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"Louisiana-Monroe vs. James Madison could be a preview of the Sun Belt Championship Game" is not a sentence many college football fans expected to say this year. Against all odds, this is the position ULM finds itself in when they take on James Madison in front of a primetime linear TV audience on ESPN. Monroe, Louisiana is the epicenter of the Sun Belt on October 5th. This is a rare position for the Warhawks.
In 23 seasons of Sun Belt play, the Warhawks have one winning season, one bowl appearance, and one shared Sun Belt title. ULM consistently has one of the lowest budgets in the Sun Belt and all of the FBS. These budgetary shortfalls and other factors, such as Louisiana Tech dominating recruiting in the talent-sparse region of Northeast Louisiana, mainly contribute to the Warhawks' chronic struggles.
ULM is one of college football's most underrated and heartwarming stories early in the season. After an expected victory over Jackson State, the Warhawks avenged UAB's head coaching snub of Bryan Vincent with a dominant 32-6 win. Following a blowout loss to SEC frontrunner Texas, the Warhawks had another statement victory with a 13-9 win against the back-to-back defending Sun Belt champion Troy Trojans. For just the second time since moving to the FBS in 1994 and the first time since 2014, ULM has a 3-1 record to start the season.
James Madison, the likely future king of the Sun Belt, awaits them with a 4-0 record and a dominant 70-50 win over North Carolina on its resume. A win over the Dukes cements ULM as a legitimate contender in the Sun Belt West alongside preseason favorite Texas State. It also gives ULM a much stronger chance at its second bowl in 33 seasons at the FBS level.
ULM has had two Sun Belt games that rival the magnitude of this weekend's ULM game. The biggest conference game in the Warhawks' history remains its 2005 clash with in-state rival Louisiana. The Warhawks' lone Sun Belt title was a three-way title shared with Arkansas State and Louisiana.
However, this title could have been an outright nod for ULM. ULM had a head-to-head advantage over eventual New Orleans Bowl representative Arkansas State. The then-Indians needed a win over Louisiana to clinch a 6-1 record in the Sun Belt, an outright conference title, and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl. Unfortunately, ULM failed spectacularly in a 54-21 loss to the Ragin Cajuns. The Indians finished 5-6 and 6-5 Arkansas State won the head-to-head tiebreaker over fellow 6-5 co-champion Louisiana to earn the New Orleans Bowl bid.
ULM finished 6-6 in 2007 and 2009, but their last games in those seasons to solidify bowl eligibility had little impact on the Sun Belt title race. Interestingly, no TV networks picked up the Warhawks' season finale against Louisiana in 2007, even though it occurred a week after their legendary win over Alabama.
ULM's last impactful Sun Belt game came in their illustrious 2012 season.
The Warhawks entered an ESPNU-televised Thursday night game against Arkansas State with a 6-3 record like their opponent. A win over #8 Arkansas and one-score losses to Baylor and Auburn earned ULM national attention. A win against the Red Wolves would have allowed ULM to control its destiny in the Sun Belt. As in 2005, the Warhawks could not win when it mattered most, losing 45-23. Arkansas State won the title outright with a 7-1 record in conference, while ULM finished a game back at 6-2. A win over Arkansas State would have given ULM its only outright Sun Belt championship and a bid in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile.
ULM-James Madison pits the longtime loveable loser against the unbeatable new contender. ULM's 3-1 start is nearly unprecedented, and they can prove themselves to be more than an early season flash in the pan with a win over James Madison. ULM has almost always been an afterthought in the Sun Belt race. However, ULM can atone for the failures of 2005 and 2012. Win or lose, this stage is a rare one for the Warhawks. Fans should recognize the remarkable spot Bryant Vincent has his team in.
