It’s easy to look at the ULM vs South Alabama scoreboards from the last couple of years and think you’ve seen the whole story. You see a 46-17 blowout in 2024. You see a 55-7 drubbing in 2023. If you’re just a casual fan checking the Sun Belt standings on a Saturday night, it looks like one program is light-years ahead of the other.
But honestly? That’s not how this series actually works.
College football in the Sun Belt is weird, messy, and usually decided by whoever happens to have a star running back hitting their stride at the exact right moment. For South Alabama, that’s been the reality lately. For ULM, it’s been a series of "what-ifs" and brutal second-half collapses.
The Rushing Record That Defined 2024
If you want to understand the current state of ULM vs South Alabama, you have to look at what happened on October 26, 2024, at Hancock Whitney Stadium. South Alabama didn't just win; they physically moved the Warhawks out of the way.
The Jaguars set a school record for rushing yards against a Division I opponent that night. 355 yards. Think about that for a second. They weren't just finding holes; they were creating canyons. Kentrel Bullock was the main protagonist, carving out 141 yards and two scores, while Fluff Bothwell added another 119.
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The Jaguars averaged 7.4 yards per carry. That is a demoralizing statistic for a defense.
What’s wild is that ULM actually led that game. People forget that. Hunter Herring broke off a 44-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Warhawks up 14-7. For a minute, it felt like the 5-2 ULM team we saw early in the 2024 season was going to pull off a statement road win.
Then the wheels came off. A safety, a field goal, and a tipped-pass interception by Wesley Miller turned the momentum into a landslide. South Alabama scored 34 unanswered points. That’s the "kinda" scary part about this Jaguar team—when they click, they don't just win; they erase the opposition.
A History of Streaks and Heartbreak
The all-time series between these two is closer than the recent scores suggest. South Alabama currently leads 7-5 (as of the end of the 2025 season), but it’s been a game of runs.
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- The Early Dominance (2012-2016): ULM actually won the first meeting back in 2012 and took three of the first five.
- The Mobile Curse: ULM has historically struggled in Mobile. Their lone victory there since the series began was a 38-10 win in 2018. That win was actually huge—it’s the one that sealed bowl eligibility for the Warhawks that year.
- The Modern Jaguar Era: South Alabama has now won four straight meetings (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025).
In 2025, the game moved back to Monroe, and while it was closer (a 26-14 win for South Alabama), the narrative remained the same. ULM jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Javon Campbell touchdown. They looked dominant. Then they didn't score again for the rest of the game.
What People Get Wrong About the Matchup
Most analysts talk about the "talent gap." I think that's lazy.
The real difference in ULM vs South Alabama lately has been depth and explosive play efficiency. In the 2024 matchup, ULM actually had more time of possession at various points and ran a decent number of plays. But South Alabama’s "explosive play rate" was through the roof.
When Gio Lopez is under center for the Jags, the offense is multi-dimensional. He doesn't have to throw for 400 yards. In that 46-17 win, he only had 168 passing yards. He didn't even throw a touchdown pass! But he didn't have to because the ground game was so efficient that they essentially "walked" the ball into the end zone six times.
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On the flip side, ULM’s offensive struggles are often pinned on the quarterbacks, whether it’s Aidan Armenta or Hunter Herring. But look at the 2025 stats: ULM ranked near the bottom of the country in scoring offense, averaging only about 16 points per game. You can’t beat a team like South Alabama, which consistently puts up 25-30 points, if you can’t find the end zone in the second half.
Key Players Who Swung the Pendulum
- Kentrel Bullock (South Alabama): The man is a ULM killer. His ability to find the second level of the defense has been the deciding factor in the last two meetings.
- Ahmad Hardy (ULM): If you're looking for a bright spot for the Warhawks, it’s Hardy. In the 2024 game, he still managed to eclipse 100 yards rushing despite the team being down big. He’s the type of "bell-cow" back that ULM needs to build around.
- Wy’Kevious Thomas (South Alabama): You don't often credit a defensive lineman for a blowout win, but his ability to tip passes and disrupt the backfield ruins ULM's timing-based offense.
The Cultural Stakes
This isn't just a game on the schedule. It’s a battle for recruiting territory in the Gulf Coast and North Louisiana.
South Alabama has the shiny new stadium (Hancock Whitney) and a recent history of bowl appearances. ULM has the grit and the "Monroe against the world" mentality. When these two meet, you’re seeing two different philosophies of Sun Belt building. One is built on high-octane explosive depth; the other is trying to find a way to stay relevant through defensive toughness and a power run game.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re looking at future ULM vs South Alabama matchups, here is what you actually need to watch:
- The Second Half Script: ULM has been outscored significantly in the second half of this series over the last three years. If you’re betting live, watch the first drive of the third quarter. If ULM doesn't score there, the floodgates usually open.
- Rushing Yards vs. Passing Efficiency: Don't get fooled by big passing numbers. South Alabama wins this game on the ground. If the Jags are averaging over 5 yards per carry in the first half, the game is likely over.
- Home Field Matters (But Not Why You Think): ULM is 4-2 at home against the Jags but only 1-5 on the road. The humidity and the turf in Monroe seem to bother the Jags' timing, whereas the open spaces in Mobile favor South Alabama's speed.
The gap between these two programs feels wide right now because of the scorelines, but college football is cyclical. ULM showed in the first halves of the 2024 and 2025 games that they can punch the Jaguars in the mouth. The next step for them is learning how to take a punch back without folding. Until then, Mobile remains the capital of this rivalry.