University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss drops Cowboys in Opener
9/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Southern Miss drops Cowboys in Opener
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? Despite rain and wet field conditions, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles opened the 2001 regular season in the right way.
Southern Miss quarterback Jeff Kelly threw for 277 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-36 passing, while Dawayne Woods rushed 25 times for 70 yards and a score to lift the Golden Eagles to the 17-9 win over visiting Oklahoma State, Saturday, at M. M. Roberts Stadium.
Along with the two touchdowns, Brant Hanna made good on a 23-yard field goal to give Southern Miss (1-0) all of the scoring it would need.
The Golden Eagle defensive unit stepped up as well, holding the Cowboys out of the end zone the entire game, and forcing four turnovers.
?Our defense did a great job,? Southern Miss Head Coach Jeff Bower said. ?We didn?t look good early, but we adjusted. The players really settled in and played hard.?
It was the first collegiate start for a number of defensive players, as the Golden Eagles return just four starters on that side of the ball.
Oklahoma State (0-1) was the first to get on the board. Beginning with prime field position near midfield, the Cowboys advanced to the Southern Miss 24-yard line. The Golden Eagle defense, however, stopped Oklahoma State on the next play, forcing the team to settle for a 41-yard field goal by Luke Phillips, giving the Cowboys the 3-0 lead with 9:01 left in the first quarter.
Southern Miss answered three drives later, as the Golden Eagles obtained the ball at its own 48-yard line following a second Oklahoma State turnover. Kelly then completed three consecutive passes, the final one being a 20-yard scoring strike to Chris Johnson. Hanna added the extra point to give the Golden Eagles the 7-3 lead.
The Cowboys chipped away at the lead in the final minutes of the first quarter, as Phillips connected on his second field goal, this one from 25 yards out.
On the first drive of the second quarter, the Southern Miss offense pushed the lead once again, completing an 11-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in Woods? one-yard scoring run. Hanna?s second extra point of the game made the score 14-6.
Hanna added the field goal with 2:16 left in the half to give the Golden Eagles the 17-6 lead at the break.
Oklahoma State would score once more, as Phillips made a 32-yard field goal, his third one of the game.
Southern Miss struggled offensively in the second half, managing just 96 yards and punting in three of the five drives.
?We did well in the first half, but in the second half, we were a little inconsistent on offense,? Bower said. ?We had a few chances in the third quarter to really put the game away, but we didn?t convert.?
Kelly paced Southern Miss with his 277-yard passing performance. Kenneth Johnson led the team with seven receptions for 92 yards. LeRoy Handy followed with six receptions for 82 yards. Joe Henley had 10 tackles for Southern Miss, while Terrell Paul added three sacks.
For Oklahoma State, quarterback Aso Pogi finished with a game-high 294 yards passing on 26-of-38. Rashaun Woods led all players with 10 receptions for 139 yards. Dwayne Levels led the Cowboys with 11 total tackles, including eight solo stops.
