University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Concludes Two-Game Homestand, Hosts NC State Saturday
9/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 12, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Golden Eagle football team completes a two-game homestand on Saturday, hosting NC State in a 6 p.m., contest in M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Saturday will be the 10th meeting between the two schools, with NC State holding a 5-4 series advantage. It will be third meeting between the two teams in Hattiesburg, with NC State holding a 2-0 advantage, winning 20-13 in 1960 and 14-0 in 1963. Last season, NC State claimed a 21-17 victory in Raleigh, N.C.
Southern Miss enters the game off a 45-0 home victory over Southeastern La., as the Golden Eagles improved to 1-1 on the season.
Through two games, the Golden Eagles have scored 52 points, averaging 52.0 points a game and 6.1 yards per play. The Golden Eagle offense has amassed 743 yards of total offense (375 rushing, 368 passing), and averages 371.5 yards per game.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles allow 305 yards (177.5 passing, 127.5 rushing) of total offense per game, ranking No. 3 in Conference USA in total defense. The unit leads Conference USA in scoring defense (17.0) and is averaging 9.5 tackles per loss and 0.50 sacks per game, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 5 and tied for No. 6 nationally, respectively.
On the year, quarterback Jeremy Young has completed 18-34 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns, against three interceptions. He is averaging 117.5 passing yards per game and has a passing efficiency rating of 112.76 Stephen Reaves has completed 10-19 passes for 133 yards, averaging 66.5 passing yards per game.
Damion Fletcher leads the running backs with 205 rushing yards on 35 attempts, also running for two touchdowns. He is averaging 102.5 yards per contest and 5.9 yards per carry, ranking No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 22 nationally. Larry Thomas has 10 carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Last week against Southeastern La., Fletcher and Thomas each ran for two touchdowns, becoming the first Golden Eagle duo to run for multiple scores since Derrick Nix and Anthony Harris ran for three and two respectively against Jackson State in 2002.
Shawn Nelson leads the wide receivers with seven catches for 104 yards, averaging 14.9 yards per catch and 52.0 yards per game. Damion Carter has four catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns, a 31-yarder against Southeastern La., and a six-yard score against Florida.
Darren McCaleb is 1-2 in field goals on the year, connecting on a career-long 50-yard field goal against Southeastern La. It was the first 50-yard field goal since Chris Pierce hit a 52-yarder to win the LSU game in 1994.
Britt Barefoot has five punts for 234 yards on the year, averaging 46.8 yards per punt. Three of his five punts have been over 50 yards.
Defensively, James Denley leads the team with 15 tackles, including two for loss. Brandon Sumrall has 11 tackles (eight solos, three assists), two tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. Martavius Prince leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss, which also leads Conference USA and ranks No. 5 nationally.
NC State, under the direction of Head Coach Chuck Amato, comes to Hattiesburg with a 1-1 record, following a 20-17 loss on the last play of the game to Akron. The Wolfpack defeated Appalachian State, 23-10, to open the season.
So far this year, NC State has scored 40 points, averaging 20 points per game. The Wolfpack offense has amassed 532 yards of total offense (245 passing, 287 rushing), averaging 266 yards per game.
Quarterback Marcus Stone has completed 23-44 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, against two interceptions.
Andre Brown leads the team with 135 rushing yards on 18 carries, including one touchdown. He averages 67.5 yards per game and 7.5 yards per run. Toney Baker has 28 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Anthony Hill leads the team with seven receptions for 82 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per carry. Darrell Blackman has a team-best two touchdowns, with six catches for 72 yards.
Blackman has five punt returns for 40 yards and four kick returns for 112 yards.
John Deraney is 1-1 in field goals, connecting on a 42-yarder on the year. Deraney also has punted 15 times for 564 yards, averaging 37.6 yards per punt, including a long punt of 54 yards.
Defensively, NC State is led by Pat Lowery, with 21 total tackles (10 solos, 11 assists). Lowery also leads the team with four tackles for loss. Miguel Scott has 13 tackles (seven solos, six assists), along with the team's lone interception on the year. Martrel Brown has two tackles for loss, two sacks and has forced a fumble, while Raymond Brooks also has three tackles for loss and a sack and DeMarcus Tyler also has three tackles for loss and a sack.
Following the NC State game, Southern Miss will play back-to-back Tuesday night road games, beginning Sept. 26 at UCF, before facing Tulsa on Oct. 3. Game time for both games is set for 6:30 p.m., and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
