Jeff Bower (1988) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Jeff Bower

Induction:
1988

Jeff Bower was one of the most talented and versatile quarterbacks in the history of Southern Miss football and later went on to establish himself, first as an assistant coach on some of the school’s better teams and then as head coach of the Golden Eagle program.
   Bower began his college career at the University of Georgia, but transferred to Southern Miss for his final three seasons. After red shirting the 1972 season, he moved immediately into the starting lineup at the start of the 1973 campaign.
   As a sophomore Bower completed 116 of 199 passes for 1,495 yards and nine touchdowns. His completion percentage of 58.3 that season set a school record, a mark that lasted until 1996. He also rushed for 211 yards and scored four touchdowns in leading the Golden Eagles to a 6-4-1 record. The team finished strong that year by winning three of its last four games and also playing to a 10-10 tie with Mississippi State.
   Bower set what was then a school record for total offense in a game with 376 total yards against Texas-Arlington during the 1973 season, and also passed for 291 yards in that game, which was also a school record at the time.
   In 1974 Bower and the Golden Eagles were forced to play all 11 games on the road because of the renovation of Roberts Stadium, still the team posted a 6-5 record. Bower completed 87 of 162 passes for 1,189 yards and nine touchdowns.
   The 1975 team, captained and quarterbacked by Bower also played all 11 games on the road, but under first year coach Bobby Collins they finished 7-4. Bower completed 75 of 145 passes for 905 yards and two touchdowns.
   Bower finished his career as one of the school’s all-time leaders in total offense with 4,062 and was responsible for 23 touchdowns in his career. He passed for a then school record 3,589 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 278 of 506 passes in his career for a 54.94 completion percentage, the third best in school history.
   Following his outstanding career at Southern Miss, Bower remained with the Golden Eagles, first as a graduate assistant coach (1976-77) and then as a full-time assistant on the staff of Coach Bobby Collins (1978-81).
   The 1981 Golden Eagle team advanced to post-season play for the first time in nearly 25 years winning the Independence Bowl.
Bower later served as an assistant at SMU and at Wake Forest before returning to Southern Miss as offensive coordinator in 1988. That 1988 Golden Eagle team also won the Independence Bowl and with Bower tutoring quarterback Brett Favre, the Southern Miss offense became one of the most explosive in the country.
   Bower spent the 1989 season at USM and then after a season at Oklahoma State (1990) as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator he returned to USM as the school’s 17th head coach in time to coach the Golden Eagles in the 1990 All-American Bowl.