University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Notes vs. Savannah State
9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Southern Miss Captains: 19 â€" Curtis Mikell, 70 â€" Cameron Tom, 12 â€" D'Nerius Antoine
Coin Flip: Southern Miss won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Golden Eagles defended the north end zone.
Team Notes:
-Southern Miss is 2-0 for the first time since 2009.
-It was the program's first-ever win over a MEAC school and the first between it and Savannah State.
-Southern Miss has won two of its last three home openers and is now 14-3 in those games since 2000.
-The Golden Eagles have won three of their last four non-conference matchups.
-They are 6-4 in Septembers since 2014.
-Head coach Jay Hopson is the first Southern Miss coach to win his first two games since Larry Fedora in 2009.
Offensive Notes:
-The 49 points that Southern Miss scored is tied for the most in school history. It ties the halves against UAB in '08 and '13.
-Ito Smith and George Payne each rushed for 100-plus yards for the second consecutive game. It marks the first time Southern Miss has had a duo accomplish the feat since 2008.
-In that 2008 stretch, Tory Harrison (137) and V.J. Floyd (114) made their mark against UAB a week after Austin Davis (121) and Damion Fletcher (100) did so versus Memphis.
-The Golden Eagles converted eight of their 14 third-down attempts. They have succeeded on 50 percent or more of those 10 times the last two years.
-Ito Smith's 86-yard TD run was the longest in the history of M.M. Roberts Stadium, surpassing Reggie Collier's 84-yard dash against UT Arlington in 1981.
-It was the longest of his career and the third longest rushing TD in school history. This is Smith's tenth game of 100+ rushing yards.
-Parker Adamson saw action in his first game since Marshall in 2014.
-George Payne's 11 yard rush was the first of this year and eighth of his career.
-D.J. Thompson had his first TD catch of the year.
Defensive Notes:
-The 41 yards allowed marked the fewest in Conference USA history.
-The four completions yielded were the fewest since Nov. 11, 2006 versus Tulane.
-Eleven players recorded TFLs, led by Derrick Dixon's 2.5.
-Curtis Mikell's sack on SSU's Blake Dever during the second quarter was the first of his career. Eleven Southern Miss players registered a tackle for loss.
-Jeremy Sangster's five tackles both led the Golden Eagles and set a new career-high.
-Ja'Boree Poole recorded a 15-yard sack, his second straight game with a QB takedown. Xavier Thigpen has also accomplished the feat.
Special Team Notes:
-Dylan Bradley's blocked FG was the first of the season. Last blocked FG since Elijah Parker did so against Nebraska in 2015.
-Allenzae Staggers' 75-yard punt return for a TD was his first as a Golden Eagle. It was the first punt return TD since Tracy Lampley's in 2011 against East Carolina.
