The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are one of four teams moving to the newly-expanded Sun Belt Conference beginning this fall. It will have, in addition to the Golden Eagles, Marshall, Old Dominion, and FCS powerhouse James Madison.
As a result, Southern Miss will face some familiar opponents in the Sun Belt West Division: Troy (Oct. 8th), Arkansas State (Oct. 15), Louisiana (Oct. 27), and South Alabama (Nov. 19).
Troy Trojans
The Golden Eagles have an 8-3 record vs Troy, 2-2 since 2008.
2019: Southern Miss 47 – Troy 42
Both teams combined for 1154 total yards and 48 first downs. The Golden Eagles took the lead in the 3rd quarter and never relinquished it. They racked up 626 yards of offense, but also accumulated 97 yards in penalties.
Golden Eagle QB Jack Abraham was 28 of 36 (77.8%) for 463 yards and 2 TDs through the air, and 1 rushing touchdown. Jaylond Adams caught 11 passes for 180 yards and also returned a kickoff 100-yards for a TD.
Quez Watkins caught seven balls for 209 yards (29-yard avg.) and 2 touchdowns. Jordan Mitchell had 68 yards receiving and a score.
2008: Southern Miss 30 – Troy 27
Southern Miss went 6-6 in the regular season to become bowl eligible and faced off against Troy in the New Orleans Bowl. The game was tied 17-17 at halftime, and Southern Miss outscored Troy 10-0 in the 4th quarter to tie the game with 2:50 left in the game to send the game into overtime.
K Britt Barefoot (best name for a kicker ever) kicked a 46-yard FG to the tie the game, then he kicked the game-winning 39-yard FG in OT.
QB Austin Davis (3128 yards, 23 TDs, 8 INTs on the season) threw for 276 yards and 2 TDs and zero INTs. RB Damion Fletcher (1313 yards, 10 TDs, 6-yard avg.) gained 78 yards on 14 carries and 1 touchdown. 4-star WR DeAndre Brown (67 catches, 1117 yards, 12 TDs) caught only 1 pass for 9 yards before leaving the game with a broken leg.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Southern Miss has a 9-2 record vs Arkansas State.
2008: Southern Miss 27 – Arkansas State 24
The Golden Eagles led 17-3 at halftime, but were outscored 21-10 in the 2nd half.
QB Austin Davis threw for 219 yards and 2 TDs. RB Damion Fletcher gained 148 total yards and scored a TD. WR Shawn Nelson caught 7 passes for 110 yards. WR Jonathan Massey caught a TD pass.
2007: Southern Miss 16 – Arkansas State 10
RB Damion Fletcher rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown, and K Justin Estes kicked three FGs.
2005: Southern Miss 31 – Arkansas State 19 (New Orleans Bowl)
The New Orleans Bowl was held in Lafayette, La that season due to the devastation in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina.
QB Dustin Almond passed for 253 yards and 2 TDs. RB Cody Hall carried the rock 37 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. RB Cole Mason rushed for a score. WR Shawn Nelson caught 6 passes for 121 yards ( 20-yard avg.) and 2 TDs.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
The Golden Eagles hold a 39-11-1 advantage over Louisiana, and have won 9 straight over the Ragin’ Cajuns dating back to 1994.
2016: Southern Miss 28 – Louisiana 21 (New Orleans Bowl)
This game was tied 14-14 at halftime, and the Golden Eagles outscored Louisiana 14-7 in the 2nd half. They held the Ragin’ Cajuns to less than 300 yards of total offense, but Southern Miss racked up 131 yards in penalties.
QB Nick Mullins was 25 of 40 for 346 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. RB Ito Smith rushed for 138 yards and 2 TDs, and he caught a touchdown pass. WR Allen Staggers caught 11 of Mullins’ passes for 230 yards and a score.
On defense, Ja’Boree Poole led the Golden Eagles with 9 tackles, 3 TFLs, and 3 sacks.
2008: Southern Miss 51 – Louisiana 21
The Golden Eagles led 34-14 at halftime and gained 633 yards of total offense. They forced four Louisiana turnovers.
QB Austin Davis threw for 206 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. RB Damion Fletcher carried 21 times for 222 yards (10.6 avg.) and 2 touchdowns. WR DeAndre Brown had 4 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. WR Ed Morgan recorded a receiving TD.
Southern Miss held Louisiana QB and current Ragin’ Cajun head coach Michael Desmoreaux to just 9 completions (on 20 attempts) for 98 yards. He did rush for 146 yards on 16 carries (a 9-yard avg.).
On defense, Gerald McRath led the Golden Eagles defense with 15 tackles.
2003: Southern Miss 48 – Louisiana 3
Southern Miss totaled 550 yards of offense: 286 passing and 264 rushing.
QB Dustin Almond was 11 of 15 (73%) for 187 yards and three touchdowns. RB Anthony Harris carried 16 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. WR Marvin Young caught four passes for 101 yards.
South Alabama Jaguars
These two teams have played each other only twice, and Southern Miss has lost to the Jags both times. Last season, the Golden Eagles committed four turnovers and gained only 259 yards of total offense in a 31-7 loss.
In 2020, QB Jack Abraham threw for 314 yards and completed 68% of his passes. But he threw zero touchdowns. Malik Shorts and Swayzee Bozeman combined for 21 tackles in a 32-21 loss.
This is year two for head coach Will Hall and his staff and they will welcome a full roster (85 scholarship players) to fall practice. The Golden Eagles will have talent at quarterback (starter Ty Keyes), running back (Frank Gore, Jr.), and WR (Jason Brownlee). On defense, they return seven starters including linebackers Santrell Latham and Swayzee Bozeman, and Safety Malik Shorts.
Southern Miss kicks off the season September 3rd when they host Liberty.
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