Southern Miss Football Report…Oct. 8, 2017
Record 3-2, 1-1 C-USA
Last WeekW, 31-29,at UTSA (Alamodome/San Antonio, Texas/23,517)
This Week
Sat., Oct. 14 – vs. UTEP, 6 p.m. (M.M. Roberts Stadium/Hattiesburg, Miss./36,000/Stadium – Ron Thulin, play-by-play; Max Starks, analyst)
Offensive Player of the Week Nomination
Ito Smith, RB, 5-9, 193, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
Ito Smith ran for his third-straight 100-yard rushing game against UTSA to give him 19 for his career, finishing with 178 yards on 17 carries and a 10.5 per rush average. He helped break open the game with an 89-yard scoring run up the gut, which ranks as the longest rushing touchdown from scrimmage in school history. Smith moved into second place all-time in the school’s career rushing yards mark and he currently has 3,736 for his career, moving ahead of Ben Garry (1974-77/3,595) and Derrick Nix (1998-2000, 02/3,584). He added two catches for 12 yards. Smith now has two of the top 10 rushing performances by a Southern Miss senior. Smith has scored in each of his last four games.
Defensive Player of the Week Nomination
Curtis Mikell, DB, 5-9, 170, Sr., Bassfield, Miss.
Mikell registered seven tackles (six solo) and now has 19 of his season’s 23 stops over the last two games. He recorded his first interception of the season and third of his career, which turned the momentum of the game. Mikell intercepted the ball in the end zone, thwarting a potential UTSA touchdown. Instead of the Roadrunners expanding on their 14-7 lead, Mikell’s 61-yard interception return setup the Golden Eagles’ third-quarter go-ahead touchdown and Southern Miss never trailed again in the contest. Mikell also added a tackle for loss for four yards.
Special Teams Player of the Week Nomination
Briggs Bourgeois, K, 6-1, 177, Fr., St. Amant, La.
Bourgeois notched six kickoffs in the contest for a 64.8 yard average including five touchbacks, as the Roadrunners average starting possession began on their own 27. Over the last three games, Bourgeois has collected 13 of 16 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Notes• Southern Miss won its first-ever meeting against UTSA in the Alamodome with its 31-29 victory. It was the second of three games there decided by a pair of points.
• Keon Howard made his fourth career start of his career at quarterback and led the Golden Eagles to a four-play, 64-yard scoring drive on the Golden Eagles’ opening possession. The Golden Eagles scored on its opening possession for the third consecutive game. Howard finished with three TD passes, good for his first multi-touchdown passing game.• Jay’Shawn Washington, who tallied a 17-yard touchdown grab at UTSA last year, scored the game’s first TD on a 32-yard reception. It was his first scoring catch of the year and third of his career.• Both Howard and Allenzae Staggers had the longest rushes of their respective Golden Eagle careers in the first quarter with runs of 32 and 49 yards, respectively. In his first season, Staggers rushed three times for 39 yards.• Korey Robertson registered his team-best fifth touchdown reception, a 20-yard grab in the third quarter.• Quez Watkins records his longest reception of his Golden Eagle career with a 48-yard flea flicker from Howard late in the third quarter.• The Golden Eagles scored on three-straight plays in the second-half. That was the first time that they have done that since beating Louisiana Tech on Nov. 28, 2015. • Tarvarius Moore had a team-high and career-high 11 tackles, including one for loss.• Southern Miss recorded eight tackles for loss, second-most on the season, a week after having a season-high 13 versus North Texas. Paxton Schrimsher had two of those versus UTSA.• Parker Shaunfield improved his consecutive streak of extra points made to 82 by making four in the contest.
Record 3-2, 1-1 C-USA
Last WeekW, 31-29,at UTSA (Alamodome/San Antonio, Texas/23,517)
This Week
Sat., Oct. 14 – vs. UTEP, 6 p.m. (M.M. Roberts Stadium/Hattiesburg, Miss./36,000/Stadium – Ron Thulin, play-by-play; Max Starks, analyst)
Offensive Player of the Week Nomination
Ito Smith, RB, 5-9, 193, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
Ito Smith ran for his third-straight 100-yard rushing game against UTSA to give him 19 for his career, finishing with 178 yards on 17 carries and a 10.5 per rush average. He helped break open the game with an 89-yard scoring run up the gut, which ranks as the longest rushing touchdown from scrimmage in school history. Smith moved into second place all-time in the school’s career rushing yards mark and he currently has 3,736 for his career, moving ahead of Ben Garry (1974-77/3,595) and Derrick Nix (1998-2000, 02/3,584). He added two catches for 12 yards. Smith now has two of the top 10 rushing performances by a Southern Miss senior. Smith has scored in each of his last four games.
Defensive Player of the Week Nomination
Curtis Mikell, DB, 5-9, 170, Sr., Bassfield, Miss.
Mikell registered seven tackles (six solo) and now has 19 of his season’s 23 stops over the last two games. He recorded his first interception of the season and third of his career, which turned the momentum of the game. Mikell intercepted the ball in the end zone, thwarting a potential UTSA touchdown. Instead of the Roadrunners expanding on their 14-7 lead, Mikell’s 61-yard interception return setup the Golden Eagles’ third-quarter go-ahead touchdown and Southern Miss never trailed again in the contest. Mikell also added a tackle for loss for four yards.
Special Teams Player of the Week Nomination
Briggs Bourgeois, K, 6-1, 177, Fr., St. Amant, La.
Bourgeois notched six kickoffs in the contest for a 64.8 yard average including five touchbacks, as the Roadrunners average starting possession began on their own 27. Over the last three games, Bourgeois has collected 13 of 16 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Notes• Southern Miss won its first-ever meeting against UTSA in the Alamodome with its 31-29 victory. It was the second of three games there decided by a pair of points.
• Keon Howard made his fourth career start of his career at quarterback and led the Golden Eagles to a four-play, 64-yard scoring drive on the Golden Eagles’ opening possession. The Golden Eagles scored on its opening possession for the third consecutive game. Howard finished with three TD passes, good for his first multi-touchdown passing game.• Jay’Shawn Washington, who tallied a 17-yard touchdown grab at UTSA last year, scored the game’s first TD on a 32-yard reception. It was his first scoring catch of the year and third of his career.• Both Howard and Allenzae Staggers had the longest rushes of their respective Golden Eagle careers in the first quarter with runs of 32 and 49 yards, respectively. In his first season, Staggers rushed three times for 39 yards.• Korey Robertson registered his team-best fifth touchdown reception, a 20-yard grab in the third quarter.• Quez Watkins records his longest reception of his Golden Eagle career with a 48-yard flea flicker from Howard late in the third quarter.• The Golden Eagles scored on three-straight plays in the second-half. That was the first time that they have done that since beating Louisiana Tech on Nov. 28, 2015. • Tarvarius Moore had a team-high and career-high 11 tackles, including one for loss.• Southern Miss recorded eight tackles for loss, second-most on the season, a week after having a season-high 13 versus North Texas. Paxton Schrimsher had two of those versus UTSA.• Parker Shaunfield improved his consecutive streak of extra points made to 82 by making four in the contest.
