Scouting report: What to know about Louisiana-Monroe ahead of matchup with Auburn

After its second and final bye week, Auburn returns home Saturday for a quick break from Southeastern Conference play against Louisiana-Monroe.

Sitting at 3-6, every game left is a must-win for Auburn to reach bowl eligibility , but on paper, ULM seems to be the most manageable task. As of Thursday afternoon, Auburn is going into the game with a 92.6% chance to win, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.

However, that doesn't mean a seemingly harmless Group of Five team can't pull an upset. Last season, at a similar point in the year, Auburn lost 31-10 to New Mexico State after winning its previous three games. Hugh Freeze and the Tigers will look to avoid that same fate when the Warhawks visit Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Here's a closer look at ULM:

The coach A name familiar to people in Alabama, ULM is led by former UAB offensive coordinator and interim head coach Bryant Vincent.

After not being retained by UAB following the 2022 season, Vincent spent the 2023 campaign as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico before becoming the ULM head coach prior to the 2024 season.

He started hot in Monroe, winning five of his first six games, including a 32-6 win over UAB. Before Vincent's arrival, ULM had won just 10 games over the previous four seasons.

"Coach Vincent's done a really nice job there in turning that program very, very fast," Freeze said during his Monday press conference. "They play extremely hard and have got a really good scheme. Played against them when they were the staff at UAB and have respect for what they do and how they do it."

Vincent and Freeze matched up twice during Freeze's time at Liberty, once with Vincent as UAB's offensive coordinator and once as the interim head coach. Liberty won both games.

The team As mentioned earlier, ULM started the season 5-1, but has lost three straight games since then.

Two were lopsided losses, falling 46-17 to South Alabama and 38-17 to Texas State in ULM's most recent game. ULM allowed 37.3 points per game in those three losses after giving up 13.9 points per game in its five wins.

Despite the recent struggles, Freeze praised the ULM defense when discussing the matchup.

"Defensively, always in the state of Louisiana, there's a bunch of athletes. Always," Freeze said. "They've got their share on that team, for sure."

What stands out most about ULM's defense is its performance against the pass. The Warhawks rank 16th in the country in passing defense and give up the fewest passing yards per game in the Sun Belt.

Offensively, ULM ranks near the bottom of the Sun Belt in both points and yards per game. The Warhawks average 21.6 points and 300.8 yards per game, totals that rank 112th and 126th respectively out of 133 teams in the FBS.

Players to watch While ULM's offense is no powerhouse, true freshman running back Ahmad Hardy leads the Sun Belt in rushing yards with 915. His best game came on Nov. 2 against Marhsall, where he rushed for 206 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

The offense hasn't offered much outside of Hardy this season, with the Warhawks only having 1,158 passing yards as a team on the year. Sophomore Aidan Armenta has started ULM's last five games at quarterback, taking over for Oklahoma transfer General Booty. For the season, Armenta has 898 passing yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions.

Defensively, ULM is led by junior safety Wydett Williams Jr. He leads the team with 74 tackles and three interceptions on the season.

Defensive end Billy Pullen is another player to watch, leading the team with seven sacks and 28 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.