Southern Miss Flies Past Jackson State

Charles Huff earned his first win in Hattiesburg as Braylon Braxton’s three touchdowns led Southern Miss to a 38-20 victory over Jackson State.

The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start, blocking a punt after Jackson State’s first drive of the game. Marshall transfer defensive back Ahmere Foster blocked the punt, and true freshman Zach Ruffin would return it 30 yards for the touchdown.

Special teams continued to set the tone as Southern Miss got their hand on another punt the very next drive. This set up the offense in Jackson State territory, but they couldn’t convert as kicker Reed Harradine missed a 45-yard field goal.

After conceding a field goal, Braxton found Bralon Brown for a touchdown to cap off a 12-play, 87-yard drive to end the first quarter up 14-3.

The Tigers cut into the lead early in the second quarter as running back Emari Matthews scored less than two minutes into the quarter.

Harradine made up for his missed field goal by making a 35-yard field goal. However, Harradine would miss another one in the first half and the halftime score would be 17-10, in favor of Southern Miss.

Both teams struggled coming out of the break as punts were exchanged to start the third quarter. Southern Miss got on the board in the quarter, with Braxton finding receiver Micah Davis for a 15-yard touchdown. Davis ended the game with three receptions and 38 yards.

Southern Miss struck again early in the fourth quarter with another Braxton passing touchdown, this time to tight end Kadinn Morris.

After a field goal from Jackson State, Southern Miss running back Robert Briggs extended the lead to 25 with a 15-yard rushing touchdown. This run accounted for half of Briggs’ 30 total yards.

It’s a good night in Hattiesburg 🤫@robertbriggs55 pic.twitter.com/6QTD5WtX10

— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) September 7, 2025

Jackson State struck late in the game but the deficit was too large to overcome, with the game ending in a 38-20 victory for the Golden Eagles.

In his second start in Hattiesburg, Braxton would go 20-for-30 for 214 yards and three touchdowns. Braxton spread the ball around, finding nine different receivers.

The running game had much more success than last week with 139 yards. Jeffery Pittman was the leading rusher, going for 71 yards on 10 carries.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles were led by linebacker Michael Montgomery, who ended with eight total tackles. Foster, who blocked a punt earlier in the game, also grabbed an interception, along with freshman MaLik Caswell.

Feels good to wake up after a win 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/LtuVDza9pm

— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) September 7, 2025

Conference play starts next week for Southern Miss, as they welcome App State. The last time these two schools faced off was in 2023. The Mountaineers won that battle in Boone, 48-38.