It was a victory so significant that it was celebrated on at least one billboard in Louisiana.
On Nov. 17 of last year, Louisiana-Monroe went to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa as a prohibitive underdog and knocked off mighty Alabama 21-14. It was, beyond any question, the biggest day in the school’s football history.
On Aug. 30, ULM will return to the state of Alabama and try to inspire more billboards when it plays Auburn, the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference West, at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn scheduled ULM to be a certain victory. So did Alabama. That’s why any SEC team schedules such games. On the Warhawks’ last two trips to Jordan-Hare Stadium, they’ve been outscored 104-7.
But Charlie Weatherbie, in his sixth season as ULM coach, says things are different now. ULM won five of its last six games last season to finish 6-6, its best record in 13 years, and is picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference.
“We’ve got a chance to be a real fine football team,” Weatherbie said at the Sun Belt Conference Media Days. “We’ll see. It’s going to come down to how healthy we can stay and keeping players on the field.”
The Warhawks won’t be intimidated by first-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s fast-paced spread. They run a similar offense themselves, and they gave Franklin's offense some trouble in his two seasons at Troy, falling 24-7 last season.
“It won’t bother them,” Franklin said. “They’ve seen it before, and they practice against something like it every day. We should win the game, but if people are expecting a walkover kind of game, they might be disappointed.”
The Warhawks lost four starters on offense and five on defense, but they return dangerous quarterback Kinsomon Lancaster. Last season, Lancaster passed for 1,866 yards and 13 touchdowns. In a 43-40 win over Middle Tennessee State, he accounted for 402 yards offense. Tight end Zeek Zacharie, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior, is a preseason All-SBC choice and a formidable weapon receiving or blocking.
The strength of the defense is at linebacker, where three starters return in Josh Thompson, Cardia Jackson and Theo Smith.
The biggest issue facing the Warhawks going into the season is on the offensive line, where four starters are gone.
“Up front, we’ve got to mold and come together,” Weatherbie said. “We’re going to have four new starters, and that’s going to determine how we go.”
LOUISIANA-MONROE SNAPSHOT
Head coach: Charlie Weatherbie, 6th season
Last season’s record: 6-6 overall, 4-3 in SBC
Offensive starters returning: 7
Defensive starters returning: 6
