The Daily Texan spoke with Jonah Bostick, football beat reporter at The Hawkeye, ahead of the Longhorns’ season opener against the Warhawks on Saturday.

Daily Texan: It seems like ULM was on track to have one of its, like, better seasons last year. ULM started out 4-3 and had some quality wins. What happened towards the end of that season for ULM to go 4-8?

Jonah Bostick: ULM had issues at quarterback all year. Not in the fact that they didn’t have talent, but they didn’t have one guy. I think to have a good football team, you need to have a solid starting quarterback, and you need to have one set guy — no one else in question.

DT: We heard a little bit about this quarterback battle between Chandler Rogers and Jiya Wright. Why did Chandler Rogers get that starting gig over Wright?

JB: Past starting experience. The Liberty game is the top thing on his resume. I think that alone probably gives him the starting job. But he wasn’t just the game manager; he played well. He has that dual threat ability. Wright also has it, but I think Rogers is a little bit more experienced with it. 

DT: Terry Bowden is a very seasoned coach. He had a very long hiatus between coaching gigs. Going 4-8 in his first season was not great. What are his expectations coming into a second year coaching for ULM?

JB: Building off what he did last year. He came in with this program being a complete mess, and he pulled out four wins. Now, the team is a little bit more stable. I would say they actually have expectations this year to make a bowl game. That would be his number one expectation: to get those six wins and qualify for a bowl game. Since ULM has been in the FBS, they’ve only made one bowl game in 2012.

DT: Can you talk a little bit more about Bowden? Did he send a culture shock through the program when he came?

JB: He did! It’s not just because he wins games, you know? It’s not just because he’s the son of Bobby Bowden. He just brings energy. The last head coach was just the head coach. Bowden is bigger. Everybody knows Terry Bowden. And what other coach do you see on the sideline wearing a white shirt and a tie instead of just a normal polo? He kind of sticks out like that, too. He’s done a lot for this program, and this program is in a much better state than it was when I first got here.

DT: So do you have any predictions for this ULM-Texas matchup?

JB: It will be competitive! Texas will come out, guns blazing. Maybe around the third quarter, Texas will take its starters out and take its foot off the gas and ULM will get a couple scores.