ULM travels to El Paso to face the Miners of UTEP
The 1-1 ULM Warhawks head to El Paso, Texas, to take on the 1-2 UTEP Miners at the Sun Bowl. ULM is coming off a much-needed bye week after suffering a 73-0 loss on the road at Alabama. UTEP, on the other hand, is coming off a loss at Texas, 27-10, in a game that the Miners should not hang their heads over.
This will be the second time that ULM and UTEP have faced off. The first game came during the 2020 season, and UTEP emerged victorious 31-6. ULM is looking to bounce back and right the ship before it gets too late, while UTEP is already at a critical point due to having two losses on the season.
ULM
ULM would like to pretend that September 6th, 2025, never happened. Absolutely nothing went right for them. The Alabama offense could not be stopped, and the Alabama defense was just too much to handle. The Alabama offense had 583 total yards, with seven receiving touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. ULM’s offense was held to 38 total yards in the first half with only two first downs. Unfortunately for ULM, the second half wasn’t any better. During the third quarter, Alabama really ate the clock as they removed their starters from the game. In the fourth quarter, ULM had three true possessions and their fourth closed the game. Their possessions in the fourth quarter ended with two fumbles and a turnover on downs. The only positive in the game was the close line tackle by ULM punter Makenzie Ryan.
ULM must get back to what they do best and that is running the ball. Running back Braylon McReynolds has pretty much secured himself as RB1, but ULM has five running backs that can make plays happen. The big question that remains is, can ULM get the passing game going? Quarterback Aidan Armenta has completed 54.1% of his passes for 123 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground Armenta has recorded seven carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. If Armenta can get going, the offense will find its groove.
Defensively, ULM needs to grow from what they experienced. Unfortunately, they were severely overmatched in key spots. D’Arco Perkins-McAllister has shown that he is a leader on the defense. His veteran presence stands out when he takes the field. For the defense to bounce back, Perkins-McAllister along with Korian Wilson and Kamrin Canterberry must take charge this weekend, as they will be seeing a very good passing offense with UTEP.
UTEP
UTEP played their hearts out in Austin, Texas last Saturday. The Miners defense held Arch Manning to just 11-25 passing for 114 yards with one touchdown and one interception. UTEP held Texas to just 340 total yards and were in the game until the end. The Texas defense proved to be too much, and all hopes of a possible comeback slowly dwindled away. It was a valiant effort.
Malachi Nelson was a five-star quarterback coming out of high school in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. In high school, Nelson suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder and opted to play through the pain. He had surgery to repair it prior to going to USC and the recovery from the surgery caused severe discomfort and delayed his development as a quarterback. This led to him making the decision to transfer to Boise State and after losing out to Maddux Madsen in the 2024 season he re-entered the transfer portal and is now at UTEP as QB1. In his first season as a starter, he has completed 62.5% of his passes for 665 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Defensively, UTEP showed that they can play with the best. After their performance against Texas, the momentum has to be high for the Miners. One player to keep an eye on is Udoka Ezeani, the star defensive back is all over the field and can make plays everywhere. He is currently tied for the team lead with two sacks. The Miners’ defense has 10 sacks on the season and creating the negative play is their bread and butter. Defensive tackle KD Johnson stuffs the run with ease and wreaks havoc on the offensive line.
ULM vs UTEP
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 20th at 9:00p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 95.5 FM KLAQ
Click here for information on tickets. ULM fans can also contact the ticket office at (915) 747-UTEP (8837)
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