University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Returns to Practice Fields Tuesday Morning
8/11/2026 2:45:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – It proved to be another hot, humid morning for the sixth day of fall camp for the Southern Miss football team Tuesday at the Joe P. Park Practice Facility.
With over 70 new players fighting for playing time, there is one attribute that first-year Golden Eagle coach Blake Anderson continues to look for as fall camp continues approaching the season opener, Saturday, Sept. 5, against Alcorn State.
"Consistency is the thing you're always looking for at every position," said Anderson. "You got a guy that has a really good day, but then he has a really bad day the next day.
"That same guy that shows up to meetings prepared, (with) weight room effort, comes out with effort on practice field, not making a lot of mistakes and knows what to do. Maybe the technique needs to keep coming along but knows he has learned well and spent the time studying. So, consistency and work ethic are the two things we're really looking for (to see playing time). I do believe, though, as you go and as you play more football, that little by little, you know, the cream tends to rise, and that's where guys start stacking days, and it kind of goes back to that same conversation like the guy that's most consistently just showing up every day, that's the guy that you tend to count on."
Anderson was also asked following the two-hour practice in shells about what position groups were ahead of others in terms of their advancement during camp.
"Everybody right now is in survival mode," said Anderson. "To me, right now, this is the kind of the 'gut check' of fall camp. They're extremely sore, the regimen and the heat, all that.
"This is a pivotal week, and I don't know that anybody is in really football shape yet. They're still kind of getting from summer shape to football shape, just like probably every camp in the country. We're in survival mode. We will find out how tough and we will fight through it. Then we can turn the corner, and then you start seeing guys get their legs underneath them and that's I really feel like that's when you start seeing guys true capability."
One position that has seen much attention is who will start at quarterback this fall for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss returns both redshirt senior Landry Lyddy as well as redshirt sophomore John White. Newcomer, redshirt senior Ethan Hampton from the University of Illinois, is also in that mix.
Anderson said he would like to have a decision on who the starter was going to be as quick as he could but was not going to make a decision until it was truly ready to be made.
"I'd like to have it as early as possible, but not until it's ready," said Anderson. "We got to be sure. It's not a decision I don't want to make a decision and then change my mind five minutes later. I want to know that we made the right call. I mean, it's possible that decision may not come until game week."
The Golden Eagles return to the practice field on Wednesday.
The season opener is set for 4 p.m. against the Braves on Sept. 5. Tickets for that game, as well as the other five Golden Eagle home contests, in the forms of season flex plans as well as single game ticket options can be purchased by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
With over 70 new players fighting for playing time, there is one attribute that first-year Golden Eagle coach Blake Anderson continues to look for as fall camp continues approaching the season opener, Saturday, Sept. 5, against Alcorn State.
"Consistency is the thing you're always looking for at every position," said Anderson. "You got a guy that has a really good day, but then he has a really bad day the next day.
"That same guy that shows up to meetings prepared, (with) weight room effort, comes out with effort on practice field, not making a lot of mistakes and knows what to do. Maybe the technique needs to keep coming along but knows he has learned well and spent the time studying. So, consistency and work ethic are the two things we're really looking for (to see playing time). I do believe, though, as you go and as you play more football, that little by little, you know, the cream tends to rise, and that's where guys start stacking days, and it kind of goes back to that same conversation like the guy that's most consistently just showing up every day, that's the guy that you tend to count on."
Anderson was also asked following the two-hour practice in shells about what position groups were ahead of others in terms of their advancement during camp.
"Everybody right now is in survival mode," said Anderson. "To me, right now, this is the kind of the 'gut check' of fall camp. They're extremely sore, the regimen and the heat, all that.
"This is a pivotal week, and I don't know that anybody is in really football shape yet. They're still kind of getting from summer shape to football shape, just like probably every camp in the country. We're in survival mode. We will find out how tough and we will fight through it. Then we can turn the corner, and then you start seeing guys get their legs underneath them and that's I really feel like that's when you start seeing guys true capability."
One position that has seen much attention is who will start at quarterback this fall for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss returns both redshirt senior Landry Lyddy as well as redshirt sophomore John White. Newcomer, redshirt senior Ethan Hampton from the University of Illinois, is also in that mix.
Anderson said he would like to have a decision on who the starter was going to be as quick as he could but was not going to make a decision until it was truly ready to be made.
"I'd like to have it as early as possible, but not until it's ready," said Anderson. "We got to be sure. It's not a decision I don't want to make a decision and then change my mind five minutes later. I want to know that we made the right call. I mean, it's possible that decision may not come until game week."
The Golden Eagles return to the practice field on Wednesday.
The season opener is set for 4 p.m. against the Braves on Sept. 5. Tickets for that game, as well as the other five Golden Eagle home contests, in the forms of season flex plans as well as single game ticket options can be purchased by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11