forward, but it’s going to take something special for the 2022 version to match that or do more.
There weren’t major improvements from the transfer portal, and the Achilles heel – the offensive line – might need a long while before it’s okay again.
However, the receiving corps should be terrific, the defensive line is promising, and head coach Terry Bowden should field a solid staring 22.
Here’s the problem …
Set The ULM Warhawks Regular Season Win Total At … 4
At Alabama, at Texas – forget about those two.
There are plenty of 50/50 games on the slate, but other than Nicholls and the home date against Texas State coming off a bye, there aren’t a lot of games the Warhawks will likely be favorites in.
The more winnable games against Arkansas State and South Alabama are on the road, and going to Army, Georgia State, and Troy might be a hard no more than it seems.
But there will be at least one upset somewhere, and the floor is going to realistically be three wins, but it’s going to take a big push to get past four.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
ULM Top 10 Players | ULM Schedule & Analysis
