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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