Southern Miss vs. UAB: Postgame Notes
11/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL
vs. UAB NOTES
November 29, 2014
Southern Miss Captains: 11 - Cole Weeks, 23 - Markese Triplett, 25 - Corey Acosta and 45 - Dasman McCullum.
Coin Flip: Southern Miss wins toss; elects to defer.
Team Notes:
Final game for famed color analyst Vic Purvis. Purvis spent 41 years in the announcing booth, tied for fourth longest active streak in the NCAA.
Redshirt senior placekicker Corey Acosta missed a 53-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter. The miss was the first for the redshirt senior in his career from over 50 yards. Prior to the miss, Acosta was 5-for-5 from 50 yards or longer.
Michael Thomas returned a kickoff for 100 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter. It was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown since Tracy Lampley returned a kick for 100 yards at Nebraska on Sept. 1, 2012.
Corey Acosta has made at least one field goal in nine of Southern Miss' 12 games this season. Acosta did not have a field goal against Mississippi State (L, 0-49), Appalachian State (W, 21-20 - three extra points) and UTEP (L, 14-35 - two extra points).
Junior Jalen Richard caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Nick Mullens in the third quarter. The TD reception was the first for Richard this season and the third of his career. The junior has one touchdown reception per season.
First time in program history since renovating M.M. Roberts Stadium 1976, aka The Rock, that both teams have returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Southern Miss' Michael Thomas notched a 100-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, while UAB's J.J. Nelson with a 99-yard return.
Nick Mullens tallied 263 yards passing in the game, marking the 14 career 200-yard passing games in 16 starts. This season, Mullens has collected 200-yard passing games in nine of 10 starts. He finished last season with five 200-yard games.