Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles: 2010 Exit Survey

The 2010 version of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles combined an explosive offense with a defense that was very giving. This resulted in some wild shootouts (wins over Houston 59 to 41 and losses to UAB 50-49 and East Carolina 44 to 43). Southern Miss showed some flashes of being a very good team. Outside of the South Carolina loss their biggest loss was by only six points. Southern Miss also beat their Conference Champion UCF. Unfortunately, they also ended the season on a 2-game losing streak including giving up a big lead to fall to Charlie Strong's Louisville. Now that the season in the books we caught up with Drew White of Scout.com's Golden Eagle Pride to get his thoughts on the 2010/2011 season.


In our Pre-Season Preview you said that nothing short of a Conference Championship would be a successful season for Southern Miss. Now that the dust has settled and Southern Miss ended up the runner-up in the C-USA East how do you feel about the season....success, failure or somewhere in between?

It is somewhere in between. There is no doubt Southern Miss expected to win the East this season, so falling short in that sense is a failure. However, an eight win season is a success at any level, and the Golden Eagles extended their consecutive winning season streak to 17 in a row including nine straight bowls. Couple that with the fact that Southern Miss lost four of its five games this season by six points or less, and you see how close this season was to a very special one.

You also have to consider that the Golden Eagles overcame a great tragedy in a shooting incident that left starting linebacker Martez Smith paralyzed, starting defensive end Deddrick Jones out for the season, and back-up linebacker Tim Green also unable to play. The Eagles expected better than 8-5, but considering all that went into this season, it is one that they will be able to build on and look ahead to good things next year.

What was your favorite moment of the 2010 season?

There was not a dry eye in “The Rock” before the key conference game against the Houston Cougars. Linebacker Martez Smith wheeled out just a week after his injury to a standing ovation, and players of both teams were inspired and celebrating the moment. The Eagles went on to play one of their best games of the season and got revenge on a tough loss to Houston last season.

The other high point of the season was defeating Central Florida on the road the week after they had earned a top 25 ranking. UCF went on to win Conference USA, but Southern Miss proved that it could beat the best. It was the most complete game of the season for the Eagles.

Which player was the biggest surprise of the season?

Hands down, the biggest surprise was the turn around of the kicking game led by All-American and Lou Groza finalist Danny Hrapmann. After a dismal 2009 season that saw Southern Miss miss 10 extra point attempts, Hrapmann was automatic with his foot in 2010. Hrapmann ended the season 26-31 including 2-3 beyond 50 yards. He also converted on every extra point attempt.

Hrapmann turned the special teams from a liability into a serious weapon, and as a junior he will be back next season.

What players are you most looking forward to watching next year?

The good news for Southern Miss is that they played a lot of young players, including several true freshmen that made major contributions with bright futures ahead. One player that burst onto the scene was redshirt freshman running back Kendrick Hardy. Big and fast, Hardy is a bruiser who has the potential to be a great back at Southern Miss. He rushed for 903 yards without seeing much playing time in the beginning of the season. You can believe he will be the featured back next season.

Southern Miss will be full of playmakers on offense next season. Returning for his senior season is QB Austin Davis, who has a chance to rewrite all the Golden Eagle record books. WR DeAndre Brown has a decision to make about the NFL, but if he returns and is healthy, he always has the potential to be one of the top receivers in the nation. Junior College transfer Kelvin Bolden was a go-to receiver, and he’ll also be a senior next season.

Keep an eye on freshmen wide receivers Dominique Sullivan and Marquese Triplett, both of who showed tremendous promise.

Defensively, two linebackers to watch will be team leader and leading tackler Korey Williams, and sophomore Jamie Collins. Deron Wilson, the fastest player on the team, also showed promise at cornerback as a redshirt freshman.

What areas does your team need to improve on the most this off-season?

Southern Miss had one area continually exploited this season, the pass defense. In three conference losses, the Eagles gave up 44 points to East Carolina, 50 to UAB, and 56 to Tulsa. Conference USA is a pass heavy conference, and Southern Miss will not get to where they are trying to unless they fill the holes against the pass.

They gave up 3,155 yards this season through the air. A majority of the defense returns again, and talent is certainly there. Shore up this aspect of the defense, and Southern Miss will be back at the top of Conference USA.

Bowl Predictions Part 1 (12/18-12/26)

New Mexico Bowl (12/18 2pm on ESPN)
BYU (6-6) vs. UTEP (6-6)

Kevin's Prediction: BYU 41 UTEP 24

BYU has played a really tough schedule this year (FSU, Utah, TCU, Nevada, Air Force, Washington) and it has resulted in them having a pretty poor record. They really struggled early losing 4 of their first 5 but they seem to be playing pretty good football right now as they won 3 blowouts before falling to Utah by 1 point in their last game. UTEP on the other hand has not played the same type of schedule (although they did play Arkansas late and surrendered 58 points) and they ended up with the same 6-6 record. UTEP is coming into this game having lost 5 of their last 6 including losses to 4-8 UAB, 4-8 Onelane, and 5-7 Marshall

Ross's Prediction: BYU 35, UTEP 21
BYU won four of their last five games; UTEP lost five of their last six games -- give me the team with better momentum (and greater consistency in general; BYU is typically very solid).

uDrove Humanitarian Bowl (12/18 5:30pm on ESPN)

Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Fresno State (8-4)

Kevin's Prediction: FRESNO STATE 35 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 24

Northern Illinois started off 1-2 with losses to Iowa St and Illinois but them reeled off 9 straight wins before falling to Miami (Oh) in the MAC Championship. But of these 9 wins only two of them came against teams with winning records (Temple and Toledo). Fresno State beat common opponent Illinois and also holds a win over Cincinnati. The Bulldogs had a tough schedule this year and came up short in their biggest games (lost to Nevada by 1 point, got routed by Boise State, lost to Hawaii by 20+ and lost to Ole Miss by 20+). I like Fresno in this one because they've played a much harder schedule and have beaten better teams.

Ross's Prediction: FRESNO STATE 31, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 17
NIU suffered a deflating loss in the MAC Championship game -- and then they lost their head coach a few days later.  Meanwhile, Fresno State ended the season with a nice win over Illinois and have a much more stable coaching situation.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (12/18 9pm on ESPN)

Ohio (8-4) vs. Troy (7-5)

Kevin's Prediction: OHIO 28 TROY 21

Ohio closed the year strong by winning 7 of their final 8. Despite losing to Kent State 28-6 in their finale, Ohio can be proud of late victories against Al Golden's Temple 31-23 and MAC Champion Miami (OH) 34-13. Ohio was the only team in the MAC to beat Miami (OH). Here's an interesting tidbit about Troy, they haven't beaten a team with a winning record all year long. Troy is dangerous because they can put up a bunch of points but I'm going to side with Ohio in this one.

Ross's Prediction: TROY 27 OHIO 21

Troy has a 1-3 all-time record in bowl games; Ohio has an 0-4 mark.  I'll go with the team that's actually won a bowl game before, thanks.

Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl (12/21 8pm on ESPN)

Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville (6-6)

Kevin's Prediction: LOUISVILLE 31 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 27

Ah, Finally a game I might be interested in watching. Charlie Strong's debut season was decent has a took the Cardinals to 2 more victories than they had last year. The biggest win for Louisville when you look at their schedule was their 26-0 shutout of a team that is going to a BCS bowl (UConn). Louisville also really doesn't have any "bad" losses on their schedule as they lost to Kentucky, Oregon State, Cincy, Pitt, South Florida in OT and West Virginia by 7. Charlie also really instituted some defensive intensity as they finished 15th in the Nation in Defensive scoring giving up on 18.7 points per game. Southern Mississippi's biggest win this year was over C-USA Champion UCF. When you look at Southern Mississippi's schedule they are only 8 points from being 11-1 which is almost unfathomable for a team that lost to a 4-8 UAB team. To me this game is pretty much a toss up. The most intriguing match-up is Strong's 18.7 ppg given up versus the Golden Eagles 37.6 points scored per game. I'm a Power Conference Elitist so I'm going with the Big East team although one should argue whether the Big East counts as a Power Conference.

Ross's Prediction: LOUISVILLE 34, SOUTHERN MISS 20

Southern Miss has a potent offense and a lousy defense; Louisville has a potent defense and a lousy offense.  I think Charlie Strong will have Louisville motivated for their first bowl trip in a few years -- and Southern Miss' porous defense will be just what the Cardinals need to get going.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl (12/22 8pm on ESPN)

Utah vs. Boise State

Kevin's Prediction: BOISE STATE 45 UTAH 17

This is THE game of the first week of Bowl Season. It means even more to me because in Week One next year Kellen Moore and Boise State will be bringing their talent to the ATL to face my Georgia Bulldogs. I think this one is tight in the first half but Boise rolls in the second half. Utah has won some decent games (Pitt, Air Force, BYU, San Diego State) but ultimately they got rolled in the two biggest games of the year and I can't see a team that lost by 25 to Notre Dame beating Boise State. Boise will also be on a mission to put a number on Utah before they head off to the Pac-10

Ross's Prediction: BOISE STATE 42, UTAH 14

Utah got blasted off the map by the one really good team they played all year (TCU), then got smoked by a mediocre Notre Dame team and struggled to beat a so-so BYU team.  Oh, and their starting QB is out for this game.  Boise will probably be disappointed to not be in another BCS game, but I think they'll rebound to smoke Utah anyway.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (12/23 8pm on ESPN)

Navy (9-3) vs. San Diego State (8-4)

Kevin's Prediction: SAN DIEGO STATE 35 NAVY 34

Navy's signature win this year came over 7-5 Notre Dame but also lost to Duke. San Diego State ended up having a very good year at 8-4 but ultimately lost every important game they played in (Utah by 4, TCU by 5, BYU by 3, and Missouri by 3). Looking at those scores would you believe it if I told you that San Diego State was 16 points away from running the table? I think this is going to be a fun shootout. San Diego State's passing attack against Navy's running attack. The team with the ball last wins.

Ross's Prediction: NAVY 34, SAN DIEGO STATE 31

This Navy team can actually run AND pass the ball, which is double trouble for their opponents.  San Diego State was a sneaky-good Mountain West team, but I feel un-American picking against Navy here.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (12/24 8pm on ESPN)

Hawaii vs. Tulsa

Kevin's Prediction: HAWAII 48 TULSA 31

This game pits the Nation's #1 Passing Offense (Hawaii) against 16th best Passing Offense in the Nation. It should also be noted that Tulsa is 119th in the Nation defending the pass giving up 305 yards per game, only Tommy Tuberville's Texas Tech was worse this year. This will be fun to watch if you are a fan of high scoring games and blown coverages.

Ross's Prediction: HAWAII 41, TULSA 35

C'mon, it's a home game for a surprisingly good Hawaii team -- that actually plays some decent defense.  I'm not turning my back on the Rainbow Warriors now.

Little Caesars Bowl (12/26 8:30pm on ESPN)

Florida International (6-6) vs. Toledo (8-4)

Kevin's Prediction: TOLEDO 27 FIU 21

The best thing about this game has to be the Pizza. It's a shame I haven't had Little Caesars in years, I guess that's the fallback of living out in the boonies. It's hard to get excited about a team, FIU, who got their victories by beating up on 2-10 and 3-9 teams. FIU's sole win against a team with a winning record was their 52-35 win over Troy. Toledo on the other hand has a couple of quality wins. Yeah, Toledo got smoked by Arizona (41-2) and Boise State (57-14) and they couldn't hang with Northern Illinois (65-30). But they did beat Purdue 31-20 and they also beat 8-4 Ohio 20-13. This is not going to be a ratings grabber but I'd take Toledo if I was a betting man.

Ross's Prediction: TOLEDO 30, FIU 17
FIU let up off the gas in their regular season finale after they'd already clinched the Sun Belt crown and it wouldn't be too crazy to think that they might just be happy to be at their first-ever bowl game.

Game Re-Cap Southern Miss @ South Carolina

Southern Mississippi @ South Carolina
9/2/10

1st Quarter
Columbia is super jacked at the start of the game, and the anticipation of carrying out the expectations this edition of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Southern Miss coming into a rowdy environment creates a lot of pressure early and holds SC to a 3 and out. Southern Miss runs a form of the spread offense and seem content with dumping the ball off to receivers on short passes and screens and the recievers have to work for their yards. This comes with some success early. The offensive line holds up to the pressure that SC brings, but a deflection of a pass over the middle ends in a Holloman interception at the SC15. South Carolina takes the ball on a long penalty filled drive, including three SC false start penalties. Marcus Lattimore had his first rush as Gamecock. The drive ends as Garcia scrambles to the 5 then takes a hit, spins into the endzone for a touchdown.

Steven Garcia 22 yard run 5:43
South Carolina 7-0

USM finds a South Carolina linebacking core falling down on the job, in letting Morris get wide open over the middle for a 55 yard gain. The drive stalls as Davis, the QB bobbles a snap and has to fall on it at the Carolina 15, and USM settles for three.

Hrapmann 33 yard FG 1:23
South Carolina 7-3

The USM pressure has started to wane, as Lattimore gets two more carries. There hasn't been too much bad in South Carolina's game but one thing that troubles me is bad clock management. Garcia is set to run a play everyone is lined up, but Garcia is confused or just plain looses track of time as the first comes to an end.

2nd Quarter
Garcia throws a ball just outside of Jefferies reach, which could have resulted in a long gain. South Carolina has a long drive thanks to a huge gift of a 3rd down holding penalty in the secondary that gives Carolina a first down. Drive ends on a Lanning FG.

Lanning 36 yard FG 11:57
South Carolina 10-3

USM goes 3 and out on two incomplete passes and a sack. Carolina takes good field position and reels off the most important play of the game. USC catches Southern Miss completely off guard with a reverse to Ace Saunders. This is the first misdirection play of the game and it goes for 52 yards to the 10. This play took the wind out of the USM sails as well as the beginning of Spurrier opening the playbook and showing the diversity contained within. This is not a vanilla offense, but there is a lot that can be done with South Carolina's personnel. The drive ends in Marcus Lattimore's first touchdown of his hopefully long and storied career.

Lattimore 3 yard run 9:48
South Carolina 17-3

USM answers with the worse offensive effort of the game. Three and out, and Carolina takes over looking to put a nail in the coffin. Carolina brings Connor Shaw into the game as a WR to block for Gilmore. South Carolina marches down for another Lattimore touchdown run.

Lattimore 7yard run 7:03
South Carolina 24-3

USM starts another drive dinking and dunking to the recievers. Davis's longest pass on the drive was 12 yards. Davis could pass Farve in many categories and if this is their offense I am willing to bet attempt and completions are two categories in that list. The drive stalls at the Carolina 19, where Hrapmann hits a field goal.

Hrapmann 36 yard FG 1:58
South Carolina 24-6

Connor Shaw comes in for his first series in college football. He is not afraid to take off if he doesn't see what he is looking for downfield. It is reminiscent of Garcia's first days at the helm. Palmer makes a great point on commentary as he notes that Shaw has composure not seen too often from Freshmen QB's. Southern Miss brings the dogs but when the pocket collapses Shaw doesn't take the sack but keeps moving upfield. Once again USC has issues with clock management, in letting the clock run out while possessing the ball at the USM 33.

Halftime

3rd Quarter
USM starts the second half with a three and out. Garcia takes the ball and barely overthrows his receiver in the end zone. Southern Miss forces Carolina to punt when a very telling penalty ensues. Southern Miss has an illegal participation penalty. This penalty shows that the coaches are not organized and the players heads are not in the game at this point. When I played on high school and the punt team was supposed to go on the field I knew it was my time to run out there because I paid attention to the game. I also knew when someone else was to go in for me. Carolina cashes in on the mistake with a Lanning field goal.

Lanning 42 yard FG 9:35
South Carolina 27-6

After another USM three and out, Carolina advances the ball with a Garcia 46 yard pass to Jeffery. Garcia makes a heads up play once at the goal line. Garcia runs and gets POPPED and shoved backwards from the goal line however as he gets hit he extends the ball into the end zone and after a review it is ruled a touchdown. It is a moment that may not be repeated against better defenses, as better defenders would see the ball and swipe it from the quarterback's grasp. As it is, its a nice way to cap off a 92 yard drive.

Garcia 3 yard run 4:43
South Carolina 34-6

Southern Miss takes the ball and drives down the field, reaching the USC28 as time expires.

4th Quarter
Southern Miss's 70 yard drive ends after VJ Floyd fumbles at the USC17, and Slaughter returns it for 54 yards. Connor Shaw comes in to lead the 29 yard drive, capped with his first TD pass to DL Moore.

Shaw 15 yard pass to Moore 11:19
South Carolina 41-6

Both teams seem to have lost life, as has the crowd. The teams are working to melt the clock. USM has two drives end on downs. Tampa Freshman Andrew Clifford comes in and throws his first pass which is intercepted. He ends the game with a -200.0 passer rating. USM's bright spot is Young who comes in and moves the ball down the field for the final score of the game.

Young 29 yard pass to Brown 1:33
South Carolina 41-13

In another slightly less important bit of clock management Southern Miss lets the clock roll on the game even as they drove to the SC10. Not fully knowing what to expect with South Carolina this was a pleasant surprise. Coming in I could see everything from dropping the game to a blowout. I know some of the result is due to USM's inept offense, which could not muster much in the way of scoring.

Player of the Game
Usually the best stat producer should go here, but the theme that ran throughout the game was where USC is going. I am giving the award to Lattimore and Shaw who come in and make big contributions, even if their numbers aren't overly impressive, in their first game.

Marcus Lattimore
14 rushes, 54 yards, 2 TD

Connor Shaw
4/5, 32 yards, 1 TD

Star Watch
Stephen Garcia
16/23, 193 yards

D. Brown
4 rec, 65 yards, 1 TD

Pre-Season Preview: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

2009 Record: 7-6 (5-3 in C-USA)
2009 Bowl: New Orleans Bowl (lost to Middle Tennessee 42-32)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Larry Fedora (14-12 at Southern Miss)
Non-Conference Schedule: at South Carolina (9/2), Prairie View A&M (9/11), Kansas (9/17), at Louisiana Tech (9/25)

2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 32.9 points per game (2nd in C-USA, 18th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 181 (2nd in C-USA)
Passing Yards/Game: 235 (5th in C-USA)
Total Yards/Game: 416 (4th in C-USA)

2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 25.8 points per game (4th in C-USA)
Rushing Yards/Game: 131 (3rd in C-USA)
Passing Yards/Game: 261 (8th in C-USA)
Total Yards/Game: 392 (4th in C-USA)

2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.77 per game (2nd in C-USA, 10th in Nation)
Penalties: 70 yards per game (last in C-USA, 114th in Nation)

Returning Starters
Offense: 3
Defense: 9
Kicker/Punter: 2

Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Martevious Young, Sr (132 of 230 for 1861 yds, 16 TD, 3 INT, 186 ypg)
Passing: QB Austin Davis, Jr (108 of 156 for 1165 yds, 10 TD, 2 INT, 194 ypg)
Rushing: QB Martevious Young, Sr (73 carries for 294 yds, 1 TD, 4.0 ypc)
Rushing: RB Tracey Lampley, Soph (21 carries for 122 yds, 1 TD, 5.8 ypc)
Receiving: WR DeAndre Brown, Jr (47 rec, 785 yds, 9 TD, 4.3 rec/game)
Tackles: LB Korey Williams, Jr (119); LB Ronnie Thornton, Jr (110)
Sacks: LB Korey Williams, Jr (8.5); DE Cordarro Law, Jr (7.5)
Interceptions: SS Justin Wilson, Sr (2); LB Martez Smith, Sr (2)

2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Athlon Sports: #58
Phil Steele: #52
Sporting News: #57

2010 Pre-Season C-USA Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #1 in C-USA East
Phil Steele: #1 in C-USA East (tie with UCF)

2010 Pre-Season Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: St Petersburg Bowl (vs. Cincinnati)
Phil Steele: St Petersburg Bowl (vs. USF)

Southern Miss started out strong last year by winning their first 3 games including victories over UCF and Virginia. All of those were at home and when Southern Miss went on the road they dropped their next 3 games. It was an up and down season that culminated in a bowl loss to Middle Tennessee. The Golden Eagles ended up 6-0 at home and 1-5 on the road in the regular season. We caught up with Drew from the Scout.com site Golden Eagle Pride to learn more about the 2010 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. 


What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team? 

Injured quarterback Austin Davis returns after missing a majority of the season last year due to a broken foot. His presence, along with 9 of 11 returning starters on defense means a lot of experience will be coming back. The defensive front seven all return, with sophomore Jamie Collins moving to linebacker. The linebackers are strong, fast, and will be a strength of the defense.

The biggest concern comes along the offensive line. There is talent from several strong recruiting classes, but they must replace 4 of the 5 along the front. The only returning starter is senior center Cameron Zipp. There are questions as to how the offensive line will be able to jel.

Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test and why?

Southern Miss opens the college football season on a Thursday night game against the Gamecocks of South Carolina. The third game of the year will see Big 12 opponent Kansas making a trip to Hattiesburg. We'll know a lot about this Eagle team before conference play begins.

What team on the schedule do you fear the most?

Southern Miss has adapted an attitude of "anyone, anywhere, anytime." They have always been a school that is known for going to play the best college football has to offer. Saying that, Houston's offensive power gave USM fits last season. Without defensive adjustments, the Cougars will be a tough match-up again. Central Florida is also a difficult place to play and could decide Conference USA East this season.

Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?

Senior starting running back V.J. Floyd has been behind all time leading USM rusher Damion Fletcher and Tory Harrison for three years. He knows the system, has paid his dues, and is ready for a big season offensively. Not flashy, he is steady, solid, reliable, and provides good leadership for this offense.

Who is the best offensive player on the team?

WR Deandre Brown may not only be the best on the team, but could emerge as the best Wide receiver in college football. That is quite a bold claim, but the 6'6 wide receiver has fully recovered from a gruesome leg injury that slowed him last season. That, and having his quarterback returning, could make for a record breaking tandem. Brown has been a model player in spring and summer work outs, has improved his speed and strength, and is ready to show the nation why he should be considered among the nation's best.
 
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team? 

MLB Korey Williams embodies some of the great USM linebackers of the past. Strong, fast, and tenacious, Williams led the team in tackles last season, and was clearly the leader of this defense. He can stuff the run, get to the quarterback, or pass cover. Also watch for defensive lineman Anthony Gray who regularly gets double teamed, and outside linebacker Jamie Collins. Collins saw significant time as a freshman at safety, and possesses freakish size and speed.

What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?

QB Austin Davis had a break-out freshman year. He must return to his old form. A number two wide receiver must emerge to take some of the pressure and regular double teams DeAndre Brown will face, and could come in Jondrick Morris or Quintin Pierce. The secondary, a glaring weakness of the team last season, must step up. Safeties Justin Wilson and Kendrick Pressley must prove they can defend the pass in a wide open Conference USA.

Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year? 

It sounds silly to say, but kicker Corey Acosta out of Memphis may have the biggest impact this season. USM made even extra points an adventure, and ended the season with the lowest extra point percentage in college football. Acosta brings a strong, accurate leg that will be a major upgrade in the field goal unit. True freshman O.C. Brown, offensive lineman out of Memphis, will compete for playing time right away, and JUCO transfer Kelvin Bolden will be one to watch as a wide receiver.

Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?

Redshirt freshman Octavious Thomas was a sleeper in the recruiting class from two years ago. A speed defensive end, Thomas could provide someone to take some pressure off Gray in the middle. Also, newly added Marquese Wheaton from Phoenix, AZ as a JUCO transfer could fill in one of the holes at cornerback.

Who is your pick to take C-USA this year (other than Southern Miss)?

Central Florida looks to have built a solid defense, and they have some skill position players back that make them and USM the teams to beat in the East. Houston will have another stellar offense, and also watch for emerging SMU to make a run in the West with June Jones turning that program around.

Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?

Nothing short of a conference championship will be successful this season. Southern Miss once dominated Conference USA, and has been on the outside looking in the past couple of seasons. They need to win the east and get back to Memphis to play for the liberty bowl for this season to be a success. With a revamped offensive line, 8-4 is likely the result of this season.


Make sure to visit Scout.com's Southern Miss website Golden Eagle Pride for all of your Southern Miss football and recruiting needs.

Previous Conference USA Previews
Houston Cougars 
Tulane Green Wave 
UTEP Miners

Next Up: SMU Mustangs

2010 Previews
ACC- Boston College Eagles, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins
Big 12- Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, Temple Owls, Toledo Rockets
MWC- Colorado State Rams, UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
SEC- Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies