In the last 62 days, Southern Miss football hasn’t won a game.
Last week, the Golden Eagles (1-7, 0-5 Sun Belt Conference) seemed to have a chance to end their losing streak when they took a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against Appalachian State, but unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on to it.
This week, Southern Miss has a home game at MM Roberts Stadium against Louisiana-Monroe (2-6, 0-5) on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN+), which could be a good opportunity for them to turn things around. The Warhawks are also on a six-game losing streak and have had similar results against Arkansas State, Texas State, App State, and South Alabama.
Moreover, ULM has only won two road games in the past five seasons. With Southern Miss showing some signs of improvement against App State, they are the 2.5-point favorites.
“I think we are getting really close to getting over the hump,” said Southern Miss coach Will Hall.
ULM’s two wins came in the first two weeks of the season against Army and Lamar. They suffered losses against Texas A&M and Georgia Southern.
ULM freshman quarterback playing well
ULM freshman Blake Murphy took over at quarterback two weeks ago against Georgia Southern and made his first career start last week against Arkansas State. He has performed impressively in both games.
Despite sharing duties in the game against Georgia Southern, Murphy threw for 320 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. In his first start last week, he completed 56.8% of his throws for 300 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. Murphy is the first ULM freshman to throw for over 300 passing yards in back-to-back games in over 46 years.
“They’re gonna run the quarterback when they need to,” Hall said. “He can make some plays though and he is certainly somebody we got to be ready to defend.”
Murphy has wide receiver Tyrone Howell, who is tied for first in the Sun Belt with six touchdown catches.
Southern Miss defense among the worst in the country
Southern Miss’ defense is currently allowing 39.4 points per game, ranking last in the FBS.
“It’s not only frustrating for us as coaches, it’s frustrating for the players,” said first-year defensive coordinator Dan O’Brien. “They pour their heart and soul into it and they’re doing a great job of attacking it every day.”
The defense had a decent performance in the first half against App State, allowing only 14 points while forcing two turnovers and three punts. However, they couldn’t maintain their performance in the second half, with the Mountaineers scoring 34 points.
The team has been struggling with season-ending injuries in their secondary, which has forced them to change their defensive strategies for the rest of the season.
“In terms of all of the things we started the season off with, it’s kind of been pushed aside on the backburner,” O’Brien said. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what we can do where our kids can function and play fast to make plays out there.”
Southern Miss score prediction vs. ULM
Southern Miss 30, ULM 28: We’re still yet to see if last week was a true sign of progress or just a flash in the pan. I lean toward the former, with a revitalized offense and a defense – as far as we know – that didn’t suffer any more significant injuries against App State. The Golden Eagles jump out to an early lead and survive a late ULM surge for the win.
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Alex Martin is your guide to the global phenomenon of football. With a focus on international leagues and tournaments, he provides match commentary, player interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of football.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72931262/usa_today_21973134.0.jpg "Stay Updated on Wisconsin Badgers Transfer Portal Movements for 2023-2024 Season")
