From the desk of the "Old Lefty" himself Jack Duggan....
Southern Miss Postgame Notes
at Liberty
Williams Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
Oct. 24, 2020
Southern Miss Postgame Notes
at Liberty
Williams Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
General Notes
Captains – No. 6 Tate Whatley, No. 18 Natrone Brooks, No. 46 Averie Habas, No. 70 Khalique Washington
Liberty won the toss and deferred until the second half and defended the south end zone
Attendance – 1,000 (COVID-19 capacity)
The Golden Eagles fell to 1-1 on the road this season and dropped its first-ever meeting with Liberty.
Tim Billings served as the acting coach for the contest, after interim coach Scotty Walden missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.
The 91 total points was the most combined by two teams in a Southern Miss game since a 106-point game when the Golden Eagles won 56-50 at Texas State (9/19/15).
Offensive Notes
The Golden Eagle scored a season-high 21 points in the third quarter.
The 94-yard drive for the Golden Eagles’ final score in the third quarter was the longest of the year for the squad.
Tate Whatley posted his fourth career start at quarterback and scored on the Golden Eagles’ opening drive with a 10-yard rush.
Whatley added three more rushing scores – from 16, 1 and 4 yards – to become the first Golden Eagle to rush for four scores since Jalen Richard did it against Old Dominion (11/21/15). Whatley now has seven career rushing TDs.
Brownlee registered his third-straight 100-yard game with 114 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown, including an acrobatic catch on the sideline for 29 yards in the first quarter leading the teams receiving corps. The Golden Eagles have had a 100-yard receiver in all five games this season.
Antoine Robinson recorded a season-high 39 yards with his three catches.
Right tackle Arvin Fletcher started in his 41st career game.
Frank Gore, Jr. led the Golden Eagles on the ground with 79 yards on 15 carries. The freshman has paced the team in rushing for the third time this season.
Defensive Notes
Santrell Latham forced his first fumble of the year and first of his career that Hayes Maples covered for the first of his career. The Golden Eagles went on to score off that turnover. Latham also added another sack in the fourth quarter, posting his first two of the year.
Southern Miss has now forced one turnover in every game this season.
The defense registered their season high for number of sacks with four.
Special Teams
The Golden Eagles returned their second pooch kick in as many games and scored after the kick.
Griffin Fleming average 37.2 yards over four punts including two inside Liberty’s 20.
Fleming completed his first pass on a fake punt for 13 yards, but came up short of the first down marker in the fourth quarter.
Southern Miss Postgame Notes
at Liberty
Williams Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
Oct. 24, 2020
Southern Miss Postgame Notes
at Liberty
Williams Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
General Notes
Captains – No. 6 Tate Whatley, No. 18 Natrone Brooks, No. 46 Averie Habas, No. 70 Khalique Washington
Liberty won the toss and deferred until the second half and defended the south end zone
Attendance – 1,000 (COVID-19 capacity)
The Golden Eagles fell to 1-1 on the road this season and dropped its first-ever meeting with Liberty.
Tim Billings served as the acting coach for the contest, after interim coach Scotty Walden missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.
The 91 total points was the most combined by two teams in a Southern Miss game since a 106-point game when the Golden Eagles won 56-50 at Texas State (9/19/15).
Offensive Notes
The Golden Eagle scored a season-high 21 points in the third quarter.
The 94-yard drive for the Golden Eagles’ final score in the third quarter was the longest of the year for the squad.
Tate Whatley posted his fourth career start at quarterback and scored on the Golden Eagles’ opening drive with a 10-yard rush.
Whatley added three more rushing scores – from 16, 1 and 4 yards – to become the first Golden Eagle to rush for four scores since Jalen Richard did it against Old Dominion (11/21/15). Whatley now has seven career rushing TDs.
Brownlee registered his third-straight 100-yard game with 114 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown, including an acrobatic catch on the sideline for 29 yards in the first quarter leading the teams receiving corps. The Golden Eagles have had a 100-yard receiver in all five games this season.
Antoine Robinson recorded a season-high 39 yards with his three catches.
Right tackle Arvin Fletcher started in his 41st career game.
Frank Gore, Jr. led the Golden Eagles on the ground with 79 yards on 15 carries. The freshman has paced the team in rushing for the third time this season.
Defensive Notes
Santrell Latham forced his first fumble of the year and first of his career that Hayes Maples covered for the first of his career. The Golden Eagles went on to score off that turnover. Latham also added another sack in the fourth quarter, posting his first two of the year.
Southern Miss has now forced one turnover in every game this season.
The defense registered their season high for number of sacks with four.
Special Teams
The Golden Eagles returned their second pooch kick in as many games and scored after the kick.
Griffin Fleming average 37.2 yards over four punts including two inside Liberty’s 20.
Fleming completed his first pass on a fake punt for 13 yards, but came up short of the first down marker in the fourth quarter.
