Warhawks look for homecoming rebound

Dusty Thibodeaux • September 26, 2026

ULM set for homecoming dance with familiar foe


The Warhawks return home for Homecoming looking to rebound against a familiar foe: the FAU Owls. Former rivals in the Sun Belt Conference, ULM and FAU have not met since 2012, when the Warhawks rolled to a 35-14 victory. While that matchup may feel like a lifetime ago, it remains the last chapter in a series that now gets a brief home and home series, with the Warhawks making the return trip next season.


Much has changed for both programs since then. FAU departed the Sun Belt for Conference USA before eventually landing in the American Athletic Conference. Along the way, the Owls enjoyed one of the most successful stretches in program history under Lane Kiffin, who revitalized the program from 2017-19 and posted a 26-13 record during his time in Boca Raton.


Today, the Owls are led by one of college football's brightest young offensive minds, head coach Zach Kittley. Kittley has quickly transformed FAU into one of the top offensive teams in the AAC, building his attack around quarterback Caden Veltkamp. The signal caller followed Kittley from Western Kentucky and brought a familiar target with him in wide receiver Easton Messer. Together, the duo has helped power an offense that ranks second in the conference in passing, averaging 288 yards through the air per game.


As explosive as the Owls have been offensively, their defense has struggled to keep pace. FAU enters the matchup ranked last in the AAC defensively, surrendering 458 yards per game through its first three contests. That number is inflated somewhat by a season-opening matchup at Florida in which the Gators piled up 624 yards of offense, but even outside of that game, the Owls have had difficulty slowing opposing attacks and getting off the field consistently.


That presents a significant opportunity for ULM as it searches for its first victory of the season.


The Warhawks' offense has shown flashes behind the dual-threat ability of quarterback Austin Carlisle and the steady production of running backs Derrick Jameson and Bryson Roland. However, if ULM hopes to capitalize on FAU's defensive deficiencies, the passing game must become a larger part of the equation.

Wide receivers Nic Trujillo, JP Coulter, and Parker Fulghum possess the talent to stretch defenses and create explosive plays, but opportunities have been limited thus far.


Through the opening stretch of the season, the trio has combined for just 16 receptions. Against an FAU defense that has routinely allowed opponents to move the ball through the air, their involvement could be the key to unlocking the Warhawks' offense.


If ULM can establish balance, complement its rushing attack with a more consistent aerial game, and take advantage of FAU's defensive vulnerabilities, the Warhawks could be well-positioned to spoil the Owls' trip to Monroe and give the Homecoming crowd plenty to celebrate.



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The Tulane $5 Million Dollar Question

By Patrick Harkness • November 10, 2026
The Tulane $5 Million Dollar Question FOX 8's Garland Gillen reported today that if Tulane wants to move on from Will Hall after this season, "it's going to cost between five and six million dollars." He said he did "a lot of searching and digging" and called it "the number." I'm not buying it, nothing against Garland I’m just calling BS and here’s why. What's actually public: Tulane is a private school. Hall's contract has never been released. No document has been shown. Contract trackers that won't guess, including CFB Apex and TWO·DEEP, still list the buyout as unpublished or as having no supportable figure. Gillen did not cite a contract, a named source, or a breakdown of what that $5 to $6 million even covers. Until somebody does, it's a report, not a fact we can check. How we got here The Wave is 4-5 (2-3) after a 60-10 homecoming loss to Tulsa on Nov. 7, the kind of night that ends coaches. Athletic director David Harris called the performance "unacceptable," said he was "embarrassed," and said the season "has not met the expectations of our department." There was no vote of confidence in Hall by name. Next up is at Rice on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 PM CT on ESPN+. The hire, and the leverage Hall was named head coach on Dec. 8, 2025, an in-house promotion from passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. That came after he was fired at Southern Miss in October 2024 with a 14-30 record. Tulane had been locked in on LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who stayed in Baton Rouge under Lane Kiffin. At his introduction, Hall said it himself, per the Associated Press: "I know I wasn't the first choice for some people in here." A coach hired without much of a market behind him rarely walks into a $5 million buyout. That's my read. This was not a bidding. There never was a bidding war! What I think is going on The timing is convenient. A 50-point homecoming loss. An AD statement that puts heat on the program without saying Hall is out. Then, three days later, a $5 to $6 million price tag hits the street, with no contract to look at. I think this number is doing a job. If Tulane can't land the right replacement, or doesn't want to spend what a real search costs, a giant buyout is the perfect excuse to stay put and sell it as fiscal responsibility. Gillen even said he's not advocating Hall get fired after year one, and that somebody has to be willing to put up that kind of money. That's the door this figure opens. Bottom Line Maybe the buyout really is that high. I can't prove it isn't, because Tulane doesn't have to show the contract. But I'm not buying a $5 million golden parachute for a coach who didn't have the leverage to demand one, not without seeing the paperwork. If this becomes the official story, brace yourselves, Wave fans. It could mean another year of Hall Ball, or more. #RollWave #RMFW

Bounce Back Night in Uptown: Nicholls @ Tulane

By Patrick Harkness • November 10, 2026
After a gut punch against Jackson State, the Wave gets an in-state opponent that lives on steals. Tonight is about taking care of the ball. Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 6:30 PM CT Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse | ESPN+ Thursday night still stings. Tulane led Jackson State for 36:04 of game clock, won most of the stat sheet, and lost 87-85 when the Tigers took their only lead of the night on a pair of technical free throws with under two seconds left. The difference was turnovers: 17 of them, turned into 18 Jackson State points. Tonight the Wave (1-1) gets a chance to wash that out against Nicholls (1-1), and the matchup could not be more pointed. The Colonels steal the ball for a living. The series This is the 24th regular-season meeting. Tulane leads 22-1, has won five straight, and is a perfect 20-0 against Nicholls at home. The last meeting was an 82-72 Tulane win on November 28, 2025. Tulane is 73-37 all-time against Southland teams, 8-3 under Ron Hunter. Where Tulane stands Krystian Lewis has been the engine. The junior earned American Conference weekly Honorable Mention after averaging 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in opening week, headlined by 40 points in the 100-98 double-overtime win over UT Martin. Behind him, the shooters showed up against Jackson State. TJ Nadeau and Carson Schwieger each scored 16. Nadeau is 7 of 12 from three on the year (58.3%), Schwieger 4 of 8. Joah Chappelle has been efficient off the bench (8 of 10 from the field, 12.5 points per game). The concerns are real, though. Through two games Tulane has 25 assists against 26 turnovers. Opponents are shooting 41.9% from three and hitting 13 threes per game. And the Wave is making 69.7% at the line while living there (53 of 76). Scouting Nicholls The Colonels are in Year 1 under head coach Darion Brown and were picked 10th in the Southland after tying for fifth last season. They opened with a 110-56 rout of North American (16 steals, 58.1% shooting), then fell 70-63 at UAB. The numbers that matter: Nicholls is averaging 14.0 steals per game, per official Colonels stats. At UAB they had 12 steals and turned 17 Blazer turnovers into 18 points. AJ Dent (6'5" senior forward) leads the scoring at 12.5 per game and had 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals at UAB. Arop Arop posted a double-double in the opener (12 points, 10 rebounds) but has appeared in only one of two games. Guard Hunter Carter had five steals and eight rebounds in Birmingham, and Sheridan Sharp runs the show (seven assists at UAB). Where Nicholls struggled at UAB: 31.9% from the field, 8 of 35 from three, 9 of 16 at the line, and a 50-38 rebounding deficit. X Factor: Tyler Ringgold Ringgold is giving Tulane 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds with four steals, but he’s 10 of 20 at the line. Nicholls got beat on the glass at UAB. If Ringgold owns the paint and cashes his free throws, the Colonels’ press-and-run plan loses oxygen. Three Keys for Tulane Value the ball. Jackson State turned 17 turnovers into 18 points. Nicholls is better at forcing them. Keep it under 12 and the Wave should control this. Win the boards and get to the line. Tulane is +5.5 on the glass per game and Nicholls was outrebounded 50-38 at UAB. Make them pay inside, then make the free throws. Run the shooters off the line. Opponents are hitting 41.9% from three against Tulane. Nicholls went 8 of 35 at UAB. Don’t give them the rhythm looks they didn’t get in Birmingham. Bottom Line On paper Tulane should handle this one at home, and history says the same. But a team that averages 14 steals is built to make a turnover-prone team pay. Clean hands, a big night from Lewis, and Tulane heads to Akron at 2-1. Up next: at Akron, Saturday, Nov 14, 11 AM CT, ESPN+. #RollWave #RMFW Sponsor: @RedshirtLtd Redshirtltd.com Code: RDW 10% Off Officially Licensed Tulane LidsNew Paragraph
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