University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Hits Road to Face Middle Tennessee
10/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss football team travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a Conference USA tilt with Middle Tennessee on Saturday morning at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. and the game can be seen on the American Sports Network, including WHLT-TV in the Hattiesburg area, as well as heard on one of the affiliates of the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network.
Southern Miss enters the game with a 2-3 overall record and a 0-1 mark in league play. Despite dropping a game to Rice to start conference play, the Golden Eagles have won three of their last six games. Middle Tennessee is 3-2 heading into the game with a 2-0 record in the C-USA.
The game between the Golden Eagles and Blue Raiders will be the third meeting between the two schools but the first meeting in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
MT has won both previous meetings with Southern Miss, having scored 42 points in each of the first two games of the series. The two schools first met in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl with Middle Tennessee taking a 42-32 decision. Blue Raider quarterback Dwight Dasher rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing for two more scores to lead MT in the contest. Southern Miss fell to the Blue Raiders in the first meeting on the Hattiesburg campus last fall, dropping a 42-21 contest at The Rock.
The Golden Eagles are in their 19th season of Conference USA play. Southern Miss has posted an all-time 84-50 (.627) record in C-USA games and has more championships in the history of the league in football with five. The Black and Gold are 41-26 (.612) in C-USA games played on the road. The program won its last C-USA road game - defeating UAB 62-27 in Birmingham to finish up the 2013 campaign.
Southern Miss is in the midst of its 98th football season. The Golden Eagles have posted a 563-398-27 (.584) overall record in their history.
During last Saturday's contest against Rice, it was Ray Guy Day. At halftime of the game, Guy was presented with several gifts including a street renamed in his honor - Ray Guy Way - on the Golden Eagle campus. Sophomore quarterback Nick Mullens was given the honor of wearing Guy's retired No. 44 jersey against the Owls. Guy became Southern Miss' first former player to earn induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this summer.
Offensively, the team has had more success scoring in the red zone in each of the last two games. Southern Miss scored touchdowns twice in two trips to the red zone against Rice and did it two of three times against Appalachian State. The Black and Gold are 73.1 percent of total scoring in the red zone this season, but 80.0 percent in the last two games.
The Golden Eagles have taken care of the football in 2014. The Golden Eagles have committed just eight turnovers over the first five games this season. Southern Miss is coughing the ball up just 1.6 times a contest, as opposed to 2.3 giveaways a game in 2012 and 3.2 a game last season. The Golden Eagles rank tied for 36th this week in turnover margin in the national statistics.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles forced a turnover for the sixth straight game dating back to last season. After collecting just 12 takeaways in 2012 and 19 in 2013, the Golden Eagles have forced 11 (five fumbles, six interceptions) through the first five contests of 2014. With Picasso Nelson Jr.'s interception last Saturday against Rice, the Golden Eagles have already picked off six passes this season, tying the total the team collected all of last season.
The Golden Eagles have forced turnovers in 70 of the last 81 games and had two or more takeaways in 47 of those contests. The team is 34-36 (.486) when it forces at least one turnover and 30-17 (.638) when it collects multiple takeaways during that time.
Corey Acosta nailed a career-best 52-yard field goal against Rice in the C-USA opener to give him his fifth career 50-yard field goal make. In his career, Acosta is now 5-for-5 in his career from 50 yards or further. The Memphis native has made 33 career field goals to tie for fifth with Brant Hanna (1998-01) in the Southern Miss annals. In addition, Acosta is 58-of-60 in career extra points made for 157 career points.
There will be some familiar faces on the opposing bench during the game. Middle Tennessee co-defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix played for the Golden Eagles from 1990-93 and also was an assistant coach at his alma mater from 1995-04 (outside linebackers, 1995-99; defensive backs. 2000; defensive coordinator / inside linebackers, 2001-04). Blue Raider defensive line coach Tommy West was the defensive coordinator / linebacker coach for the Golden Eagles during the 2012 campaign.
