(RB Rodrigues Clark – Opendorse)
Key Players Returning:
RB Rodrigues Clark, WR/PR Tiaquelin Mims, OT Gabe Cavazos Jr., DE Kristin Booth, NT Jalen Williams, LB Jalil Clemons, CB Michael Caraway Jr., NB Dylan Lawrence, PK Andrew Stein, and PT Bryce Lofton.
Key Players Departing:
QB Billy Wiles (Appalachian State transfer), RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Jakarius Caston, WR Latreal Jones, OC Bryce Ramsey (Marshall transfer), OG John Bolding, OG Gerquan Scott (Ole Miss transfer), OT Briason Mays, DT Quentin Bivens, NT Josh Ratcliff, LB Swayze Bozeman, LB Josh Carr Jr., LB Hayes Maples, NB Markel McLaurin, FS Jay Stanley, SS MJ Daniels, and KR Antavious Willis.
(QB Tate Rodemaker – 247Sports)
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: QB Tate Rodemaker (FSU transfer), DS Braxton Myers (Purdue transfer), TE Kylrin Heath (Ole Miss transfer), DS Damion Miller (Port Gibson, Mississippi), DL Miles Adams (Flomaton, Alabama), OL Jo Cryer (LSU transfer), DT Jonathan Davis (Mississippi State transfer), WR Dakota Thomas (Wesson, Mississippi), WR Keyshawn Buckley (Garden City, Kansas), and WR Dannis Jackson (Iowa transfer).
2023 Results:
G01 ALCORN STATE W 40-14
G02 @ #4 Florida State L 13-66
G03 TULANE L 3-21
G04 @ Arkansas State L 37-44
G05 TEXAS STATE L 36-50
G06 OLD DOMINION L 13-17
G07 @ South Alabama L 3-55
G08 @ Appalachian State L 38-48
G09 UL-MONROE W 24-7
G10 @ Louisiana W (OT) 34-31
G11 @ Mississippi State 20-41
G12 TROY L 17-35
Team Info:
2023 Overall: 3-9 (6th in SBC West)
Home: 2-4
Away: 1-5
Neutral: 0-0
CUSA: 2-6
Non-CUSA: 1-3
Head Coach: Will Hall
Southern Miss: 13-24
Career: 69-44
Bowls: 1-0
(DE Jalil Clemons – Southern Miss Athletics)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Ethan Crawford (17-36, 240 yards, 47.2%, 6.7 avg., 3 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: Rodrigues Clark (76 car., 429 yards, 5.6 avg., 2 TD)
Receiving: Tiaquelin Mims (39 ret., 445 yards, 11.4 avg., 2 TD)
TD’s Scored: Tiaquelin Mims (3)
Sacks: Jalil Clemons (5.5)
Tackles: Dylan Lawrence (78)
Interceptions: Zay Franks/Jay Jones (1)
Pass Deflections: Michael Caraway Jr. (4)
Tackles For Loss: Jalil Clemons (11)
Forced Fumbles: Jalil Clemons (2)
Kick Returns: Rodrigues Clark (3 ret., 39 yards, 13.0 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Tiaquelin Mims (15 ret., 167 yards, 11.1 avg., 1 TD)
Kicking: Andrew Stein (17-23 fg/fga., 74%, 27-28 xp/xpa., 78 pts.)
Punting: Bryce Lofton (60 punts, 2422 yards, 40.4 avg., 13 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 18 Tate Rodemaker (RS JR/TR)
RB: 0 Rodrigues Clark (RS SR/TR)
WR: 9 Larry Simmons (RS SO/TR)
WR: 13 Dennis Jackson (GR/TR)
WR: 1 Tiaquelin Mims (JR)
TE: 38 Justyn Reid (SO)
LT: 61 Gabe Cavazos Jr. (RS JR/TR)
LG: 50 Will Saxton (RS SO)
OC: 58 Drew Lawson (RS JR)
RG: 78 Dontae Lucas (GR/TR)
RT: 56 Greg Nunnery (JR/TR)
KR: 1 Tiaquelin Mims (JR)
PK: 98 Andrew Stein (RS SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 94 Kristin Booth (SR)
NT: 36 Brodarius Lewis (SR/TR)
DT: 96 Jalen Williams (SR/TR)
DE: 8 Jalil Clemons (RS SR/TR)
LB: 15 Ja’Len Sims (RS SR/TR)
LB: 17 Tre Pinkney (RS SR/TR)
NB: 6 Dylan Lawrence (RS SR/TR)
CB: 13 Will James (SR)
CB: 2 Michael Caraway Jr. (SR/TR)
FS: 3 Elijah Sabbatini (RS SO/TR)
SS: 5 Jay Jones (SR)
PR: 1 Tiaquelin Mims (JR)
PT: 30 Bryce Lofton (RS SR/TR)
(WR Tiaquelin Mims – Southern Miss Athletics)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: B
Defense:
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: B
Secondary: C
Special Teams:
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: A
Kickers: B
Punters: B
Schedule:
08/31 @ Kentucky Wildcats | Southern Miss trails the series 1-3. The Golden Eagles lost (17-24) the last meeting between schools in 2017, and their only series win (44-35) was in 2016.
09/07 SE LOUISIANA LIONS | Southern Miss leads the series 18-3. The Eagles won (52-6) the last meeting between schools in 2011.
09/14 USF BULLS | Southern Miss leads the series 3-1. The Eagles won (27-20) the last meeting between schools in 2004, and their only series loss (13-16) dates back to 2002.
09/21 @ Jacksonville State Gamecocks | Southern Miss leads the series 2-0. The Eagles won (65-0) the last meeting between schools in 1946.
10/05 LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS | Southern Miss leads the series 41-11-1. The Eagles won (3431) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (39-24) the prior meeting in 2022.
10/12 @ UL-Monroe Warhawks | Southern Miss leads the series 6-2. The Eagles are 3-1 since restarting the series in 2018, and their last series loss (20-21) was in 2018.
10/19 ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES | Southern Miss leads the series 10-3. The Eagles lost (37-44) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (20-19) the prior meeting in 2022.
10/26 @ James Madison Dukes | First meeting between schools.
11/09 MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD | Southern Miss leads the series 8-6. The Eagles won (26-24) the last meeting between schools in 2018.
11/16 @ Texas State Bobcats | The series is tied 2-2. The Eagles lost (35-50) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (40-14) the prior meeting in 2022.
11/23 SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS | Southern Miss trails the series 0-4. The Eagles lost (3-55) last season’s meeting between schools, and they lost (20-27) the prior meeting in 2022.
11/30 @ Troy Trojans | Southern Miss leads the series 8-5. The Eagles are 1-4 since restarting the series in 2016, and their last series win (47-42) was in 2019.
Predictions:
Home: 5-1
Away: 2-4
Neutral: 0-0
SBC: 4-4
Non-SBC: 3-1
Overall: 7-5 (5th in SBC West)
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