University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, September 13
Hattiesburg, Miss. / M.M. Roberts Stadium
6 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
App State
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Southern Miss Football Opens Sun Belt Play Saturday with App State
9/12/2025 9:43:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss football completes its three-game homestand to open the season when they play host to App State this Saturday in the school's Sun Belt Conference opener.
Game time is set for 6 p.m., at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium and can be seen via ESPN+ as well as heard on an affiliate of the Southern Miss Sports Network.
The Golden Eagles have opened the season 1-1 after splitting a pair of games with in-state rivals, dropping a 34-17 decision to Mississippi State to open the campaign before defeating Jackson State 38-20 last weekend.
Transfer quarterback Braylon Braxton has been as good as advertised as he has thrown for 413 yards over two games with five touchdowns and just one interception on 46-of-69 passes. Braxton has added 78 yards rushing.
With 14 different players having caught a pass over the first two games, Braxton's top targets have been both Carl Chester and Elijah Metcalf. Chester leads the way with nine catches for 93 yards, while Metcalf holds seven receptions for 58 yards. Micah Davis holds five receptions for 44 with a team-leading two touchdown grabs.
Jeffery Pittman ranks first in rushing for Southern Miss with 87 yards, while also collecting six catches for 53 yards.
On defense, sophomore linebacker Chris Jones leads with 19 tackles, while Josh Moten is second with 16 and Michael Montgomery 13. Defensive lineman JJ Hawkins paces the squad with 2.5 tackles for loss, and four different Golden Eagles have registered a sack.
App State enters the game with a 2-0 record, having defeated Charlotte 34-11 in the opener before capturing a 20-13 decision over Lindenwood last week. The Mountaineers are averaging 544.5 offensive yards per contest this season, while limiting their opponents to just 217. They kept Lindenwood minus-one yard rushing and 216 yards passing, while totaling 503 yards.
This meeting marks the fourth game in the series with the Golden Eagles holding a 2-1 advantage. The Mountaineers won the last contest between the two schools – the only Sun Belt Conference meeting – rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to capture a 48-38 decision in Boone, N.C. The loss ruined a 247-yard rushing performance for Frank Gore, Jr., which is the fourth highest rushing game in school history.
Southern Miss welcomes the App State to Hattiesburg for the first time since 2014, as a late extra point block by Dasman McCullum in the final seconds propelled Southern Miss to a 21-20 victory.
Tickets for this Saturday's game, as well as the other four remaining Southern Miss home football games, can be purchased by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Game time is set for 6 p.m., at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium and can be seen via ESPN+ as well as heard on an affiliate of the Southern Miss Sports Network.
The Golden Eagles have opened the season 1-1 after splitting a pair of games with in-state rivals, dropping a 34-17 decision to Mississippi State to open the campaign before defeating Jackson State 38-20 last weekend.
Transfer quarterback Braylon Braxton has been as good as advertised as he has thrown for 413 yards over two games with five touchdowns and just one interception on 46-of-69 passes. Braxton has added 78 yards rushing.
With 14 different players having caught a pass over the first two games, Braxton's top targets have been both Carl Chester and Elijah Metcalf. Chester leads the way with nine catches for 93 yards, while Metcalf holds seven receptions for 58 yards. Micah Davis holds five receptions for 44 with a team-leading two touchdown grabs.
Jeffery Pittman ranks first in rushing for Southern Miss with 87 yards, while also collecting six catches for 53 yards.
On defense, sophomore linebacker Chris Jones leads with 19 tackles, while Josh Moten is second with 16 and Michael Montgomery 13. Defensive lineman JJ Hawkins paces the squad with 2.5 tackles for loss, and four different Golden Eagles have registered a sack.
App State enters the game with a 2-0 record, having defeated Charlotte 34-11 in the opener before capturing a 20-13 decision over Lindenwood last week. The Mountaineers are averaging 544.5 offensive yards per contest this season, while limiting their opponents to just 217. They kept Lindenwood minus-one yard rushing and 216 yards passing, while totaling 503 yards.
This meeting marks the fourth game in the series with the Golden Eagles holding a 2-1 advantage. The Mountaineers won the last contest between the two schools – the only Sun Belt Conference meeting – rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to capture a 48-38 decision in Boone, N.C. The loss ruined a 247-yard rushing performance for Frank Gore, Jr., which is the fourth highest rushing game in school history.
Southern Miss welcomes the App State to Hattiesburg for the first time since 2014, as a late extra point block by Dasman McCullum in the final seconds propelled Southern Miss to a 21-20 victory.
Tickets for this Saturday's game, as well as the other four remaining Southern Miss home football games, can be purchased by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Players Mentioned
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