MONROE, La. — Aidan Armenta significantly contributed to UL Monroe’s commanding 38-21 victory over Southern Mississippi on Saturday with both a touchdown pass and a touchdown run in the final quarter.

Armenta opened the fourth quarter with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Julian Nixon just 51 seconds in, extending UL Monroe’s lead to 10 points. Subsequently, he added a 4-yard rushing touchdown five minutes later, increasing the score to 31-14. The game concluded with a 31-yard touchdown run from Ahmad Hardy with just 2:43 remaining on the clock.

The Warhawks’ quarterback, Armenta, showed solid performance by completing 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 188 yards, registering two touchdowns but also throwing one interception. Meanwhile, Hardy had an impressive outing on the ground, carrying the ball 15 times for 121 yards and making two receptions for an additional 53 yards.

In a pivotal moment of the game, UL Monroe defensive back Wydett Williams Jr. recovered a fumble by Kenyon Clay at the Southern Miss 37-yard line after a 16-yard reception. This set up a subsequent 36-yard touchdown connection from Armenta to James Jones, giving the Warhawks a 14-3 lead. Just before halftime, Connor Gibbs added a 37-yard field goal for the Golden Eagles, narrowing the margin to eight points.

UL Monroe’s Max Larson kicked a 47-yard field goal early in the third quarter to increase the lead to 17-6. However, Southern Mississippi responded when Braxton Myers dashed 69 yards for a touchdown following a blocked field-goal attempt from Larson. This brought Southern Miss within striking distance at 17-14 after Ethan Crawford successfully connected with Tiaquelin Mims for a two-point conversion.

Crawford, who played for the Golden Eagles, concluded the game with a total of 165 passing yards on 9-of-26 attempts, including one interception. He also contributed on the ground, rushing 17 times for 70 yards. The game ended with Clay scoring on a 1-yard run with just 22 seconds left.

The performance showcased both teams’ resilience, culminating in a thrilling encounter for all involved.