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By: Andy Baeuerle
One of the things that makes college football the great sport it is today is the rivalries. Whether in-state teams like Alabama and Auburn or cross country like USC and Notre Dame, rivalries make fans appear because of that “hatred” for the other team and the need to take that team down. Down in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles have their historic rivalries that have gained recognition throughout the years they have played.
I recently asked the Southern Miss fanbase on X (Twitter) what they thought were the Top 5 Southern Miss rivalries. I posted 20 of our most played opponents and voters chose from four polls to find the top 5 series that could be classified as rivalries. I had a lot of fun making the poll and researching the series you’ll see below, so here we go. Note that these are not ranked in any order.
- Battle for The Bell
- First played in 1979, the Green Wave and Golden Eagles have met on the field 33 times. With only 110 miles between Hattiesburg and New Orleans, this rivalry became one of the top games nationally when both teams were in Conference USA from 1996 to 2013, when Tulane left the conference. In the first meeting, on October 13, 1979, Tulane walked out of M.M. Roberts Stadium with a 20-19 win over USM. However, USM would return quickly to dominate the overall series 24-9.
- Most Recent Meeting
- 9/24/22: Southern Miss 27, Tulane 24 @ Tulane
- Next Meeting
- 9/16/22 @ Southern Miss
- Black and Blue Bowl
- Named for the beatings the two teams could give each other, as well as the teams’ colors, this rivalry features the Golden Eagles and the Memphis Tigers. Played since 1935, this has become a favorite among fans of both teams, as the schools are less than a day’s trip apart, and the traditions of both teams are very similar. Southern Miss currently leads the 88-year-old series 40-22-1.
- Most Recent Meeting
- 11/24/12: Southern Miss 24, Memphis 42 @ Memphis
- Next Meeting
- 9/18/27 @ Memphis
- Rivalry in Dixie
- Named for the region both teams are in, the Rivalry in Dixie sees Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech taking the field. These two schools are very similar, right down to the players. In the quarterback field, LA Tech has rolled out QBs such as Terry Bradshaw and Phil Robertson, while USM has produced Brett Favre and Nick Mullens. Both teams are historic teams and always set up an interesting matchup in the Conference USA West Division. Since the latest meeting, Southern Miss leads the series 36-17.
- Most Recent Meeting
- 11/19/21: Southern Miss 35, LA Tech 19 @ LA Tech
- Next Meeting
- 9/20/25 @ LA Tech
- Southern Miss vs. Louisiana
- Dating back to 1923, this series has been one of the most historic in Golden Eagle football history. It wasn’t until the 8th matchup between these two teams in 1932 that Southern Miss finally beat the Ragin’ Cajuns. From 1946 to 1983, USM also held a 17-game win streak. Following Southern Miss’s move to the Sun Belt, this game has become one of the top conference matchups. Southern Miss currently leads the series 40-11-1.
- Most Recent Meeting
- 10/27/22: Southern Miss 39, UL 24 @ Southern Miss
- Next Meeting
- 11/9/23 @ Louisiana
- Southern Miss vs. East Carolina
- In East Carolina’s most played series, these two teams share many qualities, mainly because they once ruled Conference USA and are historical football powerhouses. Despite the lopsided record in USM’s favor, it was always a fight on the field to see who would win. Southern Miss leads the overall series 27-12.
- Most Recent Matchup
- Southern Miss 14, ECU 55 @ ECU
- Next Matchup
- Since ECU moved to the American Athletic Conference, the future of this rivalry is unknown. Both fanbases hope for a series to be scheduled soon, as USM has scheduled other AAC teams such as USF, Memphis, and Tulane.
- Honorable Mentions (These won second place. USM’s record is in ())
- Poll 1: Troy (8-4)
- Poll 2: Ole Miss (6-18)
- Poll 3: Houston (9-5)
- Poll 4: MS State (14-15-1)
- Poll 5: South Alabama (0-3)
As a Southern Miss fan, researching all of these rivalries was fun. I am always looking forward to football season, but I get even more excited when I see we’ve got a rival on the schedule. Thank you to everyone who voted in the polls and helped get all these teams on here. I appreciate your help because fan input is way better than what I come up with. So thank you.
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