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By Andy Baeuerle
The 2023 football season went far from what Southern Miss fans had hoped. My 7-5 prediction just before the season commenced was horribly off, and the Golden Eagles didn’t even get close to a bowl game. Bad playmaking and poor production trolled the Golden Eagles throughout the season, but as a Southern Miss fan, I refuse to get downhearted, especially after all Coach Hall and his staff have accomplished this off-season. But let’s recap the season before we touch on the postseason.
Best Game: @ Louisiana, USM Wins 34-31 in OT
- Southern won only three games in the 2023 season, this one, and two home matchups against Alcorn State and ULM. While this is the closest win, I classify this as the best win because of the history of this game. Southern Miss and Louisiana have met on the field since 1923. While the Cajuns dominated the series’ early days, Southern soon came back to claim their place, having won the last ten matchups before this one.
- The Golden Eagles came into Lafayette with a big chip on their shoulder. They were 2-7 on the season and had just come off of a 7-game losing streak after beating ULM 24-7 at home. The Golden Eagles started slow and couldn’t score until the second half, when the game went into halftime at 14 all. The third quarter saw the Nasty Bunch defense make two impressive goal-line stands, keeping the Cajuns from scoring, while the offense was able to tack 7 more on and give USM a 21-14 lead. In the 4th, everything slowed down as the two teams were able to tie 28-28 to initiate overtime. This didn’t last long as the Cajuns fell to the Nasty Bunch and had to settle for a field goal. Then, a touchdown by Golden Eagle icon Frank Gore Jr. won the game 34-31.
- Southern Miss now leads the series with Lousiana 41-11-1, holding an 11-game winning streak from 1994 to 2023.
- Attendance at Cajun Field: 15,137
Worst Game: vs. Old Dominion (Homecoming), ODU Wins 17-13
- I know you’ll say, “Andy, what about the South Al loss or the Florida State loss?” Yes, I agree those were terrible losses. And there is no such thing as a better loss or a good loss, but this Old Dominion game never should’ve happened like it did.
- Homecoming should be a game that brings a large crowd and a competitive attitude. It’s a special day for students and alumni alike. It’s not something only a few thousand show up for and the players play with no sense. Neither team showed up to win, and it was a hand-to-hand battle all night. And while I say no one showed up to win, USM had some big plays, including a punt returned for a touchdown by Tiaquaelin Mims. Mims would have had a second punt returned for a touchdown later in the game, but a questionable call by the referees had the down reversed, and the Golden Eagles went scoreless on the drive.
- This game was a poor loss and a sad thing to watch. The only thing that happened to keep people on their feet later in the game was a mass of balloons floating out on the field. It was a little enlightening to watch the Eagles, Monarchs, and referees chase the balloons before a ref finally grabbed them and ran them to the sideline.
- Old Dominion now leads the series against the Golden Eagles 2-1, with a 2-game win streak from 2016 to 2023.
- Attendance at M.M. Roberts Stadium: 23,011
How My Predictions Lined Up to the Final Result:
- Alcorn State
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Won
- @ Florida State
- My Prediction: USM Loses
- Final Result: USM Lost
- Tulane
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Lost
- @ Arkansas State
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Lost
- Texas State
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Lost
- Old Dominion
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Lost
- @ South Alabama
- My Prediction: USM Loses
- Final Result: USM Lost
- @ Appalachian State
- My Prediction: USM Loses
- Final Result: USM Lost
- Louisiana-Monroe
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Won
- @ Louisiana
- My Prediction: USM Wins
- Final Result: USM Won
- @ Mississippi State
- My Prediction: USM Loses
- Final Result: USM Lost
- Troy
- My Prediction: USM Loses
- Final Result: USM Lost
My Prediction: 7-5 (5-3 SBC)
Final Result: 3-6 (2-6 SBC)
Postseason News from Hattiesburg
Here are a few of the significant things that have happened at Southern Miss since the season ended:
- Frank Gore Jr. Announces He Will Head For the NFL Draft
- USM Signs BIG Mississippi High School talent in MRA quarterback John White and Hartfield linebacker Chris Jones
- Chip Long, former Louisville Quality Control coach and Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator, has been hired as the next USM Offensive Coordinator.
- USM 2024 Matchup at Ohio State was canceled and switched with Kentucky
When Southern Miss’s full 2024 schedule is released, I will release a full article detailing the schedule and my prediction. I will also do the same for Mississippi State and Ole Miss.