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The University of Louisiana Monroe Warhawks are sounding pretty confident heading into a clash with the top-ranked Texas Longhorns led by Arch Manning. Texas football heard from ULM Defensive Coordinator Earnest Hill, who made it clear that his team is not intimidated by the prospect of facing the latest quarterback from football’s royal family.
ULM Defensive Coordinator Earnest Hill opened up with confidence about how the Warhawks felt about facing the latest generation of football's royal family. ULM visits Texas and Heisman longshot Arch Manning, who is taking over for the injured Quinn Ewers on Saturday.
“We have some kids on our team who played against him in New Orleans [in high school], and a couple of guys done beat him already,” Hill explained. “So, they don't hold too much fear against him. They're not gonna hold any fear against him coming up here [on Saturday].”
Manning lost six games as a preps star at Isidore Newman, five to Louisiana-based schools and one Florida program. No one listed on the ULM roster has ever topped a team led by Manning, per The Statesmen's Danny Davis.
Cleartelligence analyst Christian Corona ran the numbers to find only two power-conference signal callers have completed more than 73% of their passes and thrown TDs on 10% or more of their passes (min. 15 att). The list is short: Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning.
The Warhawks will need all the help they can get dealing with some wheels even Peyton Manning has to appreciate.
“My dad's speed and athletic ability skipped a generation. He can run, he can move”
Peyton Manning on Arch Manning last week on the Pat McAfee show
— LandonTengwall (@landon_tengwall) September 15, 2024
Texas football gets cheap bulletin board material
This familiarity with Manning’s playing style has instilled a sense of confidence in the Warhawks’ defense. The players who have previously faced Manning know his strengths and weaknesses, and they are ready to leverage this knowledge to their advantage. Hill’s comments suggest that the Warhawks are approaching this game with a level of preparedness and determination that could make for an exciting matchup.
Every other team to step across from the Texas football foot soldiers felt the same confidence. Just ask the Michigan Wolverines how that worked out. The ULM coaching staff has been analyzing game footage and developing a game plan that aims to disrupt Manning’s rhythm and put pressure on the Longhorns’ offense.
Good luck with that on Saturday in Austin. Manning had five touchdowns in a romp over UT-San Antonio. This included a 67-yard touchdown scamper and a 75-yard bomb thrown under pressure. It was the first four-passing and one-rushing touchdown day for an SEC QB who did not start the game in 20 years.
Does ULM really believe they have the firepower to stop that attack? Las Vegas is skeptical, to say the least. Texas football is a 44.5-point favorite at most sportsbooks.
