Mississippians will get some Tuesday night football when Southern Miss takes on South Alabama in front of a nationally televised audience. Here’s what you need to know heading into the Sun Belt matchup.
Southern Miss vs. South Alabama
Southern Miss (1-5, 0-3 Sun Belt) has not had the season head coach Will Hall imagined going into year three. The Golden Eagles have found themselves dead last in the conference after losing five straight games following their week one win against Alcorn State.
Going into Tuesday’s match, Southern Miss will look to play a well-rounded game in all three phases. The Golden Eagles have struggled to piece together a game where the offense, defense, and special teams clicked simultaneously.
Southern Miss’ recipe for success will require all three units to gel against a high-powered Jaguars squad. Quarterback Billy Wiles will have to play clean football and limit turnovers. On the defensive side, USM’s defensive line will be tasked with pressuring USA quarterback Carter Bradley and preventing big plays, especially on third down.
Coming off of a 10-win season, South Alabama (3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) has not quite met program expectations set by head coach Kane Wommack at the midway point of the season. The Jaguars plan to use Tuesday night’s match against the Golden Eagles to get back in the win column as they face a gauntlet of upcoming conference opponents.
Going into the contest against the Golden Eagles, USA’s offense will face a defense that has given up nearly 400 yards per game and 28 touchdowns on the season. South Alabama’s success during the ball game will involve a balanced attack with running back La’Damian Webb establishing the run game and Bradley exploiting the secondary.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jaguars will have one not-so-simple task — stop Frank Gore, Jr. The last time the senior running back played in Hancock Whitney Stadium, he broke a LendingTree Bowl record with 329 yards on 21 carries with three total touchdowns.
How to watch
When: 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPN2
Players to watch: Frank Gore, Jr. (USM RB), Jakarius Caston (USM WR), Dylan Lawrence (USM S), Carter Bradley (USA QB), Caullin Lacy (USA WR), Trey Kiser (USA LB)
