Separated by less than 100 miles, Southern Miss and South Alabama had never met on the gridiron prior to Thursday night’s season opener in Hattiesburg.
Separated by less than 100 miles, Southern Miss and South Alabama had never met on the gridiron prior to Thursday night’s season opener in Hattiesburg.
- separated by less than 100- miles... southern miss and sout- alabama had never met on the- gridiron... prior to thursday - night's season opener in- hattiesburg.- and u-s-m's 100-plus years of - football tradition didn't - seem to help the golden eagles- all that much...- in their first-ever meeting - against the jaguars... who- opened up shop as recently as - 2009.
- let's head to the rock... - southern miss head football - coach - jay hopson masked up... a small- price to pay for the- return of college football in - the magnolia state.
- and if all these plays seem far- away... that's because they - are... media confined to the- north end zone due to covid - restrictions... and wouldn't yo- know it... all the action takin- place in the south end zone...- as the jaguars strike first...- desmond trotter to jalen- tolbert... the latter doing mos- of the work on this 73- - yard catch and run for the u-s-- touchdown... 6-nothing visitors- still in the first... we've got- a terrion avery sighting... the- stone and m-g-c-c-c alum with - the vision to plunge in for - another - jags touchdown... that makes it- - - - 13-zip in favor of u- s-a... al- smiles for the team in white.
- but u-s-m has a pulse... and- it's another local guy showing- up- big... as jack abraham fires- deep for biloxi alum tim- jones...- and he's got him... the former- indian gets it all the way down- to- the two-yard line... he had six- catches for 139 yards.- that sets it up for don - ragsdale... a powerful run as - he spins his way into the end - zone... touchdown - southern miss... cuts the - deficit to just 13-7.
- later in the half... this play- could've changed the- whole game... frank gore- junior... son of the n-f-l's- third - all-time leading rusher frank - gore senior... pitches it back- to abraham... and it's a- touchdown... or is it... eagles- think they've just taken the- lead... but officials say - gore's forward progress was - stopped... so the black and gol- would have to settle for a fiel- goal.
- and the momentum would never- swing back in favor of- southern miss... as national- champion quarterback out- of m-g-c-c-c chance lovertich..- throws his first- division i touchdown in the - fourth quarter to - kawann- baker... 52-yards on the house- call... and that was the back - breaker.- eagles keep it relatively - close... but not close enough..- as they fall 32-21 to the - jaguars.- here's news 25's jeff haeger...- with more from the rock.- - - - - aftera long summer of - wondering if or when college- football would even happen this- season... southern miss lined u- as the first f-b-s- versus f-b-s game of the entire- season... thursday at the - rock.
- as for what college football- would look like... well...- not very good for the golden- eagles.
- they couldn't run the ball all- night... and got burned by- several defensive miscues.
The- end result... was south alabama- - - - ending a 15-game road losing- streak at the expense of the- black and gold.
- "yeah, it's tough.
It's tough t lose any game, especially at th- rock.
Especially- to a team like that.
Which i do- think they were a good team.
At- the end of the day it - just comes down to us and i - don't think they really did - anything that was out of the- ordinary.
We just didn't play - the way we should have."
"it was a tough loss.
I came in here expecting to win.
I'm sure- we all did as a - team.
I mean you can't take any- team lightly.
Too many missed - executions on - offense, especially our coming- out the beginning of the game.- too many- penalties went up, so that will- hurt you in the long run."
"i feel like it was just the inner-person.
We really just- didn't believe in ourselves at- times.
We were getting down whe- we actually could've came back- and it was just - the inner-person."
"definitely just gave up way to many big plays there.
Give thos- guys credit.- those young men made plays, and- they definitely deserved it.- again, south alabama- deserved to win and they made - plays.
There's no if's, and's o- but's about it and- - - - we've got to learn from it and- get better."
Despite being a one-score game- for most of the night... silver- lining is hard to come by for a- team that trailed the jaguars - wire-to-wire... and had to- listen to chants of u-s-a for - most of - the second half.- the absence of recent opt-outs- like d'iberville alum jacques - turner... as well as racheem- boothe and jaylond adams... - really showed up when the golde- eagles needed a big play.
- u-s-m now has 16 days to digest- this deflating loss on the- national stage... before hostin- louisiana tech on the 19th.
- from hattiesburg, jeff haeger..- news 25 sports.
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