(Photo Credit: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Jason Brownlee, WR Demarcus Jones, WR Antoine Robinson, OC Arvin Fletcher, OG Tykeem Doss, OT Tre Johnson, DE Terence Cherry, DE Eric Kitchen, DE Dominic Quewon, NT Tahj Sykes, LB Swayze Bozeman, LB Averie Habas, LB Hayes Maples, LB Santrell Latham, CB/PR Natrone Brooks, CB/KR Camron Harrell, CB Eric Scott, NB Tyler Barnes, SS Malik Shorts, PK Briggs Bourgeois, and PT Griffin Fleming.
Key Players Departing:
QB Jack Abraham, WR Tim Jones, OC Trace Clopton, and OG Coker Wright, and FS Ky’El Hemby.
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: QB Ty Keyes (Taylorsville, Mississippi), CB Lakevias Daniel (Ole Miss transfer), DL Montra Edwards (Missouri transfer), CB Jay Jones (Demopolis, Alabama), DL Dashawn Crawford (Virginia Tech transfer), S Jay Stanley (Ole Miss transfer), DE Everitt Cunningham (Memphis transfer), ATH Chandler Pittman (Magee, Mississippi), WR Xavier Franks (Magee, Mississippi), and CB Brendan Toles (Oxford, Mississippi).
2020 Results:
G01 SOUTH ALABAMA L 21-32
G02 LOUISIANA TECH L 30-31
G03 TULANE L 24-66
G04 at North Texas W 41-31
G05 at Liberty L 35-56
G06 RICE L 6-30
G07 NORTH ALABAMA W 24-13
G08 at Western Kentucky L 7-10
G09 UTSA L 20-23
G10 FLORIDA ATLANTIC W 45-31
Team Info:
2020 Overall: 3-7 (6th in CUSA West)
Home: 2-5
Away: 1-2
Neutral: 0-0
CUSA: 2-4
Non-CUSA: 1-3
Head Coach: Will Hall
Southern Miss: 0-0
Career: 56-20
Bowls: 0-0
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Trey Lowe (36-59, 433 yards, 61.0%, 7.3 avg., 2 TD, 3 INT)
Rushing: Frank Gore Jr. (121 car., 708 yards, 5.9 avg., 2 TD)
Receiving: Jason Brownlee (34 ret., 610 yards, 17.9 avg., 5 TD)
TD’s Scored: Jason Brownlee (5)
Sacks: Santrell Latham (4)
Tackles: Hayes Maples (91)
Interceptions: 6 Tied (1)
Pass Deflections: Natrone Brooks (7)
Tackles For Loss: Hayes Maples (8.5)
Forced Fumbles: Dominic Quewon (3)
Kick Returns: Camron Harrell (11 ret., 345 yards, 31.4 yards, 1 TD)
Punt Returns: Natrone Brooks (8 ret., 63 yards, 7.9 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Briggs Bourgeois (12-16 fg/fga., 75%, 29-29 xp/xpa., 65 pts.)
Punting: Griffin Fleming (36 punts, 1421 yards, 39.5 avg., 9 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 8 Trey Lowe (RS SO/TR)
RB: 3 Frank Gore Jr. (FR)
WR: 13 Antoine Robinson (JR/TR)
WR: 17 Jason Brownlee (JR/TR)
WR: 00 Demarcus Jones (RS JR/TR)
TE: 89 Grayson Gunter (GR/TR)
LT: 79 Tykeem Doss (JR/TR)
LG: 65 Gerquan Scott (RS FR)
OC: 63 Arvin Fletcher (RS SR)
RG: 68 Bryce Foxworth (SR)
RT: 70 Khalique Washington (SR/TR)
KR: 29 Camron Harrell (JR/TR)
PK: 40 Briggs Bourgeois (RS JR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 24 Terence Cherry (JR/TR)
NT: 3 Tahj Sykes (RS JR)
DE: 2 Eriq Kitchen (SR/TR)
LB: 28 Swayze Bozeman (SR/TR)
LB: 6 Santrell Latham (RS JR)
LB: 32 Hayes Maples (RS SO)
NB: 25 Tyler Barnes (SR)
CB: 18 Natrone Brooks (JR/TR)
CB: 29 Camron Harrell (JR/TR)
FS: 8 Josh Perry (GR/TR)
SS: 9 Malik Shorts (RS SO)
PR: 18 Natrone Brooks (JR/TR)
PT: 49 Griffin Fleming (SO)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense:
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams:
Kick Returners: A
Punt Returners: B
Kickers: B
Punters: C
Schedule:
09/04 at South Alabama Jaguars | Last season’s 21-32 loss was the first meeting between schools.
09/11 GRAMBLING TIGERS | First meeting between schools.
09/18 TROY TROJANS | Southern Miss leads the series 8-2. The Golden Eagles won (47-42) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
09/25 at Alabama Crimson Tide | Southern Miss trails the series 5-37-2. The Golden Eagles lost (7-49) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
10/02 at Rice Owls | Southern Miss leads the series 6-5. The Golden Eagles are 6-3 since 2011, and their last series win (20-6) was in 2019.
10/09 UTEP MINERS | Southern Miss leads the series 8-4. The Golden Eagles are 6-2 since 2011, and they won (31-13) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
10/16 UAB BLAZERS | Southern Miss leads the series 11-7. The Golden Eagles are 2-5 since 2011, and they won (37-2) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
10/30 at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders | Southern Miss trails the series 0-3. The Golden Eagles lost (31-37) the last meeting between schools in 2014.
11/06 NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN | Southern Miss leads the series 8-7. The Golden Eagles are 4-4 since renewing the series in 2013, and their last series loss (7-30) was in 2018.
11/13 at UTSA Roadrunners | Southern Miss leads the series 4-3. The Golden Eagles lost (20-23) last season’s meeting between schools, and their last series win (36-17) was in 2019.
11/19 at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | Southern Miss leads the series 35-17. The Golden Eagles are 5-4 since 2011, and their last series win (21-20) was in 2018.
11/27 FIU PANTHERS | Southern Miss lost (23-24) the only prior meeting between schools in 2013.
Predictions:
Home: 5-1
Away: 3-3
Neutral: 0-0
CUSA: 5-3
Non-CUSA: 3-1
Overall: 8-4 (3rd in CUSA West)
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