Football To Host UCF In Homecoming Game On Saturday

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Football To Host UCF In Homecoming Game On Saturday

Senior Antwon Courington has caught at least one pass in 26 consecutive games.

Senior Kevis Coley leads the team with 43 total tackles on the season.

Senior Dustin Almond has six passing touchdowns on the season.

HATTIESBURG, Miss.? The Southern Miss football team host UCF on Saturday, in its homecoming game set for 6 p.m. Saturday?s game also concludes a two-game homestand for the Golden Eagles.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams, and marks the second consecutive week Southern Miss will meet a new member of Conference USA on the gridiron.

In homecoming games, Southern Miss has a 51-17 overall mark. The Golden Eagles? first homecoming game was played against Spring Hill in 1932, a 12-0 win by Southern Miss. Since 1946, Southern Miss has competed in a homecoming game every year except 1974, as M.M. Roberts Stadium was being renovated. Southern Miss has won its last four homecoming games and eight of its last nine.

Southern Miss enters Saturday?s game with a 2-2 overall record, 1-1 mark in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles had a two-game winning streak snapped last week, falling to Tulsa 34-17.

On the season, Southern Miss has scored 119 points, averaging 29.8 points per game, ranking No. 2 in Conference USA and tied for No. 39 nationally. The Golden Eagle offense has amassed 1,317 yards of total offense so far in 2005, 412 on the ground and 905 passing, averaging 329.2 yards of total offense per contest (103 rushing, 226.2 passing). Southern Miss averages 5.1 yards per play. The team has also converted 25-of-52 third downs (48 percent).

Senior quarterback Dustin Almond has completed 64-of-115 passes for 828 yards and six touchdowns, against seven interceptions this season. Almond ranks No. 7 in Conference USA and No. 70 nationally in passing efficiency (121.18). Almond tossed two touchdowns in each of team?s first three games this season. He had his career best performance with 324 yards passing against East Carolina.

Redshirt sophomore running back Larry Thomas has a team high 239 rushing yards on 64 attempts, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and 59.8 per game. Thomas scored the first two touchdowns of his career against McNeese State. He currently ranks No. 9 in Conference USA in rushing yards per game (59.75) and No. 15 in all-purpose yards (80.50). Redshirt freshman Cody Hull ranks second on the team with 159 rushing yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, also scoring his first career touchdown against McNeese State.

Senior wide receiver Antwon Courington has caught a pass in 26 consecutive games and leads all receivers with 20 receptions for 282 yards and three touchdowns. He averages 14.1 yards per catch and 70.5 yards per game, and has the team?s longest play of the season, a 74-yard touchdown reception from Almond against East Carolina. Courington ranks No. 12 in Conference USA and is tied for No. 54 nationally in receptions per game (5.0), also ranking No. 8 in Conference USA and No. 54 nationally in receiving yards per game (70.50). Courington had his career best performance of 115 receiving yards against East Carolina, the second 100-yard receiving game of his career. He also caught a career-high two touchdowns against McNeese State.

Junior Anthony Perine ranks second on the team with 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns, both coming against Alabama, averaging 12.9 yards per catch and 35.5 yards per game. Redshirt freshman Shawn Nelson ranks third on the team with 117 yards on 11 catches, scoring his first touchdown against East Carolina. Nelson averages a team-best 16.7 yards per reception.

Senior punter Luke Johnson has 12 punts for 533 yards on the season, averaging 44.4 yards per punt, as Southern Miss ranks first in Conference USA and No. 2 nationally in net punting (40.92). Johnson has only punted four times in the team?s last three games.

Junior Darren McCaleb has made 7-of-8 field goals this season, including seven in a row after missing on his first attempt of the season. McCaleb tied a school record with four field goals against East Carolina (45, 43, 21, 32) and set a school record with most points in a game by a kicker with 15 against the Pirates, breaking the previous high of 14 set by Chris Seroka against Memphis in 1988 and Rex Banks against Georgia in 1984. McCaleb ranks No. 4 in Conference USA in scoring and No. 41 nationally (8.8), ranks No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 14 nationally in field goals per game (1.75). He leads Conference USA in field goal percentage (87.5). He is tied for the league lead in PAT kicking percentage and ranks No. 2 in scoring points by a kicker (8.8).

Senior John Eubanks has 11 kickoff returns for 223 yards on the season, averaging 20.3 yards per return, ranking No. 9 in Conference USA and No. 80 nationally. He has a long return of 70 yards against McNeese State on the year. Junior Jasper Faulk has six punt returns for 45 yards, averaging 7.50 yards per return, ranking No. 8 in Conference USA and is tied for No. 69 nationally.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles have 275 total tackles (175 solos, 100 assists), 22 tackles for loss, six sacks, six interceptions, 10 pass breakups, seven fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.

Senior Kevis Coley leads the team with 43 total tackles (23 solos, 20 assists) and 3.5 tackles for loss. He had a career-high 15 tackles against Tulsa. It was the third time this season he led the team in tackles and posted a double-figure tackle game. His twin brother Trevis Coley ranks second on the team with 31 total tackles (22 solos, nine assists). Junior Wayne Hardy has a team-best four tackles for loss, while Robert Henderson has three tackles for loss and a team-high two sacks.

Faulk tied an M.M. Roberts Stadium and school record with two interceptions against Tulsa, the first of his career, becoming the first Golden Eagle to record two interceptions in a game since Greg Brooks against Memphis in 2003. He finished with 76 yards in interception return yardage, the fourth most in school history. He ranks No. 3 in Conference USA and is tied for No. 18 nationally in interceptions pre game (.50).

UCF enters Saturday?s game with a 3-2 overall record, 2-0 mark in Conference USA. The Golden Knights began their season with two losses and had lost 17 consecutive games, but have since turned their fortunes around, with victories in their last three games.

On the season, UCF has scored 114 points, averaging 22.8 points per contest. The team has amassed 1,842 yards of total offense, 594 rushing and 1,248 passing. Per game, UCF averages 368.4 yards of total offense (118.8 rushing, 249.6 passing). The Golden Kings have converted on 32-of-79 third downs (41 percent) on the season.

Quarterback Steven Moffett has completed 94-of151 passes for 1,248 yards and nine touchdowns, against three interceptions. He ranks No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 23 nationally in passing efficiency (147.37).

Kevin Smith leads the running backs with 381 rushing yards on 89 attempts, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and 76.2 yards per game, ranking No. 4 in Conference USA and No. 57 nationally in rushing yardage per game. He has scored two touchdowns on the season. Dontavius Wilcox and Moffett each have single rushing scores on the season.

Mike Walker has a team-high 452 receiving yards on 35 receptions and two touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per catch and 90.4 yards per game. He has two touchdowns on the season, and ranks No. 3 in Conference USA and No. 14 nationally in receptions per game (7.0), also ranking No. 5 in Conference USA and No. 30 nationally in receiving yards per game. Brandon Marshall has a team-high six receiving touchdowns on the season and a team-high 17.2 yards per catch, with 26 receptions for 446 yards in 2005. He averages 89.2 yards per game. He ranks No. 11 in league action and No. 52 nationally in receptions per game (5.2), and No. 6 in Conference USA and No. 31 nationally in receiving yards per game.

Jason Peters has four kickoff returns for 79 yards on the season, averaging 19.8 yards per return. Joe Burnett has 13 punt returns for 170 yards on the season, averaging 13.1 yards per return.

Aaron Horn has 21 punts for 906 yards on the season, averaging 43.1 yards per return. Matt Prater has connected on 5-of-9 field goals, including a long of 49 yards, while John Brown has made 2-of-2 attempts.

Defensively, the Golden Knights have 316 total tackles on the season (219 solos, 97 assists), 35 tackles for loss, nine sacks, five interceptions, 14 pass breakups, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, one blocked kick and one safety. UCF is tied with UAB for the lead in Conference USA in scoring defense (21.20), and is tied for No. 37 nationally in that category.

Jordan Richards leads the team with 25 total tackles (16 solos, nine assists). Paul Carrington has a team-high 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while Frinsner Nelson also has four tackles for loss. Travonti Johnson leads the team with two interceptions on the year.

Following the UCF game, Southern Miss hits the road for four consecutive road games, facing UAB on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., N.C. State at 12 p.m., on Oct. 29, Marshall on Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m., and Houston on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m. Southern Miss returns home to face Memphis on Nov. 19, in a 6 p.m., contest.

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Football To Host UCF In Homecoming Game On Saturday

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