Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Conference USA
Southern Miss has had another great season and they will look to cap it off with a bowl victory. The Golden Eagles have reached double digit victories for the first time since Brett Favre was slinging the ball around in Hattiesburg. During his four years at Southern Miss, Coach Larry Fedora has led the Golden Eagles to four bowl games. But this is a better team than he has had in the past and that should lead to even more postseason success.
2011 Record: 11-2, 6-2
Last Bowl Appearance: 2010 Beef O’Brady Bowl vs. Louisville (L 28-31)
Big Wins: 9/24 at Virginia (30-24), 12/3 at Houston (49-28)
Bad Losses: 9/10 at Marshall (20-26), 11/17 at UAB (31-34)
Coach: Larry Fedora (33-19 at Southern Miss, 33-19 overall)
Bowl Record: 1-2 at Southern Miss, 1-2 overall
Offensive Coordinator: Blake Anderson
Defensive Coordinator: Dan Disch
Strengths:
The Golden Eagles offense is a little different than most in Conference USA. Austin Davis can throw the ball with the best of them, but this team tries very hard to get the ground attack moving. It has been that balance that makes it difficult for the opposition. A team cannot just try and stop Davis. And stopping Davis is not an easy task anyway. The senior signal caller is not the most efficient or prolific passer in the league, but he does usually make smart decisions and he can put up some big numbers. Ryan Balentine and Kelvin Bolden are Davis’ two favorite targets. Balentine is the more consistent receiver, while Bolden can stretch the defense by getting down field. The running game lacks a star, mostly due to injuries, but this unit has always done enough to supplemental the passing game. Jamal Woodyard has had a pretty good season and Kendrick Hardy is the best back on the team when he is healthy. Tracy Lampley and Jeremy Hester are available for certain situations as well. Lampley is a fine pass catcher and Coach Fedora will find ways to get the ball in his hands.
Weaknesses:
Considering all of the fine passing offenses in Conference USA, Southern Miss has done a pretty good job on the defensive end. By the numbers the passing defense is not very good, but by C-USA standards, it is not that bad. Part of the problem for the defense is actually stopping the run. The most points Southern Miss has given up all year was against Navy. The Midshipmen rarely put the ball in the air and had a pretty easy time getting big chunks of yardage against a Southern Miss squad that is not used to seeing the option. However, Southern Miss still won that game 63-35. It is hard to blame the defense for the turnover issues that this team has as they have done a pretty good job of picking off passes. This is not a team that will force many fumbles, but the defense will make the occasional big play. The turnover problems generally result on the other end of the field and the offense cannot afford to commit too many of them.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Jamal Woodyard, RB, 683 yards
Passing: Austin Davis, QB, 3,331 yards
Receiving: Ryan Balentine, WR, 742 yards
Tackles: Ronnie Thornton, LB, 104
Sacks: Cordarro Law, DE, 7.5
Interceptions: Deron Wilson, CB, 4
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 207.83 (24th in nation, 1st in conference)
Passing Offense: 261.92 (32, 4)
Total Offense: 469.75 (15, 2)
Scoring Offense: 36.92 (15, 2)
Rushing Defense: 117.42 (20, 2)
Pass Defense: 221.00 (55, 4)
Total Defense: 338.42 (26, 2)
Scoring Defense: 20.50 (25, 2)
Turnover Margin: -.08 (65, 5)
Sacks: 1.83 (66, 8)
Sacks Allowed: 1.25 (26, 1)
