Louisiana-Monroe football looking to bounce back against Nicholls after loss at Texas
Louisiana-Monroe football coach Terry Bowden knew going into the Texas game, they would need to minimize the big plays by the Longhorns (1-0), that still wasn't enough to avoid a 52-10 loss on Saturday.
"They played too well in all phases of the game," Bowden said. "They were better than us in all phases of the game."
The Warhawks (0-1) are in their second year of reconstruction under Terry Bowden and are coming off a 4-8 season. They host Nicholls on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN3) at Malone Stadium, their first home game of the season. The last time these teams played each other in 2015, ULM won 47-0. The Warhawks leads the series 23-3.
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Last week the Colonels (0-1) lost 48-7 at South Alabama. Nicholls finished 6-5 last season including a close 27-24 loss to the Ragin' Cajuns, the defending Sun Belt Conference Champions.
Going into Saturday's matchup. Bowden emphasized the importance the crowd plays in gaining a home field advantage.
"It's critical that we have a good home crowd," Bowden said.
Bowden said the Nicholls squad has characteristics similar to the Warhawks, one of them being the week-by-week mentality to prove they can play competitive football at a high level. The Warhawks are set to face Nick Saban's Alabama team, Bowden said Saturday is still a big match up for ULM.
"To not worry about this one and worry about Alabama is a waste of time," Bowden said.
Bowden said playing Nicholls in between a loss at Texas, and the upcoming Alabama game is one that players also recognize they need a win Saturday before heading on to the following week. His goal for this season is to reach a bowl eligibility, Bowden said in order for that to become a possibility the Warhawks need to double down to secure wins that are within reach.
"Be sure to win the ones you've got a chance of win," Bowden said. " Favored or not favored, we're more in the ballpark to play our best football."
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: ULM football regroups after Texas loss, will host Nicholls on Saturday
