University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Eagles Beat Nationally-Ranked TCU, Earn C-USA Title
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Final Statistics - TCU
Eagles Beat Nationally-Ranked TCU, Earn C-USA Title
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss ran its win streak to five games here Thursday night with a 40-28 victory over ninth-ranked TCU in front of a national ESPN audience, and, in the process, claimed no worse than a share of the 2003 Conference USA title.
The league title is the fourth for Head Coach Jeff Bower and his Golden Eagles, in the eight-year history of Conference USA. TCU ends its conference season with a 7-1 record, with only a non-conference game at SMU remaining. Southern Miss finishes its season Nov. 29, at East Carolina and needs a victory to earn the C-USA title outright, and along with it a guaranteed spot in the Liberty Bowl.
The win also is the first-ever in Roberts Stadium, over a ranked opponent. The Horned Frogs also are the third-highest ranked team Southern Miss has ever beaten.
The two teams combined for 707 yards of total offense, and the visitors accounted for 429 of those. The Eagles rushed for only 51 yards and passed for another 227, while the Horned Frogs ran for 169 yards and passed for 260. TCU went 87 yards in 16 plays with its first possession to take its only lead of the game, 3-0. Southern Miss responded with a quick three-play, 70-yard drive to take a 7-3 lead.
Another TCU field goal cut that margin to 7-6, but Southern Miss then seemingly put the game out of reach by reeling off 21-straight points to take a 31-6 lead with 3:46 remaining in the third period. But, TCU refused to call it a day, and used a couple of recovered on-side kicks, two quick drives, and two-point conversions following each to cut that margin to 31-28 with 6:55 left in the game.
Southern Miss added a little cushion with freshman Darren McCaleb's second field goal of the game, for a 34-28 lead. TCU then got the ball back with 3:05 left, and 78 yards away from what could have been a winning touchdown. But, that's when the Southern Miss defense turned in yet another outstanding play when Greg Brooks sacked TCU quarterback Brandon Hassell, and forced a fumble that was recovered by Rod Davis at the Horned Frogs' 11-yard line.
From there, it took Southern Miss just three plays to push in the touchdown that clinched the game, on a two-yard Anthony Harris run, and run the lead to 40-28, with 1:31 left in the game.
Heroes were plentiful for the winners. Dustin Almond had his fourth-straight outstanding game, completing 14-of-23 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He threw one interception, but made outstanding play after outstanding play to push his team to victory. Harris led Southern Miss rushers with 47 yards, but scored a pair of touchdowns. Marvin Young led Golden Eagle receivers with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. DaRon Lawrence added three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown and Antwon Courington had two for 25 yards and the third touchdown.
While the offense was taking advantage of almost every available opportunity, the defense turned in its usual outstanding performance. In addition to the fumble recovery that led to the game-clinching touchdown, Davis led the Eagles with 14 tackles, a total that included five solos and one tackle for a loss. Four other Southern Miss players finished with double-digit tackles, including Alex Ray with 13, Michael Boley with 12, including two sacks and three tackles for loss, Etric Pruitt, who had 12 stops, a tackle for loss, and an interception that he returned 32 yards, and Trevis Coley, who finished with 10 tackles, had one for a loss and the other Southern Miss interception.
Terrell Paul accounted for two sacks, and Brooks added the big one that forced the fumble late in the game.
Following tonight's game, Southern Miss gets a short weekend off and then ends the regular season with a 1 p.m., Nov. 29 game at East Carolina, again, a game where a victory will insure the Eagles a spot in the Liberty Bowl.
