queen9play Analysis: Mississippi native runs all over struggling Southern Miss. Is this the bottom?
A trip to Monroe extended Southern Miss’ losing streak to four and left the Golden Eagles still in search for their first win over an FBS program.queen9play
ULM (5-1, 3-0) pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 38-21 win over USM (1-5, 0-2), delivering the Golden Eagles their first ever loss at Malone Stadium.
ULM’s true freshman running back Ahmad Hardy tallied 174 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns to lead the Warhawks. Hardy is a Monticello native — located just an hour from Hattiesburg — who did not receive an offer from USM out of Lawrence County High School.
He broke four tackles during a first quarter 34-yard touchdown run, broke another 27-yard run later in the half, took a pass out of the backfield 53 yards in the third and iced the game with a 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Ethan Crawford started at quarterback for USM for the first time this season, but the sophomore failed to lead the Eagles offense into the end zone until a Kenyon Clay score with 22 seconds left in the game. The only other touchdown for coach Will Hall’s team came on special teams, when Braxton Myers returned a blocked field goal 69 yards in the third quarter.
Four penalties (10 team total), two turnovers and an abysmal 1-12 showing on third down prevented the Eagles from establishing any rhythm against the Sun Belt’s No. 2 scoring defense.
Southern Miss has converted just one third down each in of its last four games and return home next week last nationally with just 11 third down conversions on the year.
How low can they go?Southern Miss has recently reached a new level of struggle. Not only are its own weaknesses growing worse, but it’s finding ways to turn its opponents’ failures into successes.
A week after allowing a Louisiana team to record five sacks after starting the season with none through four games, the Golden Eagles allowed the SBC’s second-worst third down-converting team to convert on seven of 14 such tries.
The only team in the league worse? Southern Miss. In fact, the Eagles are now 134th (last) nationally with just 11 third downs converted. Hall and offensive coordinator Chip Long have failed to convert a single second-half third down against an FBS team in 18 tries.
That has led to the second-fewest first downs converted by any FBS team and the lowest scoring output of any SBC team.
Not even a swap at quarterback from the experienced, pocket-commanding Tate Rodemaker to the athletic, cannon-armed Crawford made a difference.
USM’s 16.7-point scoring average would be worse than 2021’s revolving door of quarterbacks, lower than the 2012 winless season and the fewest since 1990 — a team that actually won eight games.
The Golden Eagles will continue their quest for something more tangible than a moral victory when it hosts Arkansas State on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.queen9play