The first half was a dud for both teams, but the Red Wolves made the halftime adjustment to take over the second half, rolling with the hot hand of Corey Rucker and downhill momentum from running back Zak Wallace, who recorded his first 100 yard game of his Red Wolves career.

The first half was one of frustration for Red Wolves freshman quarterback Jaylen Raynor, who was only 6-16 for 145 yards and a pick. Only his connections with sophomore wide receiver Corey Rucker prevented the Red Wolves from total offensive ineptitude, connecting four times for 125 first half yards, one a 58 yard pass that set up a Raynor TD run. The half ended 10-9, which ULM’s Derek McCormick hitting three of three field goals.

Warhawks opened the second half with a TD drive, but a suddenly potent Red Wolves run game set up a counter-score from Raynor to Courtney Jackson, the latter his sixth TD of the season. Raynor would follow it up a couple possessions later with another huge pass to Rucker, followed by a 34 yard TD scamper from Wallace to push the lead to 8.

The game was iced by an incredible goal-line catch from Raynor to Jeff Foreman and a shot rumble-in from Wallace. Final Red Wolves points came on a 41 field goal from Dominic Zvada. ULM scored a trash time score to 34-24.

As much as it was the offense making plays in the fourth quarter, the Red Wolves defense was the playmaker, holding the Warhawks to field goals in the first half as Jaylen Raynor and Co. figured out how to crack the ULM defense. Linebackers Charles Willekes and Javante Mackey led the team in tackles. The Warhawks’ freshman QB, Blake Murphy, acquitted himself well despite the Red Wolves defensive performance, racking up 300 passing yards and two scores.

Jaylon Raynor, after a very slow start, finished the game 15/30 for 298 yards and two total touchdowns. Wallace chipped in 118 yards and a pair of scores, and Corey Rucker finished with another Warhawks-killing stat line: 160 yards on six receptions.

IMAGE: Mine