University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Southern Miss Set to play WKU in 25th New Orleans Bowl
12/7/2025 3:43:00 PM | Football
NEW ORLEANS – (Dec. 7, 2025) – The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles accepted invitations today to face off in the 25th annual New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday, December 23 at the Caesars Superdome. The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. CST and will air on ESPN.
"The year marks 25 years of the New Orleans Bowl, and we could not be more excited to welcome the Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles to New Orleans to help us celebrate this incredible milestone," said Billy Ferrante, New Orleans Bowl executive director. "There's nothing like the pageantry of the bowl season, and we look forward to sharing this with two teams who have worked so hard to get here."
Western Kentucky, under Head Coach Tyson Helton, comes to New Orleans after finishing third in Conference USA with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 record in conference play.
"We're really excited to return to the New Orleans Bowl," said Western Kentucky Football Head Coach Tyson Helton. "They do a great job. We get to play a great opponent in Southern Miss. It should be a great game."
The Hilltoppers finished the regular season with CUSA's second-best scoring defense, allowing just 23.4 points per game, and the second-best pass defense efficiency (114.1) in the league. The defense is led by senior linebacker Jaylen Wester and junior safety Jalen Lewis. Wester ranks sixth in the league in total tackles (94), while Lewis is second on the team with 68 total tackles, along with three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
This is Western Kentucky's second appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. In 2022, the Hilltoppers defeated South Alabama 44-23 with the help of quarterback Austin Reed, the game's MVP, who set four New Orleans Bowl records at the time.
Southern Miss finished second in the Sun Belt West with a 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play.
"We are really excited about our return to the New Orleans Bowl and a really special bowl experience," said Southern Miss Director of Athletics, Jeremy McClain. "Our players and fans are really excited about the destination and the challenge of facing a very talented opponent in WKU."
Led by redshirt senior quarterback Braylon Braxton, the Golden Eagles offense ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in yards per game (403.8) and first in passing yards (266.8). Despite missing a game due to injury, Braxton is third in the league in passing yards (2,796) and fifth in completion percentage (65.2).
Sophomore Linebacker Chris Jones leads the Sun Belt in total tackles (127) with junior defensive lineman J'Mond Tapp ranking second in sacks (7.5) and senior cornerback Josh Moten recording a league-high five interceptions.
This marks the sixth appearance in the New Orleans Bowl for Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles rank second to Louisiana in New Orleans Bowl history in appearances and wins.
For more information on the New Orleans Bowl, visit www.neworleansbowl.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X at @NewOrleansBowl.
"The year marks 25 years of the New Orleans Bowl, and we could not be more excited to welcome the Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles to New Orleans to help us celebrate this incredible milestone," said Billy Ferrante, New Orleans Bowl executive director. "There's nothing like the pageantry of the bowl season, and we look forward to sharing this with two teams who have worked so hard to get here."
Western Kentucky, under Head Coach Tyson Helton, comes to New Orleans after finishing third in Conference USA with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 record in conference play.
"We're really excited to return to the New Orleans Bowl," said Western Kentucky Football Head Coach Tyson Helton. "They do a great job. We get to play a great opponent in Southern Miss. It should be a great game."
The Hilltoppers finished the regular season with CUSA's second-best scoring defense, allowing just 23.4 points per game, and the second-best pass defense efficiency (114.1) in the league. The defense is led by senior linebacker Jaylen Wester and junior safety Jalen Lewis. Wester ranks sixth in the league in total tackles (94), while Lewis is second on the team with 68 total tackles, along with three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
This is Western Kentucky's second appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. In 2022, the Hilltoppers defeated South Alabama 44-23 with the help of quarterback Austin Reed, the game's MVP, who set four New Orleans Bowl records at the time.
Southern Miss finished second in the Sun Belt West with a 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play.
"We are really excited about our return to the New Orleans Bowl and a really special bowl experience," said Southern Miss Director of Athletics, Jeremy McClain. "Our players and fans are really excited about the destination and the challenge of facing a very talented opponent in WKU."
Led by redshirt senior quarterback Braylon Braxton, the Golden Eagles offense ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in yards per game (403.8) and first in passing yards (266.8). Despite missing a game due to injury, Braxton is third in the league in passing yards (2,796) and fifth in completion percentage (65.2).
Sophomore Linebacker Chris Jones leads the Sun Belt in total tackles (127) with junior defensive lineman J'Mond Tapp ranking second in sacks (7.5) and senior cornerback Josh Moten recording a league-high five interceptions.
This marks the sixth appearance in the New Orleans Bowl for Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles rank second to Louisiana in New Orleans Bowl history in appearances and wins.
For more information on the New Orleans Bowl, visit www.neworleansbowl.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X at @NewOrleansBowl.
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