Saturday Blitz
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ULM Football: Can offensive talent push Warhawks to a bowl game?

By Jackson Caudell

TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 7: Wide Receiver Xavier Brown #17 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks makes a touchdown catch over Cornerback Kyle Meyers #14 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 7, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Louisiana Monroe 45 to 44 in overtime. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 7: Wide Receiver Xavier Brown #17 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks makes a touchdown catch over Cornerback Kyle Meyers #14 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 7, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Louisiana Monroe 45 to 44 in overtime. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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Corey Straughter, ULM football (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
Corey Straughter, ULM football (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

The defense has nowhere to go but up

Louisiana-Monroe produced one of the worst defenses in the country last season.

They finished the year ranked last in the Sun Belt in points allowed, rushing defense and total defense. There is a lot of work that is going to need to be done, but the positive is that they can’t get much worse and there is nowhere to go but up.

The defensive line is looking to replace four of its top six players, but does return its second-leading pass rusher in defensive end Kerry Starks, who did have five sacks last season and defensive end Ty Shelby will be looking to add to his total after only earning 1.5 sacks last season.

Pass rush is going to be a big concern for this defense, with last year’s leading sack man Donald Louis Jr. no longer with the Warhawks. Dayonte Roberts and Mason Husmann will be the new starting interior for ULM and they will be looking to lead the improvement from a bad defense to a more competent one.

The linebacking unit will be missing last years leading tackler with Cortez Sisco Jr. gone and it will be up too Rashaad Harding to lead the group as he is the top returning tackler to the team in 2020. ULM employs a 4-2-5 scheme on defense and one of the other spots will be filled by Traveion Webster, who did get 27 tackles in backup duty last year. The linebackers will be key in improving this defense and they will need to be better than last season.

The strength of the defense lies in the secondary.

Defensive back Corey Straughter was a first team All-Sun Belt selection in 2019 and will be looking to lead this defense in 2020 after having five interceptions and 10 pass deflections. Safety Tyler Glass is back for his senior season and he was the teams second leading tackler last season after finishing with 75 tackles last season and he will hoping to be a more complete safety in 2020.  The other starting cornerback Josh Newton, who started as a true freshman, is back and will be manning the other side of the field opposite of Straughter.

The secondary was a real strength of the team and they will need to be even better if the Warhawks want to improve on defense and make a run at a bowl game.

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