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By Andy Baeuerle
Well, week three has ended, and there were many surprises. We saw a Top-10 Alabama team struggle against South Florida, a team with only four wins in the last 3 years. Top-5 Florida State only beat unranked Boston College by two points. This week almost became another week of upsets, but the big boys saved themselves.
2023 Battle for the Bell
The Battle for the Bell is arguably Southern Miss’s greatest rivalry. Tracing all the way back to 1979 in Hattiesburg, where the Green Wave walked off with a 20-19 win over the Golden Eagles, it was clear that as close as these two schools are, there was sure to be a rivalry. From 1979 to 2006, the teams met every year at M.M. Roberts or the now Caesars Superdome to determine who had bragging rights as the better team. In 2009 and 2010, the two teams began playing as cross-divisional rivals in Conference USA. However, the rivalry was put on hold when Tulane left CUSA for the American Athletic Conference in 2014. At the time of the hiatus, Southern Miss held a 23-7 record over Tulane. But just 3 years later, a new series was announced between the teams. In 2020, USM and Tulane officially renewed the rivalry in the (January) 2020 Armed Forces Bowl, where the Green Wave took a 30-13 win.
Coming off of that tragic loss to Florida State in week 2, the Golden Eagles needed something to pick up their spirits, and a rivalry was the perfect solution. Tulane also had a powerful loss on their hands to Ole Miss in week 2, and Tulane lost their Top-25 ranking. Tulane came into this matchup boiling mad, and it’s clear it would prove a tough job for the Golden Eagles. The Tulane offense and defense were equal on both sides, holding USM back very well. However, the USM Nasty Bunch defense also had a great first half, keeping Tulane down to 7 points in the first half. But it was apparent coming out of halftime that Tulane had been ticked off. In the third quarter, the Green Wave ran the score up to 14-0 just before a Golden Eagle field goal to finally get the Golden Eagles on the board. But in the last few minutes of the third, Tulane hung another 7 on the board to make the 21-3 lead, and it was clear the game was over. Southern Miss was tired and unmotivated by the fourth quarter and couldn’t drum up any offensive plays to score, though the defense still held Tulane to no points. In a heated game for USM, Tulane left The Rock with a 21-3 win and the historic bell trophy. Despite this, Southern Miss still holds a 24-10 lead in the overall series.
Cowbells vs. Cajuns
The Mississippi State Bulldogs have seen fairly strong leadership under first-year head coach Zach Arnett. Winning their first two games, State came into the matchup against LSU with a chip on their shoulders. Mississippi State has a history of upsetting big teams, beating defending national champion LSU in Mike Leach’s first season, and Dan Mullen also led the Bulldogs to victory over the #12 Tigers in week 3 of 2017 as well. In 2022, Brian Kelly led the LSU Tigers to the SEC Championship and a 63-7 win over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl. Brian Kelly has done a great job with the Tigers in 2023 despite falling to Florida State in week 1.
Davis Wade Stadium has often been named one of the nation’s greatest gameday atmospheres. Country comedian Jerry Clower even once said that when he played at Mississippi State, the games were always when, and I quote, “them cowbells was a’ringin’.” But LSU is also used to intimidation because Death Valley also gets loud down in Baton Rouge. But no atmosphere was holding the Tigers back on Saturday. State’s offense was held back to only 7 points in the first half, while the Tigers hung up 24 points to make a 24-7 lead at halftime. LSU slowed down a tad bit, only putting up 17 more points, while the Bulldogs were able to score another touchdown in the third quarter. This wasn’t a happy game for the Bulldogs, but it’s all part of football. Especially when you play a Top-25 opponent. LSU leads the overall rivalry with MS State with a 75-36-3 record.
Other Scores from NCAA Football in Mississippi
- #17 Ole Miss 48, Georgia Tech 23
- Jackson State 34, Texas State 77
- Alcorn State 17, McNeese 3
- Delta State 35, MS Valley State 7
- Mississippi College 35, West Georgia 38
- Millsaps 21, Sewanee 27
Week 4 Mississippi NCAA Football Schedule
- Southern Miss @ Arkansas State, 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- MS State @ South Carolina, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
- #15 Ole Miss @ #13 Alabama, 2:30 PM, CBS
- Jackson State vs. Bethune Cookman, 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Alcorn State vs. Prairie View A&M, 6:00 PM
- MS Valley State @ NC Central, 2:00 PM
- Delta State vs. Shorter, 6:00 PM
- Mississippi College @ West Alabama, 6:00 PM
- Belhaven vs. Greensboro, 12:00 PM
- Millsaps vs. Hendrix College, 2:00 PM
Week 2 Mississippi NJCAA Scores
- Holmes 24, East Central 17
- Co-Lin 34, Mississippi Delta 7
- Coahoma 37, Southwest Mississippi 32
- Northeast Mississippi 19, Pearl River 3
- East Mississippi 47, Jones 23
- MS Gulf Coast 50, Itawamba 0
- Northwest Mississippi 19, Hinds 3
Week 3 Mississippi NJCAA Schedule
- Coahoma Tigers vs. MS Delta Trojans, 6:30 PM
- Itawamba Indians @ Northeast MS Tigers, 6:30 PM
- Hinds Eagles vs. East Central Warriors, 6:30 PM
- Holmes Bulldogs @ East MS Lions, 7:00 PM
- Southwest MS Bears vs. MS Gulf Coast Bulldogs, 7:00 PM
- Northwest MS Rangers vs. Pearl River Wildcats, 7:00 PM
- Co-Lin Wolves @ Jones Bobcats, 7:00 PM
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