The Warhawks return home for Homecoming looking to rebound against a familiar foe: the FAU Owls. Former rivals in the Sun Belt Conference, ULM and FAU have not met since 2012, when the Warhawks rolled to a 35-14 victory. While that matchup may feel like a lifetime ago, it remains the last chapter in a series that now gets a brief home and home series, with the Warhawks making the return trip next season.
Much has changed for both programs since then. FAU departed the Sun Belt for Conference USA before eventually landing in the American Athletic Conference. Along the way, the Owls enjoyed one of the most successful stretches in program history under Lane Kiffin, who revitalized the program from 2017-19 and posted a 26-13 record during his time in Boca Raton.
Today, the Owls are led by one of college football's brightest young offensive minds, head coach Zach Kittley. Kittley has quickly transformed FAU into one of the top offensive teams in the AAC, building his attack around quarterback Caden Veltkamp. The signal caller followed Kittley from Western Kentucky and brought a familiar target with him in wide receiver Easton Messer. Together, the duo has helped power an offense that ranks second in the conference in passing, averaging 288 yards through the air per game.
As explosive as the Owls have been offensively, their defense has struggled to keep pace. FAU enters the matchup ranked last in the AAC defensively, surrendering 458 yards per game through its first three contests. That number is inflated somewhat by a season-opening matchup at Florida in which the Gators piled up 624 yards of offense, but even outside of that game, the Owls have had difficulty slowing opposing attacks and getting off the field consistently.
That presents a significant opportunity for ULM as it searches for its first victory of the season.
The Warhawks' offense has shown flashes behind the dual-threat ability of quarterback Austin Carlisle and the steady production of running backs Derrick Jameson and Bryson Roland. However, if ULM hopes to capitalize on FAU's defensive deficiencies, the passing game must become a larger part of the equation.
Wide receivers Nic Trujillo, JP Coulter, and Parker Fulghum possess the talent to stretch defenses and create explosive plays, but opportunities have been limited thus far.
Through the opening stretch of the season, the trio has combined for just 16 receptions. Against an FAU defense that has routinely allowed opponents to move the ball through the air, their involvement could be the key to unlocking the Warhawks' offense.
If ULM can establish balance, complement its rushing attack with a more consistent aerial game, and take advantage of FAU's defensive vulnerabilities, the Warhawks could be well-positioned to spoil the Owls' trip to Monroe and give the Homecoming crowd plenty to celebrate.
