2015 Southern Miss Football

Transcription

1 Game 12 Southern Miss (8-3, 6-1 C-USA) at Louisiana Tech (8-3, 6-1 C-USA) Ruston, La. Joe Aillet Stadium (28,019) 11 a.m. CT Fox Sports @CoachToddMonken The Game at a Glance Date Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015 Time 11 a.m. (CT) Location Ruston, La. Stadium Joe Aillet Stadium Capacity 28,019 Surface FieldTurf TV Fox Sports Net (FSN) Play-By-Play Brendan Burke Analyst Ben Leber Sidelines Christian Steckel Radio Southern Miss IMG Sports Network Play-By-Play John Cox (38th season) Analyst Lee Roberts (1st season) Sidelines Dr. Bo Morgan (6th season) Stats/Spotter Joe Bryant (8th season) Gametracker Series Record Southern Miss leads Streak Lost 2 Last Meeting L, 31-20, in Hattiesburg, 10/25/14 Websites SouthernMiss.com ConferenceUSA.com LATechSports.com 2015 Southern Miss Schedule Sept. 5 Mississippi State (FS1) L, Sept. 12 Austin Peay (ASN) W, 52-6 Sept. 19 at Texas State (ESPN 3) W, Sept. 26 at Nebraska (ESPN News) L, Oct. 3 North Texas (FCS) W, Oct. 9 at Marshall (CBS SN) L, Oct. 17 UTSA (Homecoming) (ASN) W, Oct. 24 at Charlotte (ASN) W, Oct. 31 UTEP (FCS) W, Nov. 14 at Rice (ASN) W, Nov. 21 Old Dominion (ASN) W, Nov. 28 at Louisiana Tech (FSN) 11 am C-USA contest; All Times Central 2015 Louisiana Tech Schedule Sept. 5 Southern (ASN) W, Sept. 10 at WKU (FS1) L, Sept. 19 at Kansas State (FSN) L, (3OT) Sept. 26 FIU (FCS) W, Oct. 3 Louisiana-Lafayette (ASN) W, Oct. 10 at UTSA (ASN) W, Oct. 17 at Mississippi State (SEC) L, Oct. 24 Middle Tennessee (ASN) W, Oct. 30 at Rice (FS!) W, Nov. 7 North Texas (FCS) W, Nov. 21 at UTEP (FSN) W, Nov. 28 Southern Miss (FSN) 11 am C-USA contest; All Times Central Noting the Golden Eagles Southern Miss is in its 99th football season, having competed for the first time in The Golden Eagles have posted an all-time record of , which is the 37th best record among Division I FBS teams in terms of percentage (.583). After finishing the 2012 campaign winless, the Golden Eagles have improved on their victory total in each season under Todd Monken, capturing one win in 2013 and three in Southern Miss now has eight victories during the 2015 campaign doubling their win total over the previous three seasons. With its victory at Rice, Southern Miss clinched its first winning season since 2011, while snapping a three-season losing streak in the process. The 65 points were the most for the program since scoring 70 against UAB on Nov. 1, After erupting for 56 points last weekend against ODU, Southern Miss has scored at least 50 points four times this season. That ties the single-season school mark for most 50-plus scoring games in a campaign with the 1952 team. The squad has won five consecutive games, the most since winning eight straight during the 2011 campaign. The Golden Eagles rushed for 310 yards - the first time that they reached the 300-yard plateau under Todd Monken - last week against ODU while collecting a season-best five rushing touchdowns. Four school records were eclipsed at Rice two weeks ago which included: most total offensive yards (682), most passing yards (501), most touchdown passes (7), most points in a quarter (35). The Golden Eagles have enjoyed quick-strike scoring this season, producing 30 touchdowns that have taken less than two minutes off the game clock. For the first time in school history this season, the Golden Eagles had two players over 100 yards rushing Jalen Richard (25-115, TD) and Ito Smith (14-101) and two over 100 yards in receiving D. J. Thompson (6-141, TD) and Mike Thomas (5-103, TD) in the same game against UTSA (10/17). Southern Miss leads Conference USA in average home attendance with its 28,334 per game in six home games this season. The Golden Eagles have scored at least 30 points in all eight victories this season. The Voice of the Golden Eagles, John Cox, will work his 400th Southern Miss football game on the air in the season finale against Louisiana Tech. The Louisiana Tech Series The Golden Eagles renew the third longest series in their history this week when they take on Louisiana Tech. The two schools have played 46 times with the Golden Eagles holding a record in the series. (series breakdown on page 4 of the notes) The Bulldogs have won the last two games in the series, both of which have been Conference USA matchups. Southern Miss has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two schools and is 14-8 against the Bulldogs in Ruston. The two schools played each year from 1946 until The series was renewed in 2010 after going through a 18-year hiatus. After a year off in 2012, LA Tech became a member of Conference USA for the 2013 season. Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken was an assistant coach at LA Tech in Assistant coach John Simon was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs ( ), while Director of Operations John Carr was a three-year letterwinner at LA Tech ( ). Southern Miss Versus Conference USA Southern Miss holds an all-time mark of in Conference USA contests, including a mark at home, while compiling a ledger on the road. The Golden Eagles have finished under.500 in the C-USA standings just three times, and the team sewed up its first winning league record since 2011 with its win at Rice. The Golden Eagles play Louisiana Tech this week for the West Division title. Southern Miss registered its first perfect home league record for the first time since 2011 and the eighth time overall when they beat ODU, 56-31, last Saturday, by finishing 4-0.

2 Record Breakdown Under Monken 2015 Overall Record C-USA Non-Conference Big Ten Ohio Valley Southeastern Sun Belt Home Away Neutral Day Games Night Games TV Games Fox Sports ASN CBS SN ESPN ESPN News Fox College Sports When Scoring First When Foe Scores First When Leading at Half When Trailing at Half When Tied at Half In Overtime Games Scoring Less than 20 points Scoring 20+ points Scoring 30+ points Foe Scoring Less than 20 points Foe Scoring 20+ points Foe Scoring 30+ points Rushing for less than 100 yards Rushing for more than 100 yards Rushing for more than 200 yards Rushing for more than 300 yards Passing for less than 100 yards Passing for more than 100 yards Passing for more than 200 yards Passing for more than 300 yards Less than 300 Yards Total off More than 300 Yards Total off Allowing -100 yards rush Allowing 100+ yards rush Allowing 200+ yards passing Allowing 300+ yards passing Allowing -300 yards total off Allowing 300+ yards total off Having a 100-yard rusher Foe Has a 100-yard rusher Having no turnovers Having 3 or more turnovers Forcing no turnovers Forcing 3 or more turnovers Former Golden Eagles Currently in the NFL Chris Clark (OT, Houston Texans) Jamie Collins (LB, New England Patriots) Austin Davis (QB, Cleveland Browns) Demar Dotson (OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Lamar Holmes (OT, Atlanta Falcons)* Tom Johnson (DT, Minnesota Vikings) Cordarro Law (OLB, San Diego Chargers) Rakeem Nunez-Roches (DT, Kansas City Chiefs) Khyri Thornton (DT, Detroit Lions) % Injured Reserved; * Physically Unable to Perform List ^ Rookie; (As of Nov. 15) Todd Monken Head Football Coach Third Season (.343) In two years in charge of the Southern Miss football program, Todd Monken has spearheaded an approach that has produced continual improvement for the Golden Eagles, forging the team on a path in leading them back to a familiar setting winning seasons and bowl games. When Monken was announced as the 20th head coach in Southern Miss history in December of 2012, his mission was charged to turn around a Golden Eagles team that went winless the year before he took over the reins. In his first season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, Monken battled injuries and a tough schedule as he began the rebuilding process for the Southern Miss football team. During his first year, Monken directed the injury-prone team to a 1-11 mark. After dropping the first 11 contests of the year, the Monken led Golden Eagles trailed rival UAB at halftime. Southern Miss rallied for a victory over the Blazers. In the game, the Golden Eagles scored 49 second-half points, including a season-best 28 points in the third quarter to take control of the game and earn the victory. Despite the results on the scoreboard, Monken s first season saw several highlights from his first season. Southern Miss senior Khyri Thornton was named second team All-Conference USA, while true freshman Tyre oune Holmes and junior Emmanuel Johnson were both honorable mention selections. In addition, a trio of Golden Eagles appeared on the C-USA 2013 All- Freshman team Holmes, Nick Mullens and Cameron Tom. Thornton culminated his Golden Eagle career by being selected in the third round (85th overall) of the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, becoming the first player selected in the NFL Draft in the Monken era. Off the field, Corey Acosta was named to the 2013 Conference USA Football All-Academic team for his efforts on the field and in the classroom as announced by the conference office. In addition, football had 27 players recognized for their achievements in the classroom, including five student-athletes who earned Dean s List honors. The Southern Miss football program was also recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for its academic achievement on the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as having a graduation rate of 75 percent or better. In his second season, Monken improved the squad s win total to three and the number could have been pushed higher had Mullens, the team s starting quarterback, not gotten hurt in the first series of the Louisiana Tech game in late October. Still, the Golden Eagles showed improvement as two players were honored as first-team All-Conference USA selections, including placekicker Corey Acosta and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Wide receivers Casey Martin and Michael Thomas, along with offensive lineman Cameron Tom were honorable mention selections on the offensive side of the ball, while defensive lineman Dasman McCullum joined defensive backs Jacorius Cotton and Emmanuel Johnson represented the defense. In addition, true freshman defensive back Cornell Armstrong was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team. Nunez-Roches also became the second Golden Eagle taken in the NFL Draft as he was chosen in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Acosta and McCullum also signed free-agent contracts with the San Francisco Giants and Washington Redskins, respectively, heading into each organization s training camp. In addition, Acosta excelled off the playing field, earning a Wuerffel Trophy finalist spot and was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. In the classroom, he was named second team Academic All-American after also being tabbed Academic All-District and Academic All- Conference USA for the third time. Monken came to Southern Miss after serving the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State. It was his second stint at OSU, after serving as pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach there from Under Monken during the 2012 season, the Cowboys which had a true freshman starting quarterback to start the season and a redshirt freshman as the primary backup ranked among the nation s top 10 nationally in scoring offense (4th/44.7 ppg), total offense (5th/548.9 ypg) and passing offense (7th/333.4 ypg). OSU will play in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1. OSU scored more than 50 points 10 times, broke the 60-point mark in five contests, the 70-point mark twice - Page 2 - and the 80-point plateau once in just two years with Monken calling the plays. Also during that span, the Cowboys set single-season records for points scored, touchdowns scored, first downs, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes, yards per play and third-down conversions in 2011, in addition to posting six of the top seven single-game passing marks in school history. In 2011, Monken served as Brandon Weeden s position coach, who set single-season school records for passes completed, passes attempted, passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage and total offense in Weeden, who was drafted as the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, also set single-game school records for passing yards and total offense under Monken s watch in On the national level, Weeden finished the 2011 season second in passing yards, third in total offense, fourth in touchdown passes and ninth in pass efficiency. Monken s offense produced the 2011 Biletnikoff Award winner in Justin Blackmon a 2012 first round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars (fifth overall) in addition to a pair of All-Americans in Blackmon and offensive lineman Levy Adcock and the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, Grant Garner. Prior to returning to OSU for his second time, Monken spent four years as wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He had been promoted to the role of Jaguars quarterback coach immediately before taking the offensive coordinator job at Oklahoma State. In his final year in Jacksonville, the Jaguar trio of Mike Thomas, Marcedes Lewis and Mike Sims-Walker combined to make 167 catches for 2,082 yards and 21 touchdowns with Lewis earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. Monken also worked at LSU from , where he developed several receivers including Skyler Green, Dwayne Bowe and Buster Davis. Bowe and Davis were selected in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Bowe combined with Davis and Early Doucet to form one of the nation s premier receiving corps in The trio combined for 180 receptions, 2,598 yards and 24 TDs. Bowe finished his career with 154 catches for 2,403 yards, and his school-record 26 touchdowns ranked eighth in SEC history. In his first stay at OSU, Monken spent three seasons ( ) as pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach. The Cowboys averaged more than 32 points per game during that time. In 2004, Monken tutored firstround pick Rashaun Woods, who was selected 31st overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Woods was a twotime All-America honoree and concluded his career with 293 receptions for 4,414 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also helped engineer one of the nation s best passing attacks in his two seasons ( ) at Louisiana Tech one year as the running backs coach and the other as wide receivers coach. In 2001, Louisiana Tech ranked eighth in the nation in passing, averaging 313 yards through the air per game. A year earlier, Tech ranked seventh in the nation averaging 313 yards passing per game. In addition, Monken spent seven seasons at Eastern Michigan ( ) including the last two as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He also spent time at Grand Valley State ( ) and Notre Dame ( ). A native of Wheaton, Ill., Monken was a three-year letterwinner at quarterback for Knox College. He earned a bachelor s degree in economics (1989) and followed with a master s degree in education leadership from Grand Valley State. He is a member of the Knox College Athletic Hall of Fame. Monken and his wife, Terri, have one son, Travis. Bowl Games 2012 Fiesta Bowl 2007 Sugar Bowl 2005 Peach Bowl 2002 Houston Bowl 2004 Cotton Bowl 2004 Alamo Bowl 2001 Humanitarian Bowl 1993 Cotton Bowl 1992 Sugar Bowl

3 Coaching Matchup Louisiana Tech Coach Skip Holtz Record at LA Tech (3rd) Overall Record (16th) Holtz vs. Southern Miss 4-3 Holtz vs. Monken 2-0 Southern Miss Coach Todd Monken Record at Southern Miss (3rd) Overall Record Same Monken vs. LA Tech 0-2 Monken vs. Holtz 0-2 Comparing the Two 2015 Offense (National Ranking in Parentheses) Southern Miss Louisiana Tech (11 games) (11 games) First Downs Net Rushing Average (33) (69) Net Passing Average (12) (20) Pass Attempts Complete Interceptions 8 7 Total Offense Average (8) (25) Fumbles/Lost 16/12 12/7 3rd Down 76/165 (21) 53/140 (T-78) FG/Att. 11/17 17/21 Points Average 40.2 (13) 37.9 (18) Avg. TOP 31:17 (41) 30:17 (57) Penalties 83/774 57/507 Average 70.4 (113) 46.1 (31) 2015 Defense (National Ranking in Parentheses) Southern Miss Louisiana Tech (11 games) (11 games) First Downs Net Rushing Average (50) (9) Net Passing Average (28) (98) Pass Attempts Complete Interceptions 8 10 Avg. per return Total Defense Average (28) (44) Fumble/Rec. 15/7 18/8 3rd Down 55/170 (20) 64/170 (56) Sacks/Yds. 27/183 21/150 Points Average 22.3 (37) 23.9 (45) 2015 Opponents Records (Last Week) Mississippi State 8-3 (W, 51-50, at Arkansas) Austin Peay 0-11 (Season Completed) Texas State 3-7 (W, 16-3, vs. ULM) Nebraska 5-6 (W, 31-14, at Rutgers) North Texas 1-10 (L, 41-7, at Middle Tennessee) Marshall 9-2 (Idle) UTSA 3-8 (W, 34-24, vs. Rice) Charlotte 2-9 (L, 58-10, at Kentucky) UTEP 4-7 (L, 17-15, vs. UTEP) Rice 4-7 (L, 34-24, at UTSA) Old Dominion 5-6 (L, 56-31, at Southern Miss) Louisiana Tech 8-3 (W, 17-15, at UTEP) Opponent s Overall Record (.402) Louisiana Tech 31, Southern Miss 20 Oct. 25, 2014 HATTIESBURG, Miss. Louisiana Tech rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Southern Miss here Saturday afternoon at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at Roberts Stadium. The Bulldogs Kenneth Dixon caught a pair of touchdowns and ran for a third, all in the second half, in the LA Tech rally. Dixon s career-long 84-yard, catch-and-run on the second snap of the second half gave the Bulldogs their first lead. His 5-yard reception broke a tie at the end of the third quarter. His six catches for 124 yards and the two scores were all career bests. Louisiana Tech s Cody Sokol completed 27 of 46 passes for a career-high 423 yards and three touchdowns, including a 29-yarder to Carlos Henderson in the final period. It was the secondmost passing yards by an opposing quarterback at Roberts Stadium. Dixon, who rushed for 41 yards on 19 carries, scored Louisiana Tech s final points on a 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Southern Miss (3-5, 1-3) lost starting quarterback Nick Mullens early in the game to a foot injury. Backup Cole Weeks completed 28 of 45 for 338 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. He was also sacked five times. Michael Thomas had seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Markese Triplett grabbed six passes for 114 yards. George Payne ripped off the Golden Eagles longest run of the game, 18 yards, to give Southern Miss a 7-0 lead. It marked the fifth consecutive game that Payne had scored. Kyle Fischer s 24-yard field goal pulled the Bulldogs to within 7-3 at halftime. But after receiving the second-half kickoff, Sokol found Dixon wide open with a short pass in the middle of the Southern Miss defense, and Dixon did the rest, breaking free at 40-yard line and outrunning the pursuit down the sideline for a 10-7 lead. Corey Acosta tied the game with a 44-yard field goal, but Sokol guided the Bulldogs on a 14-play, 73-yard drive that he capped with the 5-yard pass to Dixon in the flat that gave Louisiana Tech the lead for good. Acosta now has hit eight field goals in a row. Last Time vs. Louisiana Tech Scoring Summary F Louisiana Tech Southern Miss st USM - Payne 18 run (Acosta kick), 9:00 2nd LT - Fischer 24 field goal, 14:50 3rd LT - Dixon 84 pass from Sokol (Fischer kick), 14:14 USM - Acosta 44 field goal, 7:08 LT - Dixon 5 pass from Sokol (Fischer kick), 0:55 4th USM - Acosta 26 field goal, 9:31 LT - Henderson 29 pass from Sokol (Fischer kick), 7:01 LT - Dixon 1 run (Fischer kick), 4:06 USM - Thomas 16 pass from Weeks (Acosta kick), 2:53 LT USM First Downs Rushes-Yards (-31) Passing Yards Passes Att-Comp-Int Offensive Yards Fumble Returns-Yards Punt Returns-Yards Kickoff Returns-Yards Interception Returns-Yards Punts (Number-Avg) Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time 28:36 31:24 3rd-Down Conversions 5 of 11 7 of 18 4th-Down Conversions 0 of 0 1 of 1 Red-Zone Scores-Chances Sacks By: Number-Yards Individual Statistics RUSHING: LT - Dixon 19-41, TD; King 1-1; Henderson 1-(-1), Craft 2-(-1); Team 2-(-2); Sokol 1-(-8). USM - Payne 9-15, TD; Richard 4-13; I. Smith 3-2; Mullens 1-2; Weeks 6-(-31); Team 3-(-32). PASSING: LT - Sokol yards, 3 TDs. USM - Mullens yards; Weeks yards, 1 TD. RECEIVING: LT - Dixon 6-124, 2 TDs; Watts 5-72; Taylor 5-68; Turner 4-43; Gaines 4-39; Henderson 2-57; TD; Lee USM - Thomas 7-104, TD; Martin 7-63; Triplett 6-114; Ricard 6-70; Richard 3-19; Payne 1-8; Davis 1-2; I. Smith 1-(-1). TACKLES: LT - Brice 7-0-7; Johnson 6-1-7; Villemez USM - Cotton 4-2-6; McCullum 5-0-5; Howze 3-2-5; Nunez-Roches Page 3 -

4 LA Tech Series (31-15, ) L Hattiesburg, Miss L Ruston, La W Ruston, La. 0-7 L Ruston, La W Ruston, La. 7-0 W Hattiesburg, Miss. 7-6 W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss. (HC) L Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss. 7-6 W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss. 7-0 W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss L Ruston, La L Hattiesburg, Miss. 7-0 W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss. (HC) 0-10 L Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss W Shreveport, La L Hattiesburg, Miss. (HC) W Ruston, La L Hattiesburg, Miss. (HC) W Ruston, La L Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La L Ruston, La L Hattiesburg, Miss W Hattiesburg, Miss L Hattiesburg, Miss W Hattiesburg, Miss W Hattiesburg, Miss W Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La L Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss W Ruston, La W Hattiesburg, Miss L Ruston, La L Hattiesburg, Miss. Record in Hattiesburg: 16-7 Record in Ruston: 14-8 Neutral Site Games: 1-0 Most Points Scored: 58 ( ) Fewest Points Scored: 0 (four times) Largest Margin of Victory: 52 ( ) Largest Loss Margin: 27 ( ) Longest Winning Streak: 9 ( ) Longest Losing Streak: 2 (three times) Current Streak: Lost 2 Shutouts: 3 Games Decided By 7 or fewer points: 13-5 In C-USA Games: Conference USA Standings East Division Team C-USA Pct. All Pct. WKU Marshall Middle Tennessee Old Dominion FIU Florida Atlantic Charlotte West Division Team C-USA Pct. All Pct. Louisiana Tech Southern Miss UTSA Rice UTEP North Texas This Week s Schedule Friday, Nov. 27 Marshall at WKU* (FS1) 11 am Saturday, Nov. 28 Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion* (ASN) 11 am Middle Tennessee at UTSA* (FCS) 1:30 pm Charlotte at Rice* (ASN) 2:30 pm UTEP at North Texas* (FSN) 2:30 pm * C-USA game A Proud History With the win at Rice, the Southern Miss football program captured its 68th winning campaign, snapping a three-season losing streak. When the most recent winning streak was broken in 2012, the Golden Eagles had the fourth-longest season winning streak at 18, behind only Florida State, Florida and Virginia Tech. Since 1935, the Golden Eagles have finished below.500 only 11 times. Since 1997, the Golden Eagles have been to 14 bowl games and had a string of 10 straight bowl contests from the 2002 to 2011 seasons. Five Time C-USA Champions The Golden Eagles collected their first C-USA championship game win and the school s fifth league title - more than any other school in the conference - when they defeated Houston, 49-28, for the 2011 league crown. It was the school s second C-USA East Division crown, as the other four league crowns came during the inaugural season of 1996 as well as the 1997, 1999 and 2003 campaigns. The league divisional setup began during 2005 and also marked the first year for a league championship game of which the Golden Eagles have now appeared twice - in 2006 and Since Conference USA went to a divisional format for the 2005 campaign, the Golden Eagles had been in the East Division, but that changed in 2014 as Southern Miss moved to the West with current league foes Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, UTEP and UTSA. Bower Academic Excellence Center Announced Earlier this summer, the Department of Athletics, in conjunction with the Southern Miss Athletic Foundation, announced the launch of the Bower Academic Excellence Center Campaign. The $2 million capital campaign, of which $1.15 million had already been privately raised when announced, will fund a new student-athlete academic center named in honor of longtime Golden Eagle football coach Jeff Bower. As the second-winningest coach in the program s history with 119 victories over 17 seasons and Conference USA s first Coach of the Decade, Bower established a very strong record of success on the field while placing an even greater emphasis on his student-athletes success in the classroom. In addition to the program s graduation rate, numerous former Golden Eagles earned Academic All-Conference and Academic All-American honors. Also, the Bower family s emphasis on academics has been demonstrated by their scholarship endowment, which currently ranks as the Southern Miss Athletic Foundation s largest endowment. Overtime Anyone? Southern Miss has been involved in 10 overtime games since the rule went into effect prior to the 1996 season and the Golden Eagles are 4-6 overall, after losing a double OT game at UCF in Nine of the 10 games that have taken OT to complete have been in C-USA contests. Here is a look of all the overtime games Southern Miss has played in since the 1996 season: Date Opponent Score 11/09/96 at Houston L, /11/00 at UAB W, (2 OT) 11/15/02 Louisville L, (2 OT) 10/07/04 Houston W, /13/05 at Marshall W, /28/06 East Carolina L, /04/08 UTEP L, (2 OT) 12/21/08 Troy (New Orleans Bowl) W, /30/10 UAB L, (2 OT) 10/13/12 at UCF L, (2 OT) Conference USA game Pro Traditions Southern Miss, which has a reputation in training and producing professional talent over the years, has a long list of former players that have reached the National Football League including the likes of Ray Guy, Brett Favre, Sammy Winder, Michael Boley and Jamie Collins. Southern Miss has had at least one player drafted in 11 of the last 15 NFL drafts, including Rakeem Nunez-Roches, a sixth-round selection by Kansas City last April, while many others, including Tampa Bay offensive lineman Demar Dotson, realized their dream by signing as a free agent. Since 1942, 118 players have been drafted by the NFL, AFL or AAFC, which including a school-best four on nine different occasions. Guy became the first Golden Eagle to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Top Crowds Here is a look at the top five crowds in the history of Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium since the start of the 1976 season: 1. Mississippi State 36,641 Sept. 5, 2015 L, Alcorn State 36,232 Sept. 5, 2009 W, Nebraska 36,152 Sept. 25, 2003 L, Jackson State 35,169 Aug. 31, 2002 W, Mississippi State 34,189 Sept. 9, 1989 L, Page 4 -

5 2015 Scoring Drives Game Plays Yds TOP Scoring Play MSU 4-3 1:39 Brauchle 31 field goal MSU :06 Washington 19 pass from Mullens MSU :59 Brauchle 27 field goal MSU :01 Brauchle 27 field goal APSU 3 6 1:07 Mullens 2 run APSU :21 I. Smith 75 run APSU :52 Thompson 3 pass from Mullens APSU :02 Robertson 9 pass from Mullens APSU :37 I. Smith 49 pass from Mullens APSU :10 Hayes 1 run APSU :47 Shaunfield 28 field goal TXST :13 Thompson 23 pass from Mullens TXST :27 Mitchell 19 pass from Mullens TXST :03 Richard 1 run TXST :58 Martin 4 pass from Mullens TXST :43 Richard 3 run TXST :22 Richard 53 run TXST :12 Martin 50 pass from Mullens TXST :36 Richard 64 run NU :48 I. Smith 17 run NU :47 Martin 21 pass from Mullens NU :06 Martin 19 pass from Mullens NU :35 Richard 1 run NT :16 Thomas 5 pass from Mullens NT :30 Martin 3 pass from Mullens NT :34 Mullens 4 run NT :36 Thomas 5 pass from Mullens NT :11 Thomas 62 pass from Mullens NT :47 I. Smith 4 run NT :02 Hayes 2 run MAR :35 Thomas 6 pass from Mullens MAR :48 Shaunfield 33 field goal UTSA :26 Thomas 47 pass from Mullens UTSA :30 Brauchle 25 field goal UTSA :47 Brauchle 22 field goal UTSA :01 Brauchle 20 field goal UTSA :23 Thompson 5 pass from Mullens UTSA 4 5 1:32 Brauchle 39 field goal UTSA :16 Richard 1 run CHAR :30 Thomas 69 pass from Mullens CHAR 4 6 0:48 Brauchle 38 field goal CHAR :43 Marini 9 pass from Mullens CHAR :32 Robertson 4 pass from Mullens CHAR :31 Martin 4 pass from Mullens CHAR 1 2 0:03 Richard 7 run UTEP :09 Thomas 11 pass from Mullens UTEP :33 Richard 9 pass from Mullens UTEP :30 Thompson 27 pass from Mullens UTEP :17 Thompson 10 pass from Mullens UTEP :24 Sarrazin 8 run RICE :55 I. Smith 28 pass from Mullens RICE :12 Thigpen 6 pass from Sarrazin RICE :53 Thomas 50 pass from Mullens RICE :19 Thomas 51 pass from Mullens RICE :06 Thompson 13 pass from Mullens RICE :44 I. Smith 16 pass from Mullens RICE :58 Richard 60 run RICE :09 Brauchle 39 field goal RICE :59 Matthews 17 run RICE :25 Aaron 47 pass from Matthews ODU :20 Richard 1 run ODU :33 Martin 34 pass from Mullens ODU :07 Thomas 24 pass from Mullens ODU :39 I. Smith 19 run ODU :00 Richard 10 run ODU 1 4 0:05 Richard 4 run ODU :03 Mullens 9 run ODU :58 Richard 54 run Longest Drive 95 yards at Rice Most Plays 14 at Charlotte Fewest Plays on TD Drive 1, four times (last vs. ODU) Most Time Used on Scoring Drive 6:31 at Charlotte Shortest Time Used on TD Drive 0:03 at Charlotte No. of TD Drives Less than 2:00 30 Richard Goes Over 1,000 Yards For the Season Senior Jalen Richard went over the 1,000-yard mark against Old Dominion, marking the first Golden Eagle rusher to go over that milestone since Damion Fletcher did it in Richard went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season and 2,000-yard mark for his career when he scored in the fourth quarter against the Monarchs on a 54-yard run. It was his fourth rushing touchdown of the year of at least 53 yards this season. He now has 12 rushing touchdowns for the season, which ranks tied for fifth on the Golden Eagle school charts. That total falls just two behind Damion Fletcher (2007) and Sam Dejarnette (1982) for third place. It is the 17th time a Golden Eagle rusher has gone over 1,000 yards in a season. 100-Yard Games for Richard Richard has rushed for over 100 yards in four of the last five games this season and a total of five for the season and his career. He rushed for a career-high of 230 yards and career-tying four touchdowns (he had four TD runs last week versus ODU) earlier this season in a victory at Texas State in earning Top 5 USM Rushing Games 1. Sam DeJarnette (Fla. St./1982) Damion Fletcher (UTEP/2008) Vic Purvis (Memphis/1965) Jalen Richard (Texas St./2014) Damion Fletcher (UL-Laf./2008) Page 5 - the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 21. The Alexandria, La., native posted the fourth-highest rushing game in school history in that contest as he helped the Golden Eagles erase a three-point halftime deficit with three second-half touchdowns, that included scoring runs of 54 and 63 yards. It was the first time in the senior s career to rush for over 100 yards. The last time a Southern Miss player rushed for four touchdowns before the Texas State game was on Nov. 20, 2010, when quarterback Austin Davis did it four times against Houston. It also was the first of two times in Richard s career that he ran for four scores in a game. He currently has 2,033 rushing yards in 39 career games. Richard was also named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week following the Charlotte contest, Oct. 26, to give him two weekly honors this season. Smith a Versatile Threat out of the Backfield Sophomore Ito Smith enjoyed one of his best performances of his young career with his season-best 135 yards on the ground on 10 carries, including a 75-yard rushing score, as well as a 49-yard touchdown on his lone catch against Austin Peay to become the first Golden Eagle to register both a rushing and receiving TD since Jamal Woodyard did it against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 17, Smith went over the career 1,000-yard mark against UTSA with his fourth career 100-yard rushing performance and now has 1,350 career yards in 23 games for a 58.7 per game average. In his initial season in 2014, Smith led the team in rushing with 536 yards on 136 carries as a true freshman, compiling a pair of 100-yard rushing games that included a career-best 141 yards against No. 23 Marshall and 118 yards against Alcorn State. This season, Smith ranks fourth on the team in receptions with 37 for 426 yards. 1-2 Punch in All-Purpose Yards The duo of Richard and Smith rank No. 1 and No. 2 on the team in all-purpose yards as Richard has totaled 1,508, while Smith is at 1,473. That is good for and yards per game, respectively, with Richard ranking second and Smith ranking third in the league in that category. The duo are ranked No. 22 and No. 23 in the latest NCAA rankings in all-purpose yards per game. Following the ODU game, Monarch coach Bobby Wilder was quoted, They have two of the best running backs in the league. It s really a tremendous one-two punch. Mullens Keeps Throwing the Football After starting the final six games of the 2013 season, Nick Mullens returned as the team s signal caller last year by starting in 10 of 12 games, missing only two contests with a foot injury. Mullens collected 200-yard passing games in nine of 10 Top 5 USM Career Passing Yards 1. Austin Davis ( ) 10, Nick Mullens ( ) 7, Brett Favre ( ) 7, Dustin Almond ( ) 7, Jeff Kelly ( ) 7,095 Top 5 USM Career Passing Atts. 1. Austin Davis ( ) 1, Brett Favre ( ) 1, Nick Mullens ( ) 1, Dustin Almond ( ) 1, Jeff Kelly ( ) 975 Top 5 USM Career Completions 1. Austin Davis ( ) Nick Mullens ( ) Brett Favre ( ) Jeff Kelly ( ) Dustin Almond ( ) 538 Top 5 USM Season TD Passes 1. Nick Mullens (2015) Austin Davis (2011) Lee Roberts (1998) Austin Davis (2008) 23 Dustin Almond (2003) 23 starts in 2014 and now has 25, 200-plus throwing contests in 27 career starts (12-15). He threw for a career-best 447 yards at Nebraska earlier this season, connecting on 26-of-41 passing with a pair of touchdowns, besting his previous Top 200-Yard Passing Games 1. Austin Davis Nick Mullens Jeff Kelly Dustin Almond Lee Roberts 16 top performance of a 426-yard game on 36-of-54 passing with three touchdowns and just one interception at Middle Tennessee in The Nebraska performance was only the fourth 400-yard passing game in Southern Miss history and the second-highest total behind only Austin Davis 461-yard performance against Rice in Mullens now has two of the four 400-yard passing games in school history. He was the fifth true freshman ever to ever get a start at quarterback two seasons ago, and now has thrown for 7,824 yards over his two-plus seasons for the Golden Eagles with 57 career touchdown passes, ranking in second place on the school charts for passing yards. His career yards per game passing currently ranks as the best for that category by any Golden Eagle QB, ahead of Austin Davis who tallied per game. The junior from Hoover, Ala., currently ranks 8th in the NCAA in passing yards (3,578),tied for fifth in touchdown passes (32) and 10th in yards per game passing (325.3) in 2015.

6 Top 10 Rushing Games by Class Freshman Derrick Nix vs. Nevada (11/21/98) Kendrick Hardy vs. Houston (11/20/10) Derrick Nix vs. Memphis (11/14/98) Damion Fletcher vs. NC State (9/16/06) Derrick Nix vs. Louisville (10/10/98) Derrick Nix vs. Army (10/17/98) Damion Fletcher vs. UAB (11/18/06) Vincent Alexander vs. UL-Laf.(10/29/83) Damion Fletcher vs. Marshall (11/25/06) Kendrick Hardy vs. UAB (10/30/10) Sophomore Sam DeJarnette vs. Florida St. (9/25/82) Damion Fletcher vs. UTEP (11/17/07) Bucky McElroy vs. Alabama (11/10/51) Sam DeJarnette vs. UL-Laf. (10/30/82) Sam DeJarnette vs. Tulane (10/16/82) Kendrick Hardy vs. Rice (10/1/11) Derrick Nix vs. East Carolina (10/9/99) Sam DeJarnette vs. UL-Monroe (9/4/82) Derrick Nix vs. Tulane (9/6/99) Cody Hull vs. Arkansas State (12/20/05) Junior Damion Fletcher vs. UTEP (10/4/08) Damion Fletcher vs. UL Lafayette (8/30/08) Ben Garry vs. La. Tech (11/13/76) Chris Buckhalter vs. Tulane (9/3/94) Reggie Collier vs. UT-Arlington 10/3/81) Reggie Collier vs. Lamar (11/28/91) Shelton Gandy vs. Memphis (10/24/87) Ben Garry vs. Memphis (11/20/76) Shelton Gandy vs. Louisville (10/3/87) Rickey Bradley vs. Mississippi St.(10/15/88) Shelton Gandy vs. Tulane (9/19/87) Sammy Winder vs. Lamar (11/1/80) Senior Vic Purvis vs. Memphis (9/25/65) Jalen Richard at Texas State (9/19/15) Vic Purvis vs. Richmond (10/2/65) Derrick Nix vs. Illinois (9/7/02) Derrick Nix vs. Memphis (9/14/02) Tony Smith vs. Tulane (9/19/91) Sammy Winder vs. Memphis (10/17/81) Michael Welch vs. East Carolina (10/29/92) Jalen Richard vs. Old Dominion (11/21/15) Vincent Alexander vs. UL-Monroe (9/6/86) Southern Miss 1,000-Yard Rushers Name Year Class Yards Damion Fletcher 2007 So. 1,586 Sam Dejarnette 1982 So. 1,545 Damion Fletcher 2006 Fr. 1,388 Damion Fletcher 2008 Jr. 1,313 Ben Garry 1976 Jr. 1,236 Derrick Nix 2002 Sr. 1,194 Hugh L. Pepper 1952 So. 1,191 Derrick Nix 1998 Fr. 1,180 Ben Garry 1977 Sr. 1,134 Bucky McElroy 1952 Jr. 1,069 Derrick Nix 1999 So. 1,054 Jalen Richard 2015 Sr. 1,047 Harold Shaw 1996 Sr. 1,045 Sammy Winder 1981 Sr. 1,029 Shelton Gandy 1987 Jr. 1,025 Damion Fletcher 2009 Sr. 1,015 Reggie Collier 1981 Jr. 1,005 TD Drives of 2 Minutes or Less Hawai i 13 of 19 (68.4) Arkansas State 28 of 44 (63.6) Baylor 45 of 73 (61.6) Houston 14 of 23 (60.8) Tulsa 28 of 46 (60.8) Ole Miss 29 of 48 (60.4) Northern Illinois 27 of 45 (60.0) Syracuse 17 of 29 (58.6) UMass 17 of 29 (58.6) TCU 33 of 57 (57.9) North Carolina 31 of 54 (57.4) Troy 15 of 27 (55.5) Arizona 28 of 53 (52.8) Southern Miss 30 of 57 (52.6) Mullens Throws for over 300 Yards Again With his 302 yards against Old Dominion, Mullens threw for over the 300-yard plateau for the 12th time in his career. Against Rice, Mullens tied a school record with five touchdown passes of which he has already done once in his career (UAB, 2013), all coming in the first half. With his two TD passes against ODU, he extended his touchdown pass streak to 13 games in which he passed for at least one score. He has thrown at least three TD passes in nine games in his career, including at least four TD passes in five different games this season. Over the last four contests, he has thrown 15 touchdown passes. He broke Austin Davis single season record for both passing yards and touchdown passes last week against ODU and currently has 32 throwing scores and 3,578 passing yards this season. Spreading the Love Through the first 11 games for the Golden Eagles, 16 players have caught at least one pass. This season, five different receivers have caught at least 24 passes including a team-best 68 by Casey Martin, followed by 49 from Mike Thomas, 47 from D.J. Thompson, 37 from Ito Smith and 24 from Jalen Richard. The Golden Eagles are one of 19 FBS schools to have at least five receivers with at least 20 catches this season (see chart on page 7 for breakdown). Martin Breaks Single-Season Mark for Catches For the second consecutive season, senior Casey Martin leads the Golden Eagles in receptions and broke the single season mark for receptions last week with eight grabs for 104 yards. He now has 68 catches for 744 yards over the first 11 games and has three 100-yard receiving games to his credit this season. Martin notched back-to-back 100-yard receiving games with a team-high eight catches for 102 yards at Nebraska, after notching five receptions for 114 yards at Texas State. Martin led Southern Miss in receptions with 55 (4.6 per game) last season. Martin s best day in 2014 came at UTEP with six catches for a season-best Top 5 USM Passing Games 1. Austin Davis (Rice/2008) Nick Mullens (Neb./2015) Nick Mullens (MT/2014) Jeff Kelly (Tulane/2001) Lee Roberts (Houston/1996) 398 Top 5 USM Season Receptions 1. Casey Martin (2015) DeAndre Brown (2008) Sherrod Gideon (1998) LeRoy Handy (2001) Kelvin Bolden (2011) yards. It was his first 100-yard receiving game for the Golden Eagles (he now has five). He opened the 2015 ledger with five catches against Mississippi State and followed that with a team-best seven catches for 81 yards versus Austin Peay. He had a string of TD catches in three-straight games snapped at Marshall. Martin caught a career-high nine passes against the Herd. Thomas Continues to Be Golden Eagle Long Threat Senior WR Mike Thomas, after registering his first two passes for one-yard each against Rice, then collected 50 and 51 yard receptions on his next two catches for touchdowns about a minute and a half apart from each other in the second quarter. Thomas finished with five catches for 126 yards and now has a 100-yard receiving games in six of his last seven contests and eight for his career, which ranks second on the school career charts. Working Up Front The Golden Eagles offensive line, who had two players back that started in all 12 games, including left tackle Rashod Hill and center Cameron Tom, start in those same spots in the first 11 games of Brandon Farmer (22 career starts) has gotten the nod at left guard the last 10 games, while Norman Price also opened at right tackle for the 15th-straight time and 17th overall. Oliver Bates made his third start of the year and second in a row against ODU at right guard. Devin Farrior and Farmer graded out the best on the offensive line against the Monarchs, while Tom enjoyed the most knockdowns in the game with five. Explosive Plays Southern Miss registered nine plays of at least 20 yards versus ODU to give them a total of 85 offensive explosive plays this season. The Golden Eagles have had 24 rushing plays of 20 or more yards and 61 passing plays. If you add in kick returns (17), punt returns (two) and interception returns (three), the number jumps to 107 for the year. Twelve of the top 16 offensive plays, of which all were at least 47 yards, have been touchdowns. 50-Plus Scoring Plays in One Game Southern Miss has had two games of three 50-plus yard plays for touchdowns this season, coming at Rice and at Texas State. The Golden Eagles last scored three touchdowns of at least 50 yards in a game prior to this season on a pair of interceptions (97 and 79 yards) along with a punt return for 60 yards against East Carolina (11/5/11). The last time before this season the Golden Eagles scored three touchdowns of 50 or more yards on all offensive plays was in a 52-9 rout of Texas-Arlington on Oct. 3, Quarterback Reggie Collier rushed for touchdowns of 80 and 84 yards and hit Don Horn for an 84-yard TD pass. Collier was also the last Golden Eagle to have two rushing scores of 50-plus yards as well, before Richard did it against Texas State and Thomas accomplished that feat on two TD receptions (50 and 51) at Rice. - Page 6 -

7 Career Starts Games Games Current Played Starts Streak Defensive Backs Antoine Applewhite Armstrong Douglas Foster Nelson, Jr Reed Truly Linebackers Anderson Bertucci Parker Perry Ruff Swain Wright Defensive Line Bolton Bradley Freeman McCorvey Mustafaa M. Smith Yancey Quarterbacks Mullens Running Back D. Davis J. Goudy T. Parks Payne Richard I. Smith Tight End Marini Parks Washington Wide Receivers Holmes Martin Ricard Robertson Thomas Thompson Offensive Line Agee Bates Farmer Farrior Harris Hill Price Tom No. of Receivers with 20 or More Receptions Nine - Washington State Seven Eastern Michigan, Texas Tech Six BYU, Ole Miss, Cal, Arizona State Five Arizona, Boise State, Bowling Green, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, FIU, Hawai i, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulsa, Wake Forest, WKU Solid Defense Again against Rice Southern Miss held an opponent under 300 yards of total offense for fifth consecutive weeks and, earlier this season, the Golden Eagles limited Austin Peay to a season-low 189 total offensive yards. Here is a look at that recent five-game streak: Golden Eagle Defense - Yards Surrendered in last Five Games 10/9 - at Marshall 277 (114 rush, 163 pass) 10/17 - UTSA 205 (139 rush, 66 pass) 10/24 - at Charlotte 257 (137 rush, 120 pass) 10/31 - UTEP 298 (101 rush, 197 pass) 11/14 - at Rice 214 (107 rush, 107 pass) Bradley Stop Folks in Backfield Again Dylan Bradley enjoyed his best game of the 2015 season by registering a game-high eight tackles, which included a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss, against Austin Peay. Injuries limited Bradley to just eight games a year ago, but the junior defensive lineman returned as the top defensive player in terms of tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (3.0). Bradley totaled 29 total tackles last year of which 12 were solos, including a season-high eight stops at UTEP last season. In 2015, Bradley is fifth on the squad in tackles with 38, of which 10.5 have been for loss, which is second on the team, to go along with a team-best 5.5 sacks. Smith is the Dean of the Defensive Front Senior Michael Smith returned with the most game action for the Golden Eagles on the defensive front in Smith has played in 45 career games, including 41 starts and has posted 110 career tackles, including 31 a year ago. He was the only Golden Eagle to start and play in all 12 games in The Birmingham, Ala., native collected 33 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a blocked kick that season and had a string of 29 straight starts snapped last year after missing the North Texas game with an injury. This season, Smith has notched 19 tackles which has included 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. Anderson Returns as Top Tackler Senior Brian Anderson came back in 2015 as the team s top returning tackler from a year ago. Anderson tallied 65 stops (38 solos) with 3.0 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery despite playing in just eight games. Anderson missed four games with a back injury last season, but finished fourth on the total tackles list. Anderson is second on the squad in tackles with 69 this season, including a team-best 11.5 tackles for loss. He posted a season-best 12 stops versus Old Dominion last week and also had 11 at Marshall earlier this season. Anderson also has 3.0 sacks to his credit during his senior campaign. Reed Headlines Young Secondary Senior Kalan Reed holds the most experience returning in the defensive backfield for the Golden Eagles, having played in 45 games and made 33 career starts, including his 26 consecutive after the ODU game. Reed went over the 100-tackle mark with a career-best nine stops against Texas State, including one impressive stop on the goal line on fourth-down late in the game to thwart a late Bobcat drive. He also has the most passes broken up of any Golden Eagle defensive back with 34 for his career as well as interceptions with seven, after getting his third of the year at Charlotte. His one-handed pick in the end zone versus the 49ers earned him the No. 8 Play of the Day by ESPN. He tallied 34 stops a year ago with a team-high tying two interceptions. Reed intercepted a pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown against Austin Peay earlier this season. It was the first INT returned for a touchdown by Southern Miss since he picked off a pass and returned it 19 yards for a score at Marshall on Oct. 20, The interception was his second returned for a touchdown in his career. Youngsters in the Secondary Getting Older The Golden Eagles had three freshmen a year ago that saw action in all 12 games and made at least one start, including Picasso Nelson, Jr., who collected 10 starts as a true freshman, while Cornell Armstong and Jomez Applewhite made five starts each as redshirt freshmen. Applewhite led the trio in tackles with 37, while Nelson, Jr., added 36 and Armstrong added 30. Armstrong also returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for touchdown at UTEP. This season, Armstrong has started in all 11 games, while Nelson, Jr., has started in each of the last eight contests. Antoine Stepping In Junior transfer D Nerius Antoine has stepped into his role at safety nicely, leading the squad in tackles through the first 11 games. Antoine has 77 stops, which includes 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups, an interception, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Against Nebraska, Antoine tallied his lone interception of the year, while adding a forced and recovery of a fumble on his way to a team-high eight tackles against the Huskers. Antoine has posted his season-high tackle totals at Texas State, Marshall and Charlotte with nine. - Page 7 -