THE BASICS
The ULM football team is set to kickoff the 2024 season on Thursday night with the season opener versus Jackson State at 6 p.m. from Malone Stadium in Monroe, La.
Thursday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Sean Fox (play-by-play) and Desmund Lighten (analyst) with the call. The game also will air on KLIP105.3 FMwith the Voice of the Warhawks, Mike Hammett, and analyst Mike McGee.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Tickets are available through the ULM Ticket Office by calling 318-342-HAWK or by clicking here. Fans can refer to the football parking map and information page.
The ticket office opens at 10 a.m. on gameday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and will close at 3:30 p.m. (2.5 hours until kickoff). Ticket booths outside Malone Stadium open at 4 p.m. The parking lots open at 10 a.m. and the stadium gates open at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday night's game is a White Out, and fans can purchase the 2024 White Out shirt onlineor at the ULM Bookstore.
The Warhawk Walk begins at 3:35 p.m. and fans can join the ULM Band and spirit groups by welcomingthe teamto Malone Stadium.
FIRST-AND-10 –
• The ULM football team is set to begin its 74th season in program history and opens the 2024 season in Monroe on Thursday Night Football versus Jackson State at Malone Stadium with a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+. Bryant Vincent will make his ULM coaching debut in Thursday night's opener.
• A new era of ULM football is set to embark, as Head Coach Bryant Vincent was introduced on December 6, 2023 as the 17th head coach in Warhawk football history. Vincent and his staff welcomed 35 new signees during the early signing period in December, added 16 more on National Signing Day in February and 22 players during the spring signing period for a total of 73 new additions to the roster.
• In its 73-year football history, ULM is 31-40-2 (.438) in season openers, including a 5-5 record (.500) in its last 10 games. This marks the first time the Warhawks have played on a Thursday night since the 2019 season, when ULM defeated Texas State on the road in Sun Belt Conference action, 24-14 on Oct. 10, 2019. The last time the Warhawks opened the season on a Thursday night inside Malone Stadium was in 2018 when ULM edged Southeastern, 34-31, on Aug. 30, 2018.
• Saturday's game marks the second meeting between ULM and Jackson State. ULM won the only previous meeting, 12-7, on Sept. 18, 2021. Calum Sutherland kicked a career-high four field goals to lead the Warhawks to victory in ULM's home opener. The Warhawk defense forced a trio of turnovers and limited Jackson State to 269 total yards and 26 rushing yards. Tigers' quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 27-of-40 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown in his third career start for JSU.
• ULM's 12-game football schedule features six home games for the fourth time in the last six seasons (previously in 2019, 2021 and 2023). Overall, it marks the seventh time that the Warhawks have played a six-game home schedule in Malone Stadium since joining the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A).
According to Phil Steele, the Warhawks have the toughest schedule in the Sun Belt and Group of Five, with the 64th toughest schedule in the nation. ULM's opponents carried a winning percentage of .565 last season, which is the highest opponent winning percentage in the Sun Belt and No. 34 in the country.
The Warhawks' 2024 opponents went a combined 87-67 (.565) last season, with six opponents posting .500 or better records, including three teams that posted double-digit win totals, in Texas (12-2) Troy (11-3) and James Madison (11-2). In addition, eight foes also participated in postseason bowl games a year ago: Texas (CFP Semifinal/Allstate Sugar Bowl), Marshall (Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl), Troy (76 Birmingham Bowl), Arkansas State (Camellia Bowl), James Madison (Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl), South Alabama (68 Ventures Bowl), Texas State (SERVPRO First Responder Bowl) and the Ragin' Cajuns (R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl).
• Redshirt Junior General Booty has been named starting quarterback for Thursday's season opener versus Jackson State. Booty arrives in Monroe after spending the last two seasons at Oklahoma,
making two appearances. Before his time in Norman, Booty started his collegiate career at Tyler Junior College in 2021, starting in all 12 games and leading his team to a 7-5 season and a victory in the TIPS-CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl. Booty led the NJCAA in completions (266), attempts (436) and passing yards (3,410), throwing for 27 touchdowns (11 interceptions) and an average of 284.2 yards per game to rank second nationally. He also scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground and racked up 250 rushing yards.
The Shreveport, La., native was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports out of high school and played his senior season at Allen (Texas) High School, where he passed for 2,235 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 401 yards and nine touchdowns. Booty spent time at four different high schools in his career including JSerra Catholic (Calif.), Cornerstone Christian (Texas) and Corona del Mar (Calif.).
Several of Booty's relatives are well-known for being standouts in athletics. Booty's father, Abram, played wide receiver at LSU and had a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns. His uncle, John David won a pair of Rose Bowls at USC and was named All-Pac 10 in 2006 before playing in the NFL for four seasons. His uncle Josh was a quarterback for LSU and played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and also in the NFL. Booty's grandfather, Johnny, played quarterback at Arkansas and Mississippi State.
• Junior running back Hunter Smith accounted for 507 yards and three touchdowns last season, averaging 5.4 yards/carry and earned Athlon Sports Preseason All- Sun Belt Third-Team recognition. Smith highlights ULM's running backs room that features redshirt sophom*ore Bennett Galloway, UAB transfer Taven Curry and JUCO transfers James Jones and Ozarrio Smith. True freshman tailback Ahmad Hardy provides depth in the ground game for ULM.
• Two-time All-NEC Second Team wide receiver and kick returner Davon Wells was added to ULM's roster during the spring signing period. Wells, a Long Island University transfer, was voted First Team All-NEC at All Purpose and Punt Returner by FCS Football Central. Tyler Griffin (UCF transfer), Amir McGruder (Snow College transfer), Artis Cole (Fresno State transfer) and Javon Campbell (Dodge City CC transfer) add depth to the wide receiver room. At tight end, Wesley Campbell VI arrives from Dodge City CC along with Nate Sullivan from Iowa Western CC.
• A two-year starter on the Warhawk offensive line, Elijah Fisher has racked up multiple preseason accolades including Athlon Sports All-SBC Second Team offense and Phil Steele All-SBC Team honors. The offensive guard picked up Honorable Mention All-SBC recognition following the 2023 season. Fisher was one of ULM's representatives at 2024 Sun Belt Media Days and is set to begin his fifth season at ULM. JMU transfer Carter Miller highlights ULM's additions on the offensive line after appearing in 15 games throughout two seasons for the Dukes. New Mexico transfer Devon Smith arrives after appearing in four games and starting in three during the 2023 season and was an NJCAA Academic Scholar All-American offensive lineman at Jones College.
• On the defensive side, ULM has four starters returning including defensive lineman Jaylan Ware. Ware made 54 total tackles, including six tackles for loss and one fumble recovery, in his first season at ULM after transferring from Hinds Community College, earning Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt honors. Dylan Howell also returns to the defensive line for the Warhawks after making 35 total tackles, four TFLs and three sacks, including two pass breakups and one fumble recovery last season.
First-team junior college All-American edge rusher and MACCC Defensive Player of the Year Billy Pullen arrives in Monroe after recording 13 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss at Co-Lin in 2023. Jaden Hamlin, the No. 1 junior college defensive tackle prospect and NJCCA Second-Team All-American at Southwest Mississippi Community College, made 30.0 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack last season.
• A Monroe native, Carl Glass Jr. has accumulated 82 tackles, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks after transferring from Harding. The senior linebacker landed on Athlon Sports' Preseason All-SBC Third Team defense and Phil Steele Preseason defense. Glass tallied 59.0 total tackles last season to go along with 7.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Travor Randle is back for ULM after making 40 tackles and 1.5 TFLs last season. Transfer Tyrese Hopkins recorded 65.0 tackles and a pair of sacks in 2023 at East Mississippi Community College. ULM also added JUCO transfers Daniel Knudsen (NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American at Iowa Central Community College) and Jacob Foster (First Team All-MACCC at Northeast Mississippi CC) to the 2024 roster at linebacker.
• ULM's secondary features two returning starters. Car'lin Vigers, who was named to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List and Athlon Sports Preseason All-SBC Third Team, racked up 93 tackles, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one interception, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick in two seasons for ULM. David Godsey Jr. recorded an interception in three consecutive games last season and returns as a Phil Steele Preseason All- SBC honoree. Transfers Wydett Williams Jr. (Delta State) and Carl Fauntroy (UAB) were added to ULM's roster during the offseason.
• Florida State transfer kicker Max Larson and Kyabram, Australia punter Makenzie Ryan were added to ULM's roster during the spring signing period to round out the special teams unit.
• Broderick Fobbs, returns to the ULM coaching staff as the running backs coach. Fobbs previously served as Grambling State's head coach for eight seasons. Fobbs' brother, Jamaal Fobbs, joins the Warhawks' coaching staff this season as the team's wide receivers coach. ULM's coaching staff features nine new assistant coaches including Earnest Hill (Defensive Coordinator/Safties), Cameron Blankenship (Offensive Line), Taylor Dupuis (Quarterbacks), Sammy Joseph (Cornerbacks), Alec Osborne (Inside Linebackers), Troy Reffett (Outside Linebackers), Brady Vincent (Tight Ends) and Davern Williams (Defensive Line).
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