University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Blake Anderson Weekly Press Conference – The Alcorn State Game
8/31/2026 3:07:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss football coach Blake Anderson addressed the media on Monday, Aug. 31, ahead of the Golden Eagles' season opener against Alcorn State this Saturday.
Southern Miss opens its 110th football against the Braves (1-0), who opened their season with a 56-7 triumph over Miles last Saturday. Jason Baker (Play-by-Play) and Larry Boyd (Analyst) will anchor the broadcast on ESPN+ beginning at 4 p.m. while the Southern Miss Sports Network's pregame show begins at 2:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, and analyst Lee Roberts on the call.
Fans can still purchase tickets to the game and secure tickets for the rest of the 2026 season by visiting SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Here is what Anderson said to the media:
Opening thoughts on Alcorn State
"They did what they were supposed to do in week one. We don't typically get a week zero game under our belt to watch, and this is unique that they played. But man, they did everything you're supposed to do. It wasn't close at any point. So, when you play an opponent like they played, that's what you want to see is you want to see your team you know dominating. They really did in every phase. So, I told our guys very clear, this is a team that is more than capable of beating you, beating you here at home. You got to be ready and respect the opponent and our guys are doing that. At least the practice has been really, really, good."
On Whether he is Ready to Announce a Starting Quarterback
"No, I'm not. I mean, you're welcome to ask. Today's a big day for that. Today's a recovery day for us. We had really good practices Saturday and Sunday, and both rooms are at this point really kind of ironing things out. If you know the kind of approach like who's going out first, how much our guys are expected to play behind them, but in light of the injury with Ethan and how long that's taken and just being fair to the process. Now we're not ready and don't know that we really will. Not that we're trying to surprise anybody. We just want to make sure we make the right decision moving forward because we don't want to be going back and forth."
On how much does QB Ethan Hampton's injury impact the decision
"Well, it impacted it a ton. At the time that that he got hurt, he was kind of moving in a direction to potentially be the guy. Had he had the right kind of scrimmage, could have been the guy. The other guys have done everything they're supposed to do, but it was that close of a race. It's been that difficult to really choose, and I didn't feel like we had to be in a rush. They're all doing what they're supposed to do, so allow us to have some patience. But we want to be fair to the process and see if he can really put himself in a position to impact who the guy is. It's unique. It's not ideal. It's unique, but they've handled it so well, and I don't know that it would have changed how we've prepared really at all, with the exception of a handful of reps. Yesterday was his best day by far. I wasn't trying to be sneaky with the public. It was more significant than we anticipated. Once we knew it wasn't structural in the beginning, we thought it would be just a handful of days. But the bone bruise was much more severe, and it's taken a lot longer. And it's been frustrating for him because he's wanted to practice but really had pretty much about probably 70 percent of the practice yesterday and he responded well today will help. He and I would not say he was 100% yesterday, but clearly at a point where he could practice, you know, get a lot of reps and not take any steps back. So we're getting there, and he's progressing. Just there's no way to know exactly when that point is where he doesn't feel anything and can go, and the season's not going to slow down and wait on us. So we're kind of getting to that point where we got to make some tough decisions and be fair to everybody involved."
Take about Alcorn's dual-threat Quarterback
"Obviously, I have to get into the nuts and bolts with (DC) Joe (Bolden), but we're very aware that his legs are a problem and that we have to be completely sound schematically, but also really good tacklers. It is clear that if you give the guy space, you're asking to get hurt. We need to do a great job schematically of being aware of where he's at. We know where he's at, but who's got him? Depending on the call, there are going to be times when you're in one-on-ones. You've got to get the guy on the ground, and he's hard to contain and definitely hard to get down. You can't just wholesale change your defense. We're going to see other quarterbacks throughout the year that are athletic and mobile and a threat. It's something that we're going to have to be prepared for, but it does make the field really big and stresses everybody when you know that just one guy not being assignment-sound, one guy not being where he needs to be or a guy missing a tackle, you're giving up a potential explosive. We're going to stay within the framework of what we do, but we are fully aware of how good an athlete he is. We've got to do a great job of identifying who has him, and then when the person gets there, you've got to get him on the ground."
On what He has Noticed from Alcorn's Defense
"That's kind of what we're doing today, to be honest. I wanted to take this game instead of kind of guessing on who was back. We'd watched State before, and like always, you look at them and they're way better than you want them to be. They had some guys that could really run around. I'm not sure exactly how many of those guys are still around. Several graduated, and I know a couple of them are in our league playing for other teams. But from what showed up and from the little bit of film I was able to watch yesterday, they run well, and they played with a tremendous amount of energy. They're multiple. They're going to be in four-down, they're going to be in odd, and you're going to see different looks. We know we're going to have to be prepared for all that, but I think the thing that stood out to me was just how hard they played. You could tell the guys are having fun playing. They like playing the game and are disruptive. Not to minimize them, but for us, this game is really so much about figuring out who the heck we are at this point. That is maybe more so this year than ever before, figuring out what we are offensively and what we are defensively. I had conversations with both coordinators this morning. I don't care what X's and O's we like or what we've liked in the past. What is this football team best at? We haven't grown these guys up over four or five years. What is this group that we've put together? What is it best at? That's what we need to be. Now's a really good time before it gets crazy, because once it goes to all zeros next week, we're on fast-forward for the rest of the season. This is the time to really reassess everything we've done to this point. What have we done well? What are we best at? What do we maybe need to shelf and not put as much time and energy into? As much as I've seen on tape from them, what are we going to be best at? That's maybe the biggest question of all."
On how offenses and defenses always change over time
"If you can put a couple tight ends on the field and still stay versatile formationally, it is a challenge. I know listening to Rocky Long all those years, that was something they really challenged them in a big way, being able to be in 12 personnel and add another gap, but then also the very next snap be spread out where you've got to get back out in space. There are a lot of things in the offense that are very similar to what we did when I was here with Larry (Fedora). There are some key principles that we haven't gotten rid of, but we've also progressed offensively and changed in some ways, too. Our spacing is much wider schematically. There are some X's and O's. The RPO game has been much heavier. The deep-choice game is way more extensive, just things that we weren't really doing back then. But the ability to keep a tight end on the field, one or two, and be very multiple formationally quickly without having to change personnel, making the defense play to all of those, has always been an advantage if you have the people to do it. I think we do, and I do feel like it's got a chance to put us in position to create some pressure for defenses if we can stay healthy and get good play out of several of those guys, which they're capable of doing."
On with a quarterback and receiver, is the quarterback and receiver reading pre-snap the same leverage, or one versus the other
"Well, you're seeing pre-snap, but a lot of these things are post-snap decisions as the defense changes. Does it roll? Do they wall? Do they run to hip? Do they undercut? All that stuff is happening in real time. That's why a lot of people don't want to do it because it's not extremely easy. But if you can get everybody on the same page, it creates a lot of opportunity. Technically, if you make good decisions, you should be able to find open grass and take advantage of coverages as opposed to trying to guess. Defenses are good at disguising, rolling and changing, so we're making a lot of decisions after the snap. We get information pre-snap, but we make decisions post-snap, and it makes it really difficult for quarterbacks and wideouts to be on the same page. When you get it right, it's a lot of fun, and you're very explosive. When you get it wrong, sometimes you look a little stupid out there. Why is one guy going? Why is the ball here and the guy there? We're trying to avoid that at all costs, by the way. But it does create a lot of value to get into the right places based on what the defense gives you, as opposed to trying to dictate where we're going based on what we want. It gives you a lot of freedom to get into open grass when guys are good at it."
On the versatility of the Tight Ends Room
"I feel good about it. We've got to stay healthy. None of them have played a lot at this level, so there's going to be some nerves and anxiety, but physically, we've got multiple guys that can put their face on people, which we need to do in the run game, and it starts there. As much as I want to sling it, I love it, and Cefalo does too. It starts with being able to run the ball effectively, and we need to improve on that from last year. It wasn't something we were consistent enough at it was really sporadic, and they all can do that. But they create value too out in space and in the throw game. They don't necessarily have to be over the top guys but can inside the in between the numbers and out on the perimeter, they all can move the chains. And if you try to, you know, really either single them up or maybe just kind of, you know, afterthought in terms of coverage. All of them can hurt you down the seam and through the middle field too. So, we'll see how that works for us. I do think it's something that would be a dimension to the offense that we didn't have a ton of depth for a year ago, and we had some injuries as well."
On WR Davis Dalton's Availability
"It's day to day. He wasn't full go yesterday. Would like to think he'll be ready by Saturday. I don't know how realistic that is. I mean, he's dealing with a hamstring, nothing that's going to keep him out for the year. But at what level is he going to be able to run on Saturday? You know, kind of remains to be seen. Again, today's a recovery day and a treatment day. We can make up a lot of ground. He was not full speed last night, but he did practice on a limited basis, and we need him back whenever he's ready to go. Hopefully, that's a Saturday. If not, I don't think it'll be too far down the road."
On the Offensive Line
"The only guy that's out for the season is Jahmir [Davis]. You know, we lost him early to the ACL. Everybody else is back and practicing. Honestly, nobody's even limited at this point. Larry [Edwards]'s foot is fine. He's going. He missed a little bit time. Toby Mealer was sick with mono of all things, and he's back, so we've got a good solid room full of depth, and trying to just find the top seven or eight, who the first five to go, who's going to rotate in, and I do think we're going to have some guys rotate in. I think we'll benefit from keeping a couple guys fresh and not having them play 75, 80 snaps, which is what we'd really like to get in a normal Saturday, with the pace of play. So, we're getting close, but our depth is good and we're healthy."
On the Availability of the Three Players Returning for an Extra Season in 2026
"Something could change legally, but as of now, they are eligible to play based off their legal steps they took, as I understand it. You know it would take some significant legal steps beyond that from the NCAA or some outside entity. We're not really tracking all that. It would take something changing (for them not to play). This is happening all across the country, so yeah, they've done everything they need to do since getting here. They're in, they've caught up in terms of their conditioning to some to some degree. I mean, Jameer Lewis can just run for days. I don't know that he's ever been out of shape. But both Maui and Nunnery are factoring in and are going to play a lot. All three are going to play significant snaps for us, if they can stay healthy."
Southern Miss opens its 110th football against the Braves (1-0), who opened their season with a 56-7 triumph over Miles last Saturday. Jason Baker (Play-by-Play) and Larry Boyd (Analyst) will anchor the broadcast on ESPN+ beginning at 4 p.m. while the Southern Miss Sports Network's pregame show begins at 2:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, and analyst Lee Roberts on the call.
Fans can still purchase tickets to the game and secure tickets for the rest of the 2026 season by visiting SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Here is what Anderson said to the media:
Opening thoughts on Alcorn State
"They did what they were supposed to do in week one. We don't typically get a week zero game under our belt to watch, and this is unique that they played. But man, they did everything you're supposed to do. It wasn't close at any point. So, when you play an opponent like they played, that's what you want to see is you want to see your team you know dominating. They really did in every phase. So, I told our guys very clear, this is a team that is more than capable of beating you, beating you here at home. You got to be ready and respect the opponent and our guys are doing that. At least the practice has been really, really, good."
On Whether he is Ready to Announce a Starting Quarterback
"No, I'm not. I mean, you're welcome to ask. Today's a big day for that. Today's a recovery day for us. We had really good practices Saturday and Sunday, and both rooms are at this point really kind of ironing things out. If you know the kind of approach like who's going out first, how much our guys are expected to play behind them, but in light of the injury with Ethan and how long that's taken and just being fair to the process. Now we're not ready and don't know that we really will. Not that we're trying to surprise anybody. We just want to make sure we make the right decision moving forward because we don't want to be going back and forth."
On how much does QB Ethan Hampton's injury impact the decision
"Well, it impacted it a ton. At the time that that he got hurt, he was kind of moving in a direction to potentially be the guy. Had he had the right kind of scrimmage, could have been the guy. The other guys have done everything they're supposed to do, but it was that close of a race. It's been that difficult to really choose, and I didn't feel like we had to be in a rush. They're all doing what they're supposed to do, so allow us to have some patience. But we want to be fair to the process and see if he can really put himself in a position to impact who the guy is. It's unique. It's not ideal. It's unique, but they've handled it so well, and I don't know that it would have changed how we've prepared really at all, with the exception of a handful of reps. Yesterday was his best day by far. I wasn't trying to be sneaky with the public. It was more significant than we anticipated. Once we knew it wasn't structural in the beginning, we thought it would be just a handful of days. But the bone bruise was much more severe, and it's taken a lot longer. And it's been frustrating for him because he's wanted to practice but really had pretty much about probably 70 percent of the practice yesterday and he responded well today will help. He and I would not say he was 100% yesterday, but clearly at a point where he could practice, you know, get a lot of reps and not take any steps back. So we're getting there, and he's progressing. Just there's no way to know exactly when that point is where he doesn't feel anything and can go, and the season's not going to slow down and wait on us. So we're kind of getting to that point where we got to make some tough decisions and be fair to everybody involved."
Take about Alcorn's dual-threat Quarterback
"Obviously, I have to get into the nuts and bolts with (DC) Joe (Bolden), but we're very aware that his legs are a problem and that we have to be completely sound schematically, but also really good tacklers. It is clear that if you give the guy space, you're asking to get hurt. We need to do a great job schematically of being aware of where he's at. We know where he's at, but who's got him? Depending on the call, there are going to be times when you're in one-on-ones. You've got to get the guy on the ground, and he's hard to contain and definitely hard to get down. You can't just wholesale change your defense. We're going to see other quarterbacks throughout the year that are athletic and mobile and a threat. It's something that we're going to have to be prepared for, but it does make the field really big and stresses everybody when you know that just one guy not being assignment-sound, one guy not being where he needs to be or a guy missing a tackle, you're giving up a potential explosive. We're going to stay within the framework of what we do, but we are fully aware of how good an athlete he is. We've got to do a great job of identifying who has him, and then when the person gets there, you've got to get him on the ground."
On what He has Noticed from Alcorn's Defense
"That's kind of what we're doing today, to be honest. I wanted to take this game instead of kind of guessing on who was back. We'd watched State before, and like always, you look at them and they're way better than you want them to be. They had some guys that could really run around. I'm not sure exactly how many of those guys are still around. Several graduated, and I know a couple of them are in our league playing for other teams. But from what showed up and from the little bit of film I was able to watch yesterday, they run well, and they played with a tremendous amount of energy. They're multiple. They're going to be in four-down, they're going to be in odd, and you're going to see different looks. We know we're going to have to be prepared for all that, but I think the thing that stood out to me was just how hard they played. You could tell the guys are having fun playing. They like playing the game and are disruptive. Not to minimize them, but for us, this game is really so much about figuring out who the heck we are at this point. That is maybe more so this year than ever before, figuring out what we are offensively and what we are defensively. I had conversations with both coordinators this morning. I don't care what X's and O's we like or what we've liked in the past. What is this football team best at? We haven't grown these guys up over four or five years. What is this group that we've put together? What is it best at? That's what we need to be. Now's a really good time before it gets crazy, because once it goes to all zeros next week, we're on fast-forward for the rest of the season. This is the time to really reassess everything we've done to this point. What have we done well? What are we best at? What do we maybe need to shelf and not put as much time and energy into? As much as I've seen on tape from them, what are we going to be best at? That's maybe the biggest question of all."
On how offenses and defenses always change over time
"If you can put a couple tight ends on the field and still stay versatile formationally, it is a challenge. I know listening to Rocky Long all those years, that was something they really challenged them in a big way, being able to be in 12 personnel and add another gap, but then also the very next snap be spread out where you've got to get back out in space. There are a lot of things in the offense that are very similar to what we did when I was here with Larry (Fedora). There are some key principles that we haven't gotten rid of, but we've also progressed offensively and changed in some ways, too. Our spacing is much wider schematically. There are some X's and O's. The RPO game has been much heavier. The deep-choice game is way more extensive, just things that we weren't really doing back then. But the ability to keep a tight end on the field, one or two, and be very multiple formationally quickly without having to change personnel, making the defense play to all of those, has always been an advantage if you have the people to do it. I think we do, and I do feel like it's got a chance to put us in position to create some pressure for defenses if we can stay healthy and get good play out of several of those guys, which they're capable of doing."
On with a quarterback and receiver, is the quarterback and receiver reading pre-snap the same leverage, or one versus the other
"Well, you're seeing pre-snap, but a lot of these things are post-snap decisions as the defense changes. Does it roll? Do they wall? Do they run to hip? Do they undercut? All that stuff is happening in real time. That's why a lot of people don't want to do it because it's not extremely easy. But if you can get everybody on the same page, it creates a lot of opportunity. Technically, if you make good decisions, you should be able to find open grass and take advantage of coverages as opposed to trying to guess. Defenses are good at disguising, rolling and changing, so we're making a lot of decisions after the snap. We get information pre-snap, but we make decisions post-snap, and it makes it really difficult for quarterbacks and wideouts to be on the same page. When you get it right, it's a lot of fun, and you're very explosive. When you get it wrong, sometimes you look a little stupid out there. Why is one guy going? Why is the ball here and the guy there? We're trying to avoid that at all costs, by the way. But it does create a lot of value to get into the right places based on what the defense gives you, as opposed to trying to dictate where we're going based on what we want. It gives you a lot of freedom to get into open grass when guys are good at it."
On the versatility of the Tight Ends Room
"I feel good about it. We've got to stay healthy. None of them have played a lot at this level, so there's going to be some nerves and anxiety, but physically, we've got multiple guys that can put their face on people, which we need to do in the run game, and it starts there. As much as I want to sling it, I love it, and Cefalo does too. It starts with being able to run the ball effectively, and we need to improve on that from last year. It wasn't something we were consistent enough at it was really sporadic, and they all can do that. But they create value too out in space and in the throw game. They don't necessarily have to be over the top guys but can inside the in between the numbers and out on the perimeter, they all can move the chains. And if you try to, you know, really either single them up or maybe just kind of, you know, afterthought in terms of coverage. All of them can hurt you down the seam and through the middle field too. So, we'll see how that works for us. I do think it's something that would be a dimension to the offense that we didn't have a ton of depth for a year ago, and we had some injuries as well."
On WR Davis Dalton's Availability
"It's day to day. He wasn't full go yesterday. Would like to think he'll be ready by Saturday. I don't know how realistic that is. I mean, he's dealing with a hamstring, nothing that's going to keep him out for the year. But at what level is he going to be able to run on Saturday? You know, kind of remains to be seen. Again, today's a recovery day and a treatment day. We can make up a lot of ground. He was not full speed last night, but he did practice on a limited basis, and we need him back whenever he's ready to go. Hopefully, that's a Saturday. If not, I don't think it'll be too far down the road."
On the Offensive Line
"The only guy that's out for the season is Jahmir [Davis]. You know, we lost him early to the ACL. Everybody else is back and practicing. Honestly, nobody's even limited at this point. Larry [Edwards]'s foot is fine. He's going. He missed a little bit time. Toby Mealer was sick with mono of all things, and he's back, so we've got a good solid room full of depth, and trying to just find the top seven or eight, who the first five to go, who's going to rotate in, and I do think we're going to have some guys rotate in. I think we'll benefit from keeping a couple guys fresh and not having them play 75, 80 snaps, which is what we'd really like to get in a normal Saturday, with the pace of play. So, we're getting close, but our depth is good and we're healthy."
On the Availability of the Three Players Returning for an Extra Season in 2026
"Something could change legally, but as of now, they are eligible to play based off their legal steps they took, as I understand it. You know it would take some significant legal steps beyond that from the NCAA or some outside entity. We're not really tracking all that. It would take something changing (for them not to play). This is happening all across the country, so yeah, they've done everything they need to do since getting here. They're in, they've caught up in terms of their conditioning to some to some degree. I mean, Jameer Lewis can just run for days. I don't know that he's ever been out of shape. But both Maui and Nunnery are factoring in and are going to play a lot. All three are going to play significant snaps for us, if they can stay healthy."
Players Mentioned
Monday, August 31
Saturday, August 22
Wednesday, August 19
Tuesday, August 18