Auburn, Hugh Freeze Know Better than Overlooking ULM Warhawks

The ULM Warhawks are looking to become bowl eligible against a struggling Auburn Tigers team.

ULM freshman running back Ahmad Hardy is No. 18 in rushing yards nationally this season. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

When media and fans see the University of Louisiana-Monroe on the Auburn Tigers schedule, they automatically think the Tigers win the game. While possibly true, Louisiana-Monroe needs this game, and it probably matters more to them than it does Auburn. 

At 5-4, the Warhawks become bowl-eligible with a win. Furthermore, a win at Jordan-Hare goes an infinite way towards recruiting for a school stuck in the middle of nowhere, gasping for air in the Sun Belt Conference. 

If Auburn doesn't assert early authority, this game becomes the most embarrassing loss of the year. In a year of head-scratching losses, this one would stand alone. 

“Well, we don’t take anyone lightly, from the staff’s perspective,” head coach Hugh Freeze said of the Warhawks. “I hope that our team certainly won’t. We should have learned enough lessons about that over the course of time here. This is a good football team that plays really hard and has good schemes, good coaches, and enough players to scare you.” 

Nothing Fancy

Make no mistake, nothing ULM wants to accomplish in the Plains will look complex or intricate on offense. Without a shadow of a doubt, the visitors from the Sun Belt want to establish the run. Behind freshman running back Ahmad Hardy, the Warhawks want to grind the Tigers  down to dust. 

Ahmad Hardy finishes a 13-play, 75-yard drive with his 8th rushing touchdown of the season 😤@Ahmadhardy29 pic.twitter.com/TonDWI2GEv

— ULM Football (@ULM_FB) November 9, 2024

Not the largest back Auburn will face this season, Hardy (5'10", 205 pounds) looks like one of the most decisive. With one cut, he makes his mind to get downfield. Additionally, blessed with the ability to reach a second gear, Hady displays some breakaway talent. 

Most importantly, he looks like a volume back. Meaning, with 65 carries in his last three games, Auburn will see plenty of him, early, often, and everywhere in between.

Historic Desperation

With a win on Saturday, ULM clinches bowl eligibility, heading to a bowl game for just the second time in school history. Though to be fair, they were in the playoffs for a good part of their history including, a I-AA National Championship in 1987.

However, the Warhawks can lay claim to just-one winning season since making the full-time jump do D1-A in 1994.

As result, reaching that magic number of six wins becomes of utmost importance to the program. In all honesty, fans and local media are hellbent on making a bowl. Under those circumstances, they truly will play with house money, absolutely nothing to lose. Free as a bird, ULM will throw everything they can at Auburn. Imagine trick plays and misdirection all over the field. 

Overview

On paper, Auburn should wipe the turf with Louisiana-Monroe. ESPN gives the Tigers a 93% chance of winning as a three-score favorite. They possess advantages at every single position on the field. Auburn's fourth-string could start for ULM tomorrow. However, the Warhawks, all season show traits that have eluded 2024 version of the Auburn Tigers: purpose and direction. 

Whether it starts at the top or not, the Tigers could stand to emulate ULM in that respect. If Auburn wins on Saturday, they earned it. Louisiana-Monroe will arrive at Jordan-Hare looking to bring the fight to Auburn. The Tigers mustn’t become lazy and toy with their opponents.

 If the opportunity to end the game from a competitive standpoint surfaces, take it. Allowing the Warhawks to hang around doesn't help.