University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Hosts Undefeated Marshall for Homecoming
11/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 7, 2014
Bill Hazen (play-by-play) and Jim Donnan (analyst) have the call for the American Sports Network's telecast.
In addition to the game, Southern Miss will be hosting the 19th Annual Homecoming Eagle 5k on Pride Field on Saturday morning. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. with the race beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The annual Homecoming Parade, which begins at Midtown Market making its way up Hardy Street and onto campus, is slated to begin at 11 a.m.
In conjunction with homecoming activities, the Southern Miss women's basketball team will host an exhibition game against West Florida in Reed Green Coliseum. The Lady Eagles, who were picked third in the Conference USA preseason poll, return to the court after a trip to the WNIT last season. Tipoff between the Golden Eagles and Argonauts is slated for 12 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is FREE.
Eagle Walk begins at 4 p.m. and will feature the 2014 Homecoming Court.
Following Eagle Walk, fans are encouraged to tailgate with the men's basketball team. The tailgate is at Centennial Lawn right after Eagle Walk. The tailgate will feature free food and will give fans a chance to meet the 2014-15 team as well as get this year's schedule poster. The WUSM Tailgate Concert Series begins on Centennial Lawn at 4:15 p.m. and features Jarekus Singleton, a former Southern Miss basketball player and a 2008 graduate.
The game between Southern Miss and Marshall will be the team's Military Appreciation Game. Team will run out of the tunnel with the flags for all branches of the armed forces and there will be pregame fireworks as the team takes the field. Members of the Wounded Warrior Project will serve as the honorary captains for the game and there will be a special video tribute to all members of the armed forces
Members of the military stationed throughout South Mississippi will attend the game thanks to donations by our fans. Fans can still donate tickets to this cause by calling 1-800-844-TICK and mentioning Seats4Soldiers. In addition, the game will be Girl Scouts Day at The Rock. Local girl scouts and their family members are able to purchase tickets at a group rate for this game. Please call Cody Bielstein at 601-266-4563. Girl Scouts in their uniforms will be able to walk around the field during pre-game.
In association with Let's SAAC Hunger Week, student-Athletes from various Southern Miss sports will be collecting canned food items at the gates to benefit the Edwards Street Fellowship Center. Those that donated 5 canned food items or more will receive a voucher for a ticket to the Lady Eagle Basketball Thanksgiving Classic.
At halftime, the 2014 Homecoming Court will be presented and the Alumni Hall of Fame will be introduced.
Southern Miss and Marshall will play for the 10th time in its respective histories this weekend, having played every year since the start of the series in 2005. USM leads the overall series 5-4, but the Herd have won the last three meetings. Southern Miss won the first three meetings in the series and five of the first six. Four of the nine games between the two schools have been decided by seven points or less with each team winning twice in those games.
The Golden Eagles are 56-21 all-time in homecoming contests. Southern Miss has won 10 of its last 13 homecoming games. This is the first time that Southern Miss has met Marshall for its annual homecoming game. The homecoming theme is "All That Glitters is Gold."
This will be the first ranked team Southern Miss has played at home since entertaining No. 19 Louisville at The Rock on Sept. 29, 2012. The Golden Eagles fell in that contest 21-17. The Herd will be the first ranked, unbeaten team to come to Hattiesburg this late into the season, since No. 9 TCU in 2003. The Golden Eagles won that game, 40-28.
Marshall is the second ranked opponent the Golden Eagles have faced this season with the other being No. 3 Alabama. NOTE: Mississippi State was not ranked by the Associated Press when they Golden Eagles met them in the season opener, but currently is ranked No. 1 in the country.
Since the start of the 1976 season, following the renovation of Roberts Stadium, the Golden Eagles have posted a 132-56 (.702) record at The Rock. Southern Miss looks to win their third home game of 2014 when they entertain Marshall.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Golden Eagles surrendered a season-low 234 total offensive yards against UTEP. Southern Miss ranks No. 13 in Red Zone Defense at 71.8 percent nationally.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches, regarded as one of the top defensive linemen for the Golden Eagles, returned this season after missing the final 10 games a year ago with a foot injury. He is off arguably the best game of his career, having tallied a career-best 11 tackles to go along with two sacks, a blocked field goal and a pair of QB hurries against UTEP. This season, Nunez-Roches has posted 50 total tackles, good for a tie for third on the squad, with a team-best 12.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Cornell Armstrong, making his second start of the year at UTEP, returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for his first career touchdown. It was the first blocked field goal return for a score for the Golden Eagles since Marquese Wheaton (2010-11) did it against Navy in 2011. Armstrong added his first fumble recovery on UTEP's first series and finished the contest with three tackles including one for loss going for eight yards.
Offensively, Southern Miss has posted at least 500 yards of total offense twice this season against Middle Tennessee (537) and North Texas (506).
George Payne, who has scored all six Golden Eagle rushing touchdowns this season, had a string of collecting a rushing score in five-straight games snapped at UTEP. Despite not having a TD, Payne continues to lead the team with seven total touchdowns on the year.
Casey Martin leads the Golden Eagles in receptions with 50 (5.6 per game) this season and has led or tied for the team lead in grabs in six of nine contests in 2014. Martin's best day came at UTEP with six catches for a season-best 129 yards. It was his first 100-yard receiving game for the Golden Eagles. His total included a 55-yard TD grab from Cole Weeks, which is the longest offensive play of the season.
Weeks threw for the second-most yards by a Golden Eagle starting signal caller in his first career start against UTEP. Weeks threw for 309 yards on 20-of-46 passing and a touchdown. He hit Martin on his career-long throw of 55 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
Michael Thomas registered his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown grab when he caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Weeks against Louisiana Tech. Thomas finished with a team-high tying seven catches for 104 yards, marking his second 100-yard receiving game of the campaign. Thomas leads the team with five TD receptions and is first on the squad in receiving yards with 474 and second in catches with 31.
On special teams, Corey Acosta was named a Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Semifinalist this week. In addition, the senior was tabbed First Team Capital One Academic All-District 6. This season, Acosta has converted 16-of-20 field goals to go along with 15-of-17 extra points for a team-high 63 points this season. At one point during the year, he converted eight field goals in a row and also collected a career-best four field goals in consecutive games against Alcorn State and No. 3 Alabama. For his efforts against Alcorn State, Acosta was named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week (Sept. 8, 2014). Acosta leads Conference USA in field goals per game at 1.78 and is second in percentage made.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss football team will entertain No. 23 Marshall this Saturday evening at 6 p.m. in the school's annual homecoming contest at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The game can be seen on the American Sports Network as well as heard on one of the affiliates of the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network. Tickets can be purchased by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or by visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office weekdays from 8 a.m., until 5 p.m.
The game can be picked up in five different markets in the state of Mississippi, including Jackson (Mississippi's CW Channel 14/212 and 1013), Biloxi-Gulfport (WXXV-NBC), Greenwood/Greenville (Cox Sports Television), Meridian (Bounce TV) and Columbus/Tupelo/West Point/Houston (My MS TV). The game is also scheduled to air on Comcast Sports Net Chicago, which is available nationwide on DirecTV and Dish Network.Bill Hazen (play-by-play) and Jim Donnan (analyst) have the call for the American Sports Network's telecast.
In addition to the game, Southern Miss will be hosting the 19th Annual Homecoming Eagle 5k on Pride Field on Saturday morning. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. with the race beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The annual Homecoming Parade, which begins at Midtown Market making its way up Hardy Street and onto campus, is slated to begin at 11 a.m.
In conjunction with homecoming activities, the Southern Miss women's basketball team will host an exhibition game against West Florida in Reed Green Coliseum. The Lady Eagles, who were picked third in the Conference USA preseason poll, return to the court after a trip to the WNIT last season. Tipoff between the Golden Eagles and Argonauts is slated for 12 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is FREE.
Eagle Walk begins at 4 p.m. and will feature the 2014 Homecoming Court.
Following Eagle Walk, fans are encouraged to tailgate with the men's basketball team. The tailgate is at Centennial Lawn right after Eagle Walk. The tailgate will feature free food and will give fans a chance to meet the 2014-15 team as well as get this year's schedule poster. The WUSM Tailgate Concert Series begins on Centennial Lawn at 4:15 p.m. and features Jarekus Singleton, a former Southern Miss basketball player and a 2008 graduate.
The game between Southern Miss and Marshall will be the team's Military Appreciation Game. Team will run out of the tunnel with the flags for all branches of the armed forces and there will be pregame fireworks as the team takes the field. Members of the Wounded Warrior Project will serve as the honorary captains for the game and there will be a special video tribute to all members of the armed forces
Members of the military stationed throughout South Mississippi will attend the game thanks to donations by our fans. Fans can still donate tickets to this cause by calling 1-800-844-TICK and mentioning Seats4Soldiers. In addition, the game will be Girl Scouts Day at The Rock. Local girl scouts and their family members are able to purchase tickets at a group rate for this game. Please call Cody Bielstein at 601-266-4563. Girl Scouts in their uniforms will be able to walk around the field during pre-game.
In association with Let's SAAC Hunger Week, student-Athletes from various Southern Miss sports will be collecting canned food items at the gates to benefit the Edwards Street Fellowship Center. Those that donated 5 canned food items or more will receive a voucher for a ticket to the Lady Eagle Basketball Thanksgiving Classic.
At halftime, the 2014 Homecoming Court will be presented and the Alumni Hall of Fame will be introduced.
Southern Miss and Marshall will play for the 10th time in its respective histories this weekend, having played every year since the start of the series in 2005. USM leads the overall series 5-4, but the Herd have won the last three meetings. Southern Miss won the first three meetings in the series and five of the first six. Four of the nine games between the two schools have been decided by seven points or less with each team winning twice in those games.
The Golden Eagles are 56-21 all-time in homecoming contests. Southern Miss has won 10 of its last 13 homecoming games. This is the first time that Southern Miss has met Marshall for its annual homecoming game. The homecoming theme is "All That Glitters is Gold."
This will be the first ranked team Southern Miss has played at home since entertaining No. 19 Louisville at The Rock on Sept. 29, 2012. The Golden Eagles fell in that contest 21-17. The Herd will be the first ranked, unbeaten team to come to Hattiesburg this late into the season, since No. 9 TCU in 2003. The Golden Eagles won that game, 40-28.
Marshall is the second ranked opponent the Golden Eagles have faced this season with the other being No. 3 Alabama. NOTE: Mississippi State was not ranked by the Associated Press when they Golden Eagles met them in the season opener, but currently is ranked No. 1 in the country.
Since the start of the 1976 season, following the renovation of Roberts Stadium, the Golden Eagles have posted a 132-56 (.702) record at The Rock. Southern Miss looks to win their third home game of 2014 when they entertain Marshall.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Golden Eagles surrendered a season-low 234 total offensive yards against UTEP. Southern Miss ranks No. 13 in Red Zone Defense at 71.8 percent nationally.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches, regarded as one of the top defensive linemen for the Golden Eagles, returned this season after missing the final 10 games a year ago with a foot injury. He is off arguably the best game of his career, having tallied a career-best 11 tackles to go along with two sacks, a blocked field goal and a pair of QB hurries against UTEP. This season, Nunez-Roches has posted 50 total tackles, good for a tie for third on the squad, with a team-best 12.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Cornell Armstrong, making his second start of the year at UTEP, returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for his first career touchdown. It was the first blocked field goal return for a score for the Golden Eagles since Marquese Wheaton (2010-11) did it against Navy in 2011. Armstrong added his first fumble recovery on UTEP's first series and finished the contest with three tackles including one for loss going for eight yards.
Offensively, Southern Miss has posted at least 500 yards of total offense twice this season against Middle Tennessee (537) and North Texas (506).
George Payne, who has scored all six Golden Eagle rushing touchdowns this season, had a string of collecting a rushing score in five-straight games snapped at UTEP. Despite not having a TD, Payne continues to lead the team with seven total touchdowns on the year.
Casey Martin leads the Golden Eagles in receptions with 50 (5.6 per game) this season and has led or tied for the team lead in grabs in six of nine contests in 2014. Martin's best day came at UTEP with six catches for a season-best 129 yards. It was his first 100-yard receiving game for the Golden Eagles. His total included a 55-yard TD grab from Cole Weeks, which is the longest offensive play of the season.
Weeks threw for the second-most yards by a Golden Eagle starting signal caller in his first career start against UTEP. Weeks threw for 309 yards on 20-of-46 passing and a touchdown. He hit Martin on his career-long throw of 55 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
Michael Thomas registered his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown grab when he caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Weeks against Louisiana Tech. Thomas finished with a team-high tying seven catches for 104 yards, marking his second 100-yard receiving game of the campaign. Thomas leads the team with five TD receptions and is first on the squad in receiving yards with 474 and second in catches with 31.
On special teams, Corey Acosta was named a Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Semifinalist this week. In addition, the senior was tabbed First Team Capital One Academic All-District 6. This season, Acosta has converted 16-of-20 field goals to go along with 15-of-17 extra points for a team-high 63 points this season. At one point during the year, he converted eight field goals in a row and also collected a career-best four field goals in consecutive games against Alcorn State and No. 3 Alabama. For his efforts against Alcorn State, Acosta was named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week (Sept. 8, 2014). Acosta leads Conference USA in field goals per game at 1.78 and is second in percentage made.
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