University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagles Eye Non-Conference Win Against Cajuns
10/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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UL Lafayette Notes
Golden Eagles Eye Non-Conference Win Against Cajuns
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The story has been much of the same for Southern Miss so far this season. If it's a Conference USA game, the results have been good for the Golden Eagles. If it's a non-conference game, they haven't been.
With a 4-3 overall record, Southern Miss has been a perfect 4-0 in league games, but has yet to be on the winning side in others.
Now, as the final non-conference game of the season takes place on Saturday, the Golden Eagles hope to change that trend.
Southern Miss hosts Louisiana-Lafayette (2-7) in the 2003 Homecoming at M.M. Roberts Stadium, with kickoff set for 2 p.m.
The Golden Eagles and the Ragin' Cajuns are very familiar opponents. In fact, this 50th meeting marks the second-longest series in Southern Miss history, behind only the Memphis series. The Eagles lead the all-time competition, 37-11-1.
The Golden Eagles enter the contest after a pleasing performance against USF. In the 27-6 Southern Miss win, the home offense produced the best game of the season, finishing for 337 yards. Defensively, the Eagles kept the opponents from scoring a touchdown for the second time this season. UL Lafayette comes in with back-to-back wins over New Mexico State and Idaho, after starting the season 0-7.
The USF game had its share of top offensive performances. Quarterback Dustin Almond threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Anthony Harris -- taking his first snaps at tailback all season -- posted the first 100-yard game for Southern Miss with 102 yards and one touchdown. Marvin Young also became the first 100-yard receiver of the year, grabbing five catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of the game.
It was a much-needed performance for an offense that struggled in its previous two games, and it is a performance that Southern Miss Head Coach Jeff Bower and company can build on.
Almond looks to lead the Golden Eagle offense against the Ragin' Cajuns. He currently leads all quarterbacks with 665 yards and two touchdowns on 46-of-114 passing. He also leads the team in total offense with 755 yards. Harris will earn the start this week, taking over for an injury-hindered James Walley and leading rusher Tim Blackwell.
Young and Antwon Courington lead a diverse receiving corps, which has 13 different players with at least one catch this season. Courington leads all players with 21 catches for 238 yards, while Young has 20 catches for a team-high 351 yards and two touchdowns.
Southern Miss faces a struggling UL Lafayette defense that has allowed 445 yards and 31.8 points per game. Ross Brupbacher leads the team with 51 tackles (32 solos), while David Prater and C.C. Brown both follow with 46 total tackles. The Cajuns defense also has a knack for creating turnovers, causing 13 fumbles and grabbing nine interceptions.
The UL Lafayette offense averages 312 yards per game, including 103 yards on the ground. Redshirt-freshman quarterback Jerry Babb and running back Chester Johnson pace the Cajun attack. Babb has thrown for 772 yards and two touchdowns on 77-of-150 passing, while also rushing for 155 yards and three scores. Johnson has a team-high 311 yards and four touchdowns. Leading receiver Fred Stamps has 41 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns, an average of 16.7 yards per catch.
But the Cajuns' offense faces possibly one of the tougher defenses of the season in the Golden Eagles. Led by linebackers Michael Boley and Rod Davis, Southern Miss has given opposing offenses a tough time. Boley leads the team with 86 tackles (57 solos) and Davis adds 83 tackles (59 solos). Boley also leads the team with four sacks. Etric Pruitt is third with 68 tackles (40 solos) and is tied with Greg Brooks for the team lead in interceptions with two.
The Southern Miss ISP Sports Network will broadcast the game live, with John Cox handling play-by-play duties and former Eagle quarterback Vic Purvis on color, and Lance Pittman on the sideline.
