USM working hard to get offense rolling

03/30/04
By KIM SHUGART
Sports Reporter

With the exception of the Liberty Bowl, the Southern Miss offense played well during the last half of the 2003 college football season, and the Golden Eagles want to build from that point this spring.

USM averaged 35 points and better than 380 yards total offense in its last six regular-season games on its way to the Conference USA championship.

The rhythm and confidence the offense developed during its winning streak disappeared against Utah when it failed to score and managed just 213 yards in a 17-0 loss in Memphis.

"The bowl game motivated us in winter workouts and it will help motivate us this spring," said quarterback Dustin Almond, who completed 121-of-251 passes for 1,877 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore.

"You don't like to end the season the way we did. We've worked hard in the offseason and we're going to be better."

Second-year offensive coordinator Rip Scherer thinks the offense will be better as well by the time the Golden Eagles open the 2004 season against Nebraska on Sept. 11

"I think a new system, whether it's offense or defense, makes its biggest improvement between the first and second year," said Scherer.

<a href='http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/sports/1080641874276710.xml' target='_blank'>MOBILE REGISTER: Southern Miss working to get offense rolling</a>

well hopefully the offence will get better.

This will be the second year under this offensive system so we should be much better. I do however feel that at some point that Damian Carter will take over for a couple of games at QB.