Kolton Browning was the surprise of the spring at ULM when he emerged as the No. 1 quarterback ahead of returning starter Trey Revell.

The redshirt freshman from Mabank, Texas, strengthened his grip on the spot in fall camp and will get the starting nod when the Warhawks open their season against Arkansas in Little Rock.

"I'm excited to watch Kolton play," first-year Head Coach Todd Berry said. "I really am. I've been around a few quarterbacks in my day and I thought in the spring he had a pretty good spring. There was good competition, really, between two guys to begin with, and it ended up really being three.

"That competition carried over, and it seemed like every day Kolton came out he was becoming that much better and was separating himself more."

What intrigues Berry, who coaches quarterbacks in addition to his head-coaching duties, about Browning is Browning's "fascination with the game."

"Just watching those light bulbs come on every day in his head is really kind of fun as a coach," Berry said. "That's kind of where Kolton's at right now."

Berry is very aware of the challenge Browning faces against the Razorbacks.

"I'm anxious to watch him play," Berry said. "We'll see if he's ready to handle all the energy that's going to be there in Little Rock."

 

NOTES, QUOTES

? Senior RB Frank Goodin goes into the season well within striking distance of two school rushing records. He has 2,505 rushing yards for his career. Calvin Dawson (2004-07) set the record with 3,378. Goodin, who rushed for 1,126 yards last year, is currently No. 4 on the list, 313 yards behind third-place Joe Profit (1967-70). Goodin also has 22 rushing touchdowns, eight short of Dawson's record 30

 

? Several Warhawks will go into the opener at different positions than last year. Among those listed as starters at their new positions are sophomore DE Keavon Milton (from tight end), redshirt freshman P Aaron Munoz (from quarterback) and redshirt freshman LS Madison Tharp (from wide receiver).

? ULM's two-deep depth chart features 23 players who are either freshmen or sophomores.

 

Series History:   Arkansas leads ULM 8-0 (last meeting, 2008, Arkansas 28-27).

Scouting The Offense:   ULM has one of the Sun Belt's top rushers in senior Frank Goodin but will be going to Little Rock with a new starter at quarterback in redshirt freshman Kolton Browning. Junior WR Luther Ambrose (34 receptions, 455 yards) is the leading returning receiver. The offense has stressed the running game in recent years, but new coach Todd Berry and his spread attack could change that approach.

Scouting The Defense:   ULM went to a 3-3-5 scheme defensively last season and improved its numbers considerably. The Warhawks held foes to 347 yards per game in total offense in 2009 after giving up 445 the year before. The top four tacklers are gone, but returnees include S Darius Prelow (62 tackles, 12 pass breakups), CB Nate Brown (two interceptions) and LB Theo Smith (57 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks).

 

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

 

This Week's Game: ULM at Arkansas (Little Rock), Sept. 11-The Warhawks were idle as Arkansas was beating Tennessee Tech 44-3 in its opener. The last meeting between the two teams two years ago came down to a missed field goal, with the Razorbacks escaping with the 28-27 victory. Senior RB Rodney Lovett, now a backup, led the Warhawks with 66 yards rushing and junior WR Anthony McCall, currently No. 1 on the depth chart, led in receiving with six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Keys To The Game:   Establish a running attack to shorten the game. The more ULM can keep Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett off the field the better shape the Warhawks will be in. The Warhawks must avoid giving the Razorbacks a short field to work with via turnovers.

 

Players To Watch:  

QB Kolton Browning-The redshirt freshman won the starting job in the spring and has solidified his spot in fall camp. Browning comes out of Mabank, Texas, where he threw for 3,156 yards as a senior.

RB Frank Goodin-Goodin is coming off a campaign that saw him rush for 1,126 yards, putting himself in position to challenge for the school rushing record if he stays healthy. He needs to have a big game against the Razorbacks to give his team a shot at the upset.

CB Nate Brown-The entire secondary will face a huge challenge in going against Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett (21-of-24, 301 yards passing in the opener). Brown had two interceptions in 2009.

 

Roster Report:  

 

? Senior Trey Revell, who started 10 games at quarterback last year, has switched to tight end.

? Sophomore LB Antonio Hoskins has left the team for personal reasons. He was No. 2 on the depth chart at the time. True freshman Kentarius Caldwell took his spot behind junior Ken Dorsey.

? RB Jyruss Edwards, a redshirt freshman, is listed as Goodin's backup on the depth chart.