NEW ORLEANS — Southern Miss has the special win coach Will Hall has been craving.
The Golden Eagles (2-2) snapped a two-game losing streak in the Battle for the Bell, beating Tulane, 27-24, Saturday night in their most significant victory since Hall took over the program after the 2020 season.
Here are our grades from the Golden Eagles’ upset of the Green Wave (3-1).
Offense: B-
It looked like another lost performance for the Southern Miss offense through 30 minutes of football.
USM managed only 4 yards per play in the first half, its 10 points resulting from two outstanding special teams plays that set Southern Miss up in Tulane territory. The Golden Eagles improved in the second half with a 5.8 yards per play mark, embarking on a seven-play, 70-yard drive in the third quarter that represented their best drive of the game.
Freshman quarterback Zach Wilcke completed 17-of-25 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Vitally, he did not turn the ball over.
The Southern Miss offense wasn’t prolific, but it was good enough.
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Defense: A-
The game followed a similar script for coordinator Austin Armstrong’s defense, which allowed 253 yards of total offense in the first half.
But the Golden Eagles buckled down. Tulane didn’t crack the second-half scoreboard until the final 30 seconds of the game, with Southern Miss firmly in prevent defense.
The USM defense produced the game’s defining play, when Kristin Booth deflected a pass for Eric Scott to intercept and return to the end zone, putting the Golden Eagles up 27-17 in the fourth quarter.
Special teams: A+
The Golden Eagles don’t win this game without a heroic performance on special teams.
Greg Meyer’s unit blocked a punt and a field goal in this one, with both of those plays leading directly to Southern Miss points.
USM also commanded the field position battle, starting drives at its own 39-yard line, on average. The Green Wave averaged a start position of its 26.
The Golden Eagles were outgained 451-253. The special teams unit is the reason that didn’t matter.
Coaching: A
Hall and the Southern Miss coaching staff went on the road as a double-digit underdog and claimed a win. There should be no shortage of credit headed their way.
Overall: A
The offense could have played better. The defense’s first-half showing wasn’t great. But nitpicking after the Golden Eagles picked up their biggest win under Hall seems foolish.
David Eckert covers Southern Miss for The Hattiesburg American. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @davideckert98.
