Scouting Report: Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

(3-2) (2-1 Sun Belt)

Kickoff: 12:00 PM, October 11th, 2014

This weekend, the Warhawks of Monroe, Louisiana come to town to try to upset one of three SEC teams on their schedule.  ULM was stomped by LSU earlier in the season, falling 31-0 to the Tigers.  A few weeks from now, they’ll play Texas A&M.  But tomorrow, it’s Kentucky’s turn to try and earn its fifth win of the season.  Coming off of the biggest win of the Mark Stoops era, the (4-1) Wildcats hope to become one win away from bowl eligibility.  

So how are things stacking up for tomorrow’s matchup?  Let’s have a look at Louisiana-Monroe.

Offense:  Led by quarterback Pete Thomas, the Warhawks are averaging 18.2 points per game this season.  Thomas, who has thrown for 1,159 yards and 5 TDs, has a tough day ahead of him with Kentucky’s defense waiting to pounce.  Their offense is averaging 251 yards per game through the air, but with pressure supplied by UK, expect to see this number drop.  Their offensive line will struggle to keep guys like Bud and Za’Darius out of the backfield.

On the ground, the Warhawks are lead by RB Centarius Donald.  This season, Donald has rushed for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns so far.  Questionable play from Kentucky’s linebackers have coaches curious to see who will step up.  The Cats gave up a lot of yardage to Mike Davis last week, but the matchup tomorrow will be much easier. ULM is only averaging 86 yards per game rushing.

Defense:  Statistically speaking, Louisiana-Monroe has a pretty good defense.  Keep in mind, however, that they are mostly playing teams from the Sun Belt conference.  Nonetheless, the Warhawks rank in at No.62 in pass defense (125.69 yards per game) and No. 52 in rush defense (140.6 yards per game).  As long as Kentucky’s offense remains focused, they should have no problem moving the ball.  Especially if we see JoJo back in the Wildcat formation.  Coach Brown even hinted they we may see a few different looks out of it.

Patrick Towles will want to steer clear of safety Mitch Lane through the air.  Lane leads the Warhawks’ defense with 40 tackles and 3 interceptions.  He’s clearly the most talented player on defense, and if you let him, he’ll make big plays that can come back to haunt you.  As long as Towles doesn’t make a bad throw in his direction, the Cats should be okay passing the ball.  ULM is giving up 24 points per game this season, but I foresee much more on the board for Kentucky.

Verdict:  Some see this as a trap game, but I don’t think it’ll be 1994 all over again.  Kentucky will have a nice tune-up before facing the real team of Louisiana.  ULM will have a tough time moving the ball on offense, while Kentucky will continue its success following the victory over South Carolina.  Coach Stoops will have the Cats focused on the task at hand, and #BBN will head home one win away from bowl eligibility.

Kentucky wins 42-10.