Southern Miss welcomes ULM for their homecoming game
Southern Miss welcomes ULM for their homecoming game after a road trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, to face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Southern Miss came out on top 22-10 and improved their record to 5-2 and are currently 3-0 in Sun Belt play.
ULM, on the other hand, welcomed Troy in and fell 37-14. ULM has now lost three straight games and has moved to 3-4 overall, with a 1-2 record in conference play. ULM’s star running back Braylon McReynolds had one carry for one yard against Troy after being listed on the injury report with an undisclosed injury.
Southern Miss and ULM have not played each other many times. Southern Miss leads the series 6-3. ULM won their meeting in 2024 by the score of 38-21.
ULM
ULM has not been consistent this season. After their 73-0 defeat against Alabama, ULM went on to win two in a row. Things seemed to be looking up after defeating UTEP and Arkansas State, but since then, ULM has lost three games in a row.
Defensively, ULM has been fine. Outside of the Alabama game, ULM has been very competitive in each of its games. The scores do not represent what the defense has truly done. D’Arco Perkins-McAllister is a phenomenal athlete and to this point has shown that he is one of the best defensive backs in the Sun Belt Conference.
Offensively, there has been some spark. Braylon McReynolds has been one of the top running backs in the Sun Belt. The South Alabama Transfer has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and his absence from the field is a huge issue. While ULM has a very deep running back room, McReynolds has really separated himself as running back one. The biggest issue with the offense has been turnovers under pressure. When their backs are against the wall, the offense becomes a turnover machine. Turnovers in the second half against Troy inflated the score due to Troy getting so many short field situations.
Another issue for ULM is special teams. There seems to be minimal trust in the kicking room. Luke Stagg has made two of his four field goal attempts with a long of 44 yards. There have been many opportunities to kick a field goal, but the offense has remained on the field, suffering quite a few turnovers on downs.
For ULM to be able to bounce back and pull out a few more wins in the back half of the season, trust in the kicking game and taking care of the football are key. If things do not change, a season that had high hopes could turn into a waste.
Southern Miss
Southern Miss has won three games in a row. They are now 3-0 in conference play and sit tied with Troy for first place in the Sun Belt West. This Southern Miss team has the potential to win the Sun Belt Championship behind quarterback Braylon Braxton.
Braylon Braxton has been fantastic this season. Coming off of a great season as the starting quarterback at Marshall in 2024, Braxton has not taken his foot off of the pedal in 2025. He has completed 65.9% of his passes for 1,710 yards with 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He is also a threat on the ground as he has 64 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Jeffery Pittman has been the hammer of the offense. On the season Pittman has 95 carries for 419 yards with six touchdowns. Former Ole Miss wide receiver Micah Davis has 18 receptions for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns. The offense has been a good strength for this team. The offensive line has protected their quarterback, only allowing just eight sacks in seven games.
Defensively, Southern Miss has had a great season. Their biggest issue as of late has been second half adjustments. Most of the points that they have allowed has happened in the third quarter. This defense thrives on pressure. On the season, they have recorded 22 sacks, 39 passes defended with 13 interceptions and two touchdowns. They have also forced four fumbles with three recoveries. Southern Miss ranks third nationally in takeaways, first in the Sun Belt.
Special teams have been commendable. They have converted all of their extra point attempts and have made 66.7% of their field goal attempts.
The way that Southern Miss is able to get to the quarterback and force turnovers, this has the makings to be a tough game for ULM. While ULM has the talent to compete, unless change takes place, Southern Miss could run away with this game.
ULM at Southern Miss
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Southern Miss Radio Network
Click here for information on tickets.
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