Football Defeats Marshall at The Rock

Saturday, November 3

Hattiesburg, Miss.

2:00 PM

Southern Miss

4-4 , 3-2

Marshall

5-3 , 3-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Marshall

Southern Miss

Photo by: Joe Harper

Football Defeats Marshall at The Rock

11/3/2018 9:42:00 PM | Football

Box Score Complete Book Game Notes Quotes

HATTIESBURG _ The Southern Miss defense lived up to its "Nasty Bunch" moniker as the Golden Eagles held off Marshall 26-24 before an announced 20,375.

Southern Miss came up with four turnovers and limited the Thundering Herd to 249 yards total offense.

"Our defense battled," Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson said. "I thought the guys did a great job swarming the ball and creating turnovers. It was a good team win."

Southern Miss (4-4, 3-2 Conference USA) converted three of the takeaways into 17 points, including a scoop-and-score fumble return by Darian Yancey as the Golden Eagles scored two touchdowns in a 15-second span near the end of the first half.

"It's big anytime you turn the ball over and give them points," Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. "Our defense made a couple tough plays in the second half and played pretty well. Offensively, we just couldn't get it done."
Southern Miss stifled the Herd's ground game, with Marshall netting just 31 yards rushing, the fewest rushing yards the Golden Eagles had allowed this season.

"Our defense takes a lot of pride in stopping the run and its pass capability," Hopson said. "I've been a defensive coach forever, and you can't just stop one side. You have to stop both."

The Herd (5-3, 3-2) clamped down on a Golden Eagle offense that saw freshman quarterback Tate Whatley make his first career start in place of starter Jack Abraham, who had been banged up last week at Charlotte.

Whatley completed 16-of-25 passes for a touchdown with no interceptions and led the Golden Eagles in rushing for a second consecutive game. Southern Miss only managed 222 yards total offense, including 134 yards passing, and Whatley's 40 yards rushing came on 25 attempts.

And yet, Southern Miss managed just enough offense and bowed up with enough defense to pick up its third consecutive home win.

The Golden Eagles opened the game with a 12-play, 39 yard drive that ate 7 minutes, 35 seconds, off the clock to take a 3-0 lead on Parker Shaunfield's 45-yard field goal.

After a 29-yard punt set up Marshall at the Golden Eagles' 29-yard line, Southern Miss was able to limit the Herd to a 24-yard field goal by Justin Rohrwasser.

The Herd took its only lead of the game when a botched punt snap wound up as a fumble at Southern Miss' 8-yard line. Marshall Brenden Knox picked up the loose ball and covered the distance for a 10-3 lead.

Momentum mounted for Marshall when Whatley fumbled during a delayed draw, with Marshall taking over at the Southern Miss36-yard line.

But two plays later, starting quarterback Alex Thomson was intercepted at the 5-yard line by Southern Miss cornerback Ty Williams, who returned his second pick of the year 49 yards to the Marshall 46.

A 29-yard gain on reverse by receiver DeMichael Harris brought the ball to the Marshall 17, and four plays later, Whatley found Quez Watkins on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone to tie the game just 48 seconds before halftime.

It was Watkins' eight TD catch of the season, but his first in three games.

Marshall subbed in Isaiah Green at quarterback in place of Thomson, but on first down, defensive end Jacques Turner caught Green from behind as he tried to shift to his right to avoid pressure.

Turner collected a 10-yard sack, and in the process, knocked the ball free. Yancey, who was coming around the other side, picked up the ball and bee-lined his way to his first career touchdown.

The score left the Golden Eagles ahead 17-10 at halftime.

"As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it," Yancey said. "It was a scoop-and-score, just like any drill in practice."

Southern Miss failed to convert a fourth-and-1 on its first possession of the second half, and Marshall needed just four plays to tie the score after taking over at its 34-yard line. Green's 53-yard completion to Marcel Williams set up a 2-yard scoring run by Anthony Anderson.

But on Marshall's next possession, safety Ky'el Hemby came up with his third interception of the year to set up a go-ahead, 23-yard field goal by Shaunfield for a 20-17 lead.

Green drove Marshall down to the Golden Eagles' 23. But an illegal block shoved the Herd back 10 yards and the Golden Eagles eventually forced a pooch punt from Green.

USM then went 94 yards to take a 26-17 lead on Whatley's 1-yard scoring run with 7:13 to play.

Linebacker Racheem Boothe recovered a fumble caused by defensive back Darius Kennedy at the Southern Miss 19 to thwart another Marshall threat before the Herd scored with 1:11 to play.

But the Golden Eagles recovered the on-side kick to preserve the win.

Southern Miss will travel to the UAB at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.