University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Battles Houston In Homecoming Contest
10/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Southern Miss Battles Houston In Homecoming Contest
The Southern Miss football team will host Houston this Saturday, Oct. 27, for Homecoming 2001 at M.M. Roberts Stadium (33,000) at 2 p.m., central. The game will not be televised, but an Internet broadcast is available by accessing SouthernMiss.com and clicking on live radio broadcast of games on the athletics home page.
This is the sixth meeting between the two schools. After winning the last three meetings, including last year?s 6-3 win in Houston, Southern Miss holds a slim 3-2 advantage.
Houston won the first two meetings in the series, 27-12 in 1957, and 56-49, in the three overtimes in the inaugural season of Conference USA football in 1996. Southern Miss won the 1997 meeting, 33-0, and the 1998 contest 21-15.
The Golden Eagles will look to mirror their performances of the first three games this season, where they committed three turnovers, and overcome the last two contests where they committed eight, leading to their current two-game losing streak.
Four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) resulted in Southern Miss losing to Memphis, 22-17, on Nov. 13, and four miscues (three fumbles and one interception) set up 21 of Louisville?s points, on Nov. 16, which allowed the Cardinals to win 24-14.
Southern Miss now returns home where the Golden Eagles have recorded one turnover this season. At ?The Rock?, quarterback Jeff Kelly is 34-for-61 on pass attempts for 395 yards. He has thrown for one touchdown and hasn?t thrown an interception. Overall, the redshirt senior claims 84-for-154 in passing for 1,055 yards, four touchdown passes and five interceptions.
Tim Blackwell and Dawayne Woods provide the Eagles rushing attack. Blackwell currently leads all USM rushers with 72 carries for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Woods holds 52 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
The receiving corps is led by LeRoy Handy who holds 22 catches this season for 356 yards. Chris Johnson and Bobby Garner claim two touchdown receptions apiece.
The Southern Miss defense remains stalwart. The Golden Eagles finished with eight sacks against Louisville last week, which is the most since facing Houston last year. Terrell Paul leads Southern Miss with six sacks, Roy Magee has three and Rob Davis, Chad Williams, Darris McKenzie each have two.
Davis is the top tackler on the squad with 43 total tackles, 31 solos and 12 assists. Magee and Paul are tied for the lead in tackles for loss, and Greg Brooks leads the team in interceptions with two and pass deflections with 8.
The Cougars are looking for their first win of the season. They come into Saturday?s contest 0-6, though just fell by one point to current Conference USA leader Cincinnati, 29-28, last week.
Quarterback Nick Eddy currently leads the Houston offense. He claims a two-game total of 515 yards on 43-of-65 attempts. He has thrown for four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Joffrey Reynolds is the leading Cougar rusher, holding105 carries for 503 yards and three touchdowns. Orlando Iglesias has pulled down a team-best 30 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Hanik Milligan holds the lead with 109 tackles, 64 solos and 45 assists. Jermain Woodard leads with seven tackles for loss, and Adrian Lee?s two sacks is a team best.
Four Cougars have interceptions, and Victor Malone holds the team?s pass deflection lead with five.
