In the opening game of year four of the Will Hall era at Southern Miss, very little went to plan. A long list of miscues, an inability to muster anything on the scoreboard, and nearly three hours of weather delays marked a bleak start to the 2024 campaign.
The Kentucky Wildcats, ranked No. 25 in ESPN’s preseason SP+ rankings, capitalized on the first major Golden Eagle error of the evening – a Tate Rodemaker interception on the first offensive drive – to open the scoring at 7-0. Mark Stoops’ team would add a field goal two drives later following a 21-yard punt from Bryce Lofton. They would tack on a pair of touchdowns to close out the second half leading 24-0.
Halftime. pic.twitter.com/TAygE6vPMg
— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) September 1, 2024
Early in the game, the black and gold held their own on the defensive end. Kentucky’s array of explosive playmakers were largely held at bay and mustered just one touchdown in their first four drives. But a sputtering Southern Miss offense, which totaled five yards rushing on 12 attempts in the first half, meant the defense spent the majority of the game clock on the field and quickly wore down.
Rodemaker drew the start in his debut as a Golden Eagle, finishing the game 13-for-19 and 126 yards with a pair of interceptions. Both picks were tipped by a Wildcat defender at the line of scrimmage, but both attempts were also forced into coverage – the second ending a Southern Miss red zone opportunity.
Other mistakes in the first half included a dropped pick six by Quez McNeal, two post-play personal foul penalties, and a botched squib kick that resulted in Kentucky beginning their first drive of the night at midfield. As both sides headed to the locker room for a shortened 10-minute halftime, the Wildcats were in full control.
A short and unfruitful drive started the second half for the Golden Eagles, and a failed fake punt deep in Southern Miss territory exacerbated the blowout. Kentucky promptly took advantage of the short field position to score their final points of the night on Brock Vandergriff’s third touchdown pass of the game on a five-yard score to Justice Dingle II making the score 31-0.
With 9:56 remaining in the third quarter, both teams were told to leave the field with more lightning in the area. After just over 30 minutes of delay time and at a local time of around 12:15 a.m., officials mutually agreed to end the ballgame.
The game has officially been terminated due to weather – Kentucky was leading 31-0.
— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) September 1, 2024
A final score of 31-0 in Kentucky’s favor sealed a shutout loss for the first time since 2021 for Southern Miss, a 34-0 loss to UAB in Will Hall’s first season as the head coach in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles head home to face Southeastern Louisiana next Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium, looking for their first win of 2024.
