UL Monroe's win needs a closer look than the 21-14 final. The Warhawks scored 18 points inside the last 3 minutes, and Billy Pullen ended it by returning a forced fumble for a touchdown. For about 57 minutes that offense looked a lot like the one that got shut out 24-0 at home by Louisiana Tech. Credit the defense for holding Troy to 14, but the comeback is what made it a win.
SE Louisiana35-38There's a common opponent worth noting. Southern Miss went to Troy and lost 55-34. A few weeks later UL Monroe went there and won. That doesn't prove much about the Warhawks, but it does show how much the Southern Miss defense has given up: 48 to UConn, 55 to Troy and 31 to Louisiana, all inside the last 5. UL Monroe's defense hasn't been much better before last week, allowing 38, 45 and 52 in 3 of those losses.
Both teams sit at 1-2 in the Sun Belt, and this game decides which one gets out of the bottom of the standings for a week. Southern Miss is 2-5 and UL Monroe is 1-6. The forecast calls for 87 degrees and partly cloudy with 12 mph wind, which is a hot afternoon for late October. That tends to wear on a defense that's already been on the field a lot. If the Golden Eagles run the ball the way they did against Louisiana, the Warhawks will have to prove the Troy result is real for 4 quarters, not just the last 3 minutes.