University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss defense looks to continue hot start
9/19/2018 7:47:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The itch to get back on the field has grown more and more for the Southern Miss football team as it prepares to host Rice on Saturday.
Last week's game at Appalachian State was postponed and eventually canceled for good due to Hurricane Florence, and while the team was able to catch up on a little bit of rest, there is now a bigger sense of urgency to play again.
Sophomore safety Ky'el Hemby is one new name that Southern Miss fans have already begun to enjoy. He collected interceptions in each of his first two games, the first back-to-back-games occurrence since teammate Picasso Nelson, Jr. in 2014. He says the past week, including the sudden news there would be no ASU game, have been very productive.
"We've been executing," he said. "Coach Hopson stresses that every day. We've been dialed in, leaving it all on the field. This week, we've gotten ourselves a lot better."
Between Jackson State and ULM's spread attacks, Hemby also discussed the adjustments the team would have to make for an entirely new offensive playbook, as well as the need for the secondary to look to play closer to the line at times.
"It's completely different," he said. "We have been practicing tackling. That's gonna be a big factor this week the way Rice can run the ball down on you. We have to buckle up and play physical football."
Southern Miss' defense is currently third in the nation in third down percentage (19.2 percent) and 13th for net passing (146.5 ypg) and total defense (276.5 ypg) under the direction of Tim Billings and co-defensive coordinator Derek Nicholson.
The Golden Eagles kick off with the Owls at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday. Fans can purchase their tickets by calling 1-800-844-TICK, visiting SouthernMissTickets.com or stopping by the Pat Ferlise Center during normal business hours.
