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Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
LOCATION Hattiesburg, Miss.
CONFERENCE Conference USA (East)
LAST SEASON 7-5 (.583)
CONFERENCE RECORD 5-3 (t-2nd)
OFF. STARTERS RETURNING 9
DEF. STARTERS RETURNING 6
NICKNAME Golden Eagles
COLORS Black & Gold
HOME FIELD M.M. Roberts Stadium (33,000)
COACH Jeff Bower (Southern Miss '75)
RECORD AT SCHOOL 103-72-1 (15 years)
CAREER RECORD 103-72-1 (15 years)
ASSISTANTS ? Randy Butler (Southern Miss '79),
Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends
? Jay Johnson (Northern Iowa '92),
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
? Jay Hopson (Mississippi '92),
Defensive Coordinator/Middle Linebackers
? Courtney Messingham (Northern Iowa '90),
Wide Receivers
? Derrick Nix (Southern Miss '02),
Running Backs
? Lytrel Pollard (Southern Miss '98),
Special Teams/Defensive Backs
? Mitch Rodrigue (Nicholls State '88),
Offensive Line
? Fred Tate (Southern Miss '96),
Outside Linebackers
? Bill Wilt (Eureka '77),
Defensive Line
TEAM WINS (last five yrs.) 6-7-9-7-7
FINAL RANK (last five yrs.) 61-71-29-50-83
2005 FINISH Beat Arkansas State in New Orleans Bowl.
2006 Schedule | 2005 Results | 2005 Statistics

COACH AND PROGRAM

For many Division I-A programs, a 7-5 finish, a 12th consecutive winning season and a bowl berth for the eighth time in nine seasons would be considered a positive season. By Southern Miss' standards, it was something of a disappointment, especially when the Golden Eagles failed to win the Conference USA Eastern Division title.

That disappointment begs perspective, though. A season that began with such high expectations ran into several unexpected obstacles, starting with the Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29. Less than a month later, Hurricane Rita brought more problems for the Golden Eagles, especially those players with families forced to evacuate southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

For the second consecutive season, hurricanes also forced awkward schedule changes. This time, the Golden Eagles were forced to play four consecutive road games and three games in 12 days. They also played games on four different days of the week, including their first-ever Sunday game.

"That was the toughest year I have ever had in coaching," Bower said. "It was tough because of the two games that were cancelled and the effect that Hurricane Katrina had on all of our players. There was no routine to the season whatsoever.

"I've never been through a tougher year where the biggest challenge was to try and keep the players mentally fresh with everything that we were dealing with. We were just a mentally, mentally tired football team after the Marshall game."

Still, the Golden Eagles remained competitive and bounced back from three losses by a combined total of nine points in a four-game span by winning their last two games, including a 31-19 victory over Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl.

"[We] became a closer football team," Bower said. "Our players learned a lot from last year and there are a lot of things that we did learn that will help us be a better football team."

A better football team, with 17 returning starters and 48 returning letter winners, should be able to win the East Division, and that's exactly what the Golden Eagles plan to do in 2006.

"I think we can compete for a championship, I really do," Bower said. "I really believe we have every opportunity to win a championship. A lot of factors have to go into that, but I like the leadership coming up in our senior class and I think we've got a chance."

For Southern Miss to reach its goal, it must address several areas of concerns and answer some of its most critical questions.

"We've got to build more depth on both sides of the ball," Bower said. "We had too many injuries and not enough depth last year to be as competitive as I would like to be.

"We need to find a new quarterback but we also need to become more dominant on the defensive line and do a better job of running the ball. That's still our philosophy. I want to be good on defense, kick the ball well and run the football, and we're working toward that."

The final stats say the Golden Eagles finished among C-USA's top teams in scoring defense and scoring offense, but the factors missing from those equations must be restored this season.

"We didn't do it like I'd like to, but at the same time we were No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 2 in scoring offense. Bottom line is those things are important," Bower said. "We've just got to get our defense off the field faster. We let them stay on the field too long. We made some improvement from a scoring standpoint on offense, but at the same time we've got to be able to stay on the field longer and help our defense out."

One thing that should help Southern Miss is coaching continuity on both sides of the ball. The Golden Eagles did lose defensive ends coach Ron McCrone to UAB and replaced him with Bill Wilt, but, even more important, they retained both coordinators, offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and defensive coordinator Jay Hopson, after experiencing changes in both positions after the 2004 season.

"With our staff being together for a year and going through a season, it made a difference in the spring," Johnson said. "It just felt like we were much further along and had a better grasp of where we were going and what we were trying to accomplish."

Now an offense with nine returning starters must set its sights on becoming a better running team after finishing 11th in C-USA with 111 yards per game in 2005. The Golden Eagles ran the ball effectively in the last two games of the season, but those performances came against Tulane and Arkansas State, and they'll have to be a lot better a lot earlier this season against a rugged schedule.

"I hope it's a hint of things to come," Johnson said of 2005's late-season success. "If we can run the ball successfully, it opens up a lot of things for us. With our style of football, it's so important for us to be able to run the ball. But every year you have new players involved and your offense takes on a different personality because of those new players being involved and it evolves over the course of the season. But we want to be a physical football team and run the football, and we're going to do everything we can to get that accomplished.

"I would hope with a veteran group of offensive linemen and the return of Cody Hull and Larry Thomas that we can come out and be a lot more productive in the running game."

A defense that returns six starters and several experienced backups must also do a better job in the running game after allowing 159 rushing yards and 394 total yards per game. Southern Miss also struggled to get off the field at times, allowing 256 opponent first downs (11th in C-USA).

"This is the defense that led Conference USA in scoring defense, led Conference USA in sacks and turnovers per game," Hopson said. "I'm not going to bash a unit that created 18 more turnovers and gave up 45 less points than the year before. They showed a lot of improvement despite some heavy losses to graduation and injuries.

"I talked to the kids and told them 'hey, three out of four major categories, you led Conference USA and that's something we didn't do the previous year in '04.'

"Now what we want to do is get a little better. We want to limit some of our yardage totals. But on the whole our defense made vast improvement last year and there are a lot of positives to build on. This defense went out in the spring and made a lot of improvement, so we've got a chance to be dominant if we put it all together and stay healthy."

QUARTERBACKS

The loss of three-year starting quarterbacks Dustin Almond left the Golden Eagles with big playmaking, experience and leadership holes to fill.

Junior Jeremy Young (6-3, 210), junior Stephen Reaves (6-1, 206) and redshirt freshman Travis Clark spent the spring competing for the job. By the time it was over, Young had established himself as the clear No. 1 with his ability to throw and run.

"In this day and age you've got to have a guy who can make plays," Johnson said, "and when opportunity presents itself are you putting our offense, yourself, a receiver, a running back or a tight end in position to make a play.

"The guy who can do that more consistently than the others, and one that doesn't hurt you with a turnover or a poor decision, that's the guy we're looking for. We don't want him to have to do it all on his own, but yet we want him to put the other 10 players he's surrounded by in great position to play at their best."

For all of his abilities, Young brings little actual game experience to the position, throwing all of nine passes in 2005.

"Jeremy Young had a good spring, did a lot of good things and gives us a little extra dimension as a runner so he's our starter for now," Bower said. "But we can't afford to put a lot of pressure on our quarterback early on. He's obviously going to have to play well enough for us to win games, but the surrounding cast has really got to be very supportive so we don't have to put too much on him and rely on him to win ballgames until he's got more game experience."

Reaves, a Michigan State transfer, was never completely healthy in the spring after returning from the knee injury he suffered last fall, but the coaches remain convinced he can push Young for the job in August. He'll have to be ready, and so will redshirt freshman Michael Burks (6-2, 185) after Clark decided late in the spring to transfer.

RUNNING BACKS

Junior Larry Thomas (6-0, 197) opened the 2005 season as the starting running back and started the first 10 games there before junior Cody Hull (5-11, 195) took over for the final two games. Thomas finished as the team's leading rusher, with 167 carries for 647 yards and four touchdowns, but it was Hull who finally added some much-needed punch by rushing for 85 yards against Tulane and then gouging Arkansas State for 161 yards, his first 100-yard performance, on 37 carries.

The coaches would like to think Hull's performance is a sign of things to come.

"I hope so. We need him to pick up where he left off," Bower said. "He really came on late and played well for us, but he still needs to show he can sustain that. You've got to do it over the long haul to prove it. We'll see, because we get tested right out of the gate without a doubt."

If the spring provided any indication, Thomas isn't ready to give up the starting job without a fight.

"Larry's really made progress, not only in running the ball, but receiving and pass protection," Bower said. "And he's been a lot more consistent with his execution. They're both going to get a lot of playing time."

The competition between Hill and Thomas seemed to bring out the best in both backs in the spring.

"Always, if you could get one guy to establish themselves, that would be great," Johnson said. "No matter what happens, even if one comes to the forefront, you're going to have to rely on two, three or four of those guys.

"We've tried to tweak some things in the run game, which I think they've responded well to."

The coaches now want Hull and Thomas to become better receivers and pass blockers. The Golden Eagles will also need depth from oft-injured sophomores C.J. Barrows (6-1, 201) and former walk-on javelin thrower Conrad Chanove (5-9, 185).

The fullback position should be a strength for the Golden Eagles after the season-long improvement of senior Bobby Weakley (5-10, 241) and the late-season emergence of sophomore Cole Mason (6-2, 232). Both players will spend most of their time blocking but have proven to be effective ball carriers. Like the running backs, they must now become better receivers.

"Bobby had a great spring and has separated himself," running backs coach Derrick Nix said. "He has improved his blocking and running after contact. Cole has a lot of ability. He is going to be a fine player, but needs to continue to get repetitions until our offense becomes second nature."

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

When injuries took their toll on Southern Miss' most experienced receivers last fall, it also opened the door for several younger players to make an impact.

"We got banged up there and lost some of our best players, but at the same time we had some guys like Josh Barnes really step up and do a good job," Johnson said. "We had to play a lot of young receivers and we're hoping that bodes well for this season now that they have some experience."

Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, the spring didn't do much to improve the outlook at receiver. Dropped passes became a bad habit, especially for two juniors who missed a lot of playing time because of injuries in 2005, Chris Johnson (6-0, 172) and Tavarres Williams (6-0, 182).

While seniors Damion Carter (6-2, 193), Anthony Perine (5-11, 174) and Barnes (5-10, 191) continued to compete for playing time in the spring, no receiver made more progress than sophomore Joe Singleton (6-3, 195), who caught seven passes in two scrimmages in the spring and turned them into 150 yards and four touchdowns.

"His ball skills are unbelievable, along with his hand-eye coordination," receivers coach Courtney Messingham said. "He has the best hands on the team and can catch anything. He will be an excellent player for us."

The team's most dangerous receiver is actually sophomore tight end Shawn Nelson (6-5, 225), who finished strong in 2005 with five receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown against Tulane and six catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns on his way to MVP honors in the New Orleans Bowl.

"Shawn came in last year and really did some good things and really came on at the end of the year," Johnson said. "He's very athletic and he's got a bright future ahead of him, but he's got to continue to learn the game and improve mentally. He also needs to improve as a blocker, but as a playmaker and receiver he gives us another dimension."

The best part is that Nelson isn't as good as he can be, and he continued to improve in the spring.

"He keeps getting better," Bower said. "He had a good spring for us and when you've got one that's that athletic, we've got to continue to find ways to get him the ball. We want to move him around and do some different things with him."

If something happens to Nelson, the drop-off will be significant. Backup Jonathan Palmer (6-3, 248) is a solid senior, but he's primarily a blocker with one career reception.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Golden Eagles knew they could count on their four returning offensive line starters, but the best news of the spring came with the development of two young players.

The line will be solid in the middle with the return of three senior all-conference candidates, right guard George Batiste (6-5, 309), center Robby D'Angelo (6-1, 277) and left guard Travis Cooley (6-2, 285). At left tackle, talented junior Chris Clark (6-4, 280) continues to grow into his potential.

"We've got a really solid group," Johnson said. "Chris Clark was still relatively young last year as a first-year starter, but he's very athletic and he's going to be really good for us. Travis Cooley has been sort of a mainstay for us the last couple of years. He's very consistent and we expect him to have another solid year.

"The most important spot is center, and we've got Robby D'Angelo coming back. He was banged up a little bit in the spring but he's got some experience under his belt and he's the kind of guy who will continue to improve.

"Our most experienced lineman is George Batiste. He's a guy who loves to play the game. He's a very physical player who plays hard and has a passion for the game. He's the leader of our group and we expect big things out of him as a senior."

That leaves one starting job and several backup roles to be filled by younger players. The starting spot at right tackle went to sophomore Ryan McKee (6-5, 265) after an impressive spring.

"Ryan played sparingly as a true freshman last year and he's still young, but he's a big athletic kid and I really expect him to do nothing but improve," Johnson said. "He did a lot of positive things in the spring."

One of the key backup roles went to sophomore Wesley Housley (6-2, 283). With Cooley sidelined by an injury in the spring, Housley spent the spring making a positive impression and can play either guard or tackle. Beyond Housley, though, the Golden Eagles still have concerns about their depth, and the coaches are looking for dramatic improvement in the preseason from junior guard Jonathan Landor (6-3, 270), redshirt freshmen tackles Ryan Hebert (6-6, 305) and Jacquine Wrice (6-5, 277) and junior center Rick Thompson (6-0, 281).

"I feel good about our starting unit but I'm a little concerned about our depth," Bower said. "When you have those great years, you've got to stay healthy and we've got to stay healthy, but at the same time we can't depend on staying healthy, so we've got to continue to build depth."

KICKERS

No C-USA team will put more faith in their kicker this season than Southern Miss, thanks to senior Darren McCaleb (5-11, 165), a two-time All-American and the school's all-time scoring leader. McCaleb made 23-of-28 field goals last season and could be even better after working hard on his leg strength and adding some distance in the offseason.

"Darren has the confidence when he goes on the field that he can make any kick," special teams coordinator Lytrell Pollard said. "He has worked hard to increase his range and knows he has to perform under pressure. He has been a very good kicker for us during his career and he needs to finish his career the same way."

Behind McCaleb is Britt Barefoot (6-0, 174), a talented sophomore who must work on his consistency.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line might not be as good as it has been in the past, but as far as Hopson is concerned it's a lot better than critics make it out to be.

"I'm tired of beating them up about it because of all the improvement they made in a lot of areas," Hopson said. "We led the conference in three of the four top defensive categories [turnovers, scoring, sacks]."

Despite the loss of three starters, the spring seemed to be a turning point for the line. Between the addition of Wilt, who is now coaching the entire line after the job was split between two coaches in '05, and the improvement of some talented young players, the line has the potential to be a strength this season.

"We want to bring back the tradition of the defense," senior bandit end Shadler Manning told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. "We want to dominate."

Manning (6-3, 251) definitely did his part, emerging as the team's most improved player in the spring after a previously enigmatic college career.

"He really picked it up and had a really good spring for us," Bower said. "He was our most improved defensive player, and if he continues to practice and play like he did in the spring, he'll have a big year for us."

Sophomore tackle Eric Phillips (6-7, 271) also rose through the ranks with a strong spring, and redshirt freshman tackle Mam Nyang (6-3, 260) made a positive impact before he earned a suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules. Hopson is also hoping for immediate help from the six defensive line signees in Southern Miss' 2006 recruiting class.

"We had guys like Shadler Manning and Eric Phillips and Mam Nyang step up for us and we signed six defensive linemen, so some of those guys will have to come in and be major contributors for us this fall," Hopson said. "Hopefully our signees will at least give us some depth. We've got to have some defensive tackles step up, whether they're new guys or returning guys."

For all that progress, more experienced linemen such as senior bandit end Matthew Chatelain (6-2, 245), junior bandit end Robert Henderson (6-3, 266), juniors ends Ken Griffith (6-3, 275) and Don Loehr (6-0, 227), junior nose tackle Ryan Watson (6-2, 271) and junior tackle Martavius Prince (6-3, 278) still hold down most of the top spots on the depth chart entering preseason practice.

LINEBACKERS

Southern Miss lost its best defensive player and the 2005 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year when middle linebacker Kevis Coley completed his eligibility, but the Golden Eagles have plenty of reasons to think the linebackers will be a strength this fall.

Coley's position remains up for grabs between Mitch Craft (6-1, 244), a tough, smart sophomore, and junior Marcus Raines (6-3, 240), a talented junior college transfer who redshirted last fall.

"They've both got a lot of potential and they've got their own strengths that the other doesn't really possess," Hopson said, "but it's one of those battles where we need one of them to step up in the first week or so in August and show he's going to be the one we can depend on in the middle."

At strong-side linebacker, sophomore Gerald McRath (6-2, 212) was off to a strong start in last season's opener at Alabama when he suffered a broken leg that ended his season. Junior James Denley (6-2, 223) stepped into the starting lineup for the rest of the season and his experience, along with McRath's talent and spring performance, gives the Golden Eagles strong competition on the strong side.

At weak-side linebacker, sophomore Tokumbo Abanikanda (6-2, 200) spent the spring moving ahead of senior Wayne Hardy (6-0, 223) and shows all the potential to the next in a long line of outstanding Southern Miss linebackers.

"He's not as big as we'd like," Bower said, "but he's got a motor and he can run. He's a smart player and I think he'll be ready to have a big year for us."

Those six players comprise Southern Miss' deepest area.

"This group is a little young still, so it's hard to tell right now," Hopson said. "But I'll tell you I've really been impressed with some of these guys. I've really been impressed with Tokumbo Abanikanda. He's a kid who can be a really great player for us. Gerald McRath is one who shows a lot of leadership and he's a really intelligent player.

"If we can get Mitch Craft or Marcus Raines or James Denley or Wayne Hardy to step up, this could be a real solid linebacker corps. If they all stay healthy, the depth will be light years better than it was a year ago."

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The loss of all-conference defensive backs Trevis Coley and John Eubanks leaves two big holes in a secondary with plenty of questions to answer.

Senior cornerback Caleb Hendrix (5-10, 185) has all the talent to be one of the primary answers, but he's spent most of the last two seasons, as well as the spring, limited by hamstring problems. The only plus regarding Hendrix' injury is that sophomore Cornelius McGee (5-10, 165) saw a lot more practice reps in the spring.

"Caleb's injury problems have been really frustrating because he's really a good player, and we need to get him well," Bower said. "We didn't try to push him in the spring, because we know what he can do. We've just got to get him healthy."

Hendrix is the closest thing the Golden Eagles have to a proven cornerback, although seniors Howard Overby (5-10, 193), Jasper Faulk (5-10, 183) and sophomore Eddie Willingham (5-10, 172) both saw extended playing time in 2005. Sophomores Ed Morgan (5-9, 175) and Ivory Bradshaw (6-1, 189) moved from receiver to cornerback in the spring to add depth and competition.

"We've got some guys who have played there and worked there and we've probably got three or four other guys who I think have the ability," Bower said, "but we also have a lot of youth and inexperience."

At least the Golden Eagles are set at rover with the team's leading returning tackle, junior Brandon Sumrall (5-11, 185), a second-team all-conference selection after recording 88 stops and intercepting four passes on 2005.

Replacing Coley at free safety will be difficult, but junior LeVance Richmond (5-11, 193) stepped up in the spring and showed signs of being able to do the job. The lack of proven depth behind Sumrall and Richmond is a concern for the defense.

PUNTERS

Luke Johnson was a solid punter who kicked for distance and accuracy on his way to first-team All-Conference USA and All-America honors in 2005, so Barefoot has some big shoes to fill. The coaches have no doubt he has the leg power to get the job done, but he still has a lot to prove in terms of accuracy and consistency.

"Britt Barefoot has been working hard since the end of last year, because he knows the pressure is on him to perform," Pollard said. "He has a stronger leg than Luke but ... he needs to develop the mindset to be a good punter."

SPECIAL TEAMS

McCaleb gives Southern Miss a capable and consistent weapon on place-kicks and kickoffs, Barefoot has the potential to be a quality punter and senior Stephen Daigle (6-0, 221) returns as the deep snapper. Now the Golden Eagles must work on their return game.

Faulk finished the 2005 season as C-USA's fifth-best punt returner, but he averaged only 7.5 yards per return and the Golden Eagles spent the spring working on improving the entire punt return unit.

The loss of Eubanks, an All-America kickoff returner, opens up another job that could go to Faulk, as well as Tavarres Williams and Anthony Perine.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

There was a time when Southern Miss dominated C-USA, winning at least a share of three of the first four championships from 1996-99. Since then, Southern Miss has won only one championship, in 2003. The Golden Eagles continue to finish with winning records and bowl berths, but Bower insists the program is capable of more.

Part of the problem is the rising parity in college football and the improvement of several C-USA programs, both the ones that left for the Big East and the Mountain West as well as the ones that joined the conference last year.

Grading the Golden Eagles
Unit
Grade
Offense
B-
Special teams
B
Defense
B
Intangibles
B+
"When you look at other programs around the country, who is dominant?" Bower said. "I guess you could bring up Southern Cal and Texas, but look at Nebraska. They're going through a tough cycle. Penn State went through one. So did Florida State and Florida. Tennessee had a tough time last year. So did Oklahoma. Miami is another one that hasn't been as dominant the last two years.

"There are just too many good teams out there for someone to dominate year-in, year-out. There might be a team or two that could do that, but look at some of these other teams that used to win championships every year. It's just hard to do that anymore."

Still, Bower thinks the Golden Eagles will be better in 2006.

"I think we're going to be competitive again, but there's some things we've got to fix and get better at, plus we've got to find a new quarterback," Bower said. "I don't know that we're, in all honestly, as dominant as we used to be in the last few years, and we're working to get back to that."

It's even more difficult when Southern Miss continues to play some of the nation's most challenging schedules year after year. This year's schedule includes an opener at Florida, a home game against NC State and a road game at Virginia Tech. Add consecutive C-USA road games at last year's conference division winners, UCF and Tulsa, and Southern Miss plays the toughest overall schedule in C-USA.

"It's tough, real tough. It might be the toughest nonconference schedule we've ever played," Bower said. "We've got to find a way to get off to a good start."

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07-18-2006 08:52 AM
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Thanks for posting that. I was going to PM you if you hadn't already. 04-rock
07-18-2006 11:47 AM
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For all of us Golden Eagles who don't have Insider ... thanks.
07-19-2006 08:06 PM
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