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By Andy Baeuerle
Searching for their first win of the 2022 Season, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team traveled to Miami, FL, to take on the nationally ranked #15 Miami Hurricanes for the first time in history. Miami is actually the hometown of USM Running Back Frank Gore, Jr., and his father played for the Miami Hurricanes in the 2001*, 2003, and 2004 seasons.
USM sophomore QB Ty Keyes was injured in the season opener against Liberty, leading Coach Hall to put a new face on the field. That new face, freshman QB Zach Wilcke from Hernando, MS. While many reporters of the game were skeptical of a freshman Sun Belt Conference QB against an Atlantic Coast Conference Defense, Wilcke ended up with over 200 passing yards in the game.
The game was scoreless until USM held Miami back and forced them to kick a field goal with 1:42 left in the 1st Quarter. USM quickly responded with a touchdown in the first minute and a half of the 2nd Quarter. Miami would stay down 7-3 until the last 20 seconds of the half, coming into halftime leading 10-7.
Something must’ve happened in that locker room during halftime because the Hurricanes came out swinging, totaling 20 more points, holding USM to only 5 first downs, and keeping the Eagles from scoring, all in the 2nd half of the game. Miami ultimately came out on top of the Golden Eagles 30-7. On the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network Postgame Show with John Cox, Coach Hall stated the fact that “We are done with moral victories. We have players that have talent. We need to be winning ball games. And we are getting there. We get closer every week.”
Next week, USM returns home to The Rock to face off against the Northwestern State Demons as the Eagles search for their first win of the 2022 Football Season. In the new AP Top 25, Miami has been moved up to #13, and will travel to College Station, TX, to face off against #24 Texas A&M.
Here are some stats from Saturday Night’s matchup between the Miami Hurricanes and the USM Golden Eagles:
- Game Yardage
- USM
- Total Yards: 240 Yards
- Passing Yards: 207 Yards (Zach Wilckes led the passing game with all 207 yards)
- USM
- Rushing Yards: 33 Yards (Zach Wilckes also led the running game with 12 carries for 29 yards)
- Miami
- Total Yards: 452 Yards
- Passing Yards: 278 Yards (Tyler Van Dyke led the passing game with 268 yards)
- Rushing Yards: 174 Yards (Henry Parrish, Jr. led the running game with 23 carries for 109 yards)
- Turnovers
- USM
- Fumbles Lost: 2
- Interceptions Thrown: 1
- Miami
- Fumbles Lost: 0
- Interceptions Thrown: 1
- Defense
- USM
- Malik Shorts led the USM Defense with 13 total tackles on the field Saturday.
- USM had a total of 74 tackles, 4 sacks, and 8 tackles for loss.
- Miami
- Corey Flagg, Jr. led the Hurricanes’ Defense with 6 total tackles.
- Miami had a total of 44 tackles, 3 sacks, and 7 tackles for loss.
- USM
- USM
And finally, here are some scores from other MS Teams:
(Scores are listed respectively, if a team is listed first, the score is first too)
- #22 Ole Miss vs. Central Arkansas: 59-3
- Mississippi State @ Arizona: 39-17
- Alcorn State @ Tulane: 0-52
- Jackson State @ Tennessee State: 16-3
- MS Valley State @ Austin Peay: 0-41
- Delta State @ McKendree: 58-34
- Mississippi College vs. Keiser: 26-8
*Frank Gore, Sr. injured his ACL and did not play in the 2002 College Football Season.
MageeNews.com is an online news source serving Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi.
