Week 2 Preview: Southern Miss vs. Jackson State

Southern Miss and the Charles Huff era got off to a slow start, losing to in-state rival Mississippi State 34-17 in week one. The Golden Eagles will get a second chance to secure their first win in Hattiesburg, as Jackson State makes their way to town.

The Tigers are coming off a 28-14 win over Hampton in week one, and will look to continue building momentum

Southern Miss

The Golden Eagles hung in there for the first half and entered halftime only down three. However, the Bulldogs pulled away in the third quarter and never looked back.

In that second half, the offense sputtered, especially the rushing game. This was a point of emphasis for Coach Charles Huff in his weekly press conference. Quarterback Braylon Braxton was the leading rusher with just 58 yards. No one else would top 20 yards.

“Obviously we want to be able to run the ball a little bit. I mean, I think you have to run the ball effectively,” Huff said.

Coach Huff was pleased with some things he saw defensively, but mentions there is still room for improvement.

“I thought we probably missed some tackles,” said Huff. “I thought we did a good job of striking blocks. We need to tear off now and get free.”

Joshua Moten and Chris Jones led the Golden Eagles in total tackles against the Bulldogs, with 12 each. Linebacker Michael Montgomery also had an interception, the defense’s only forced turnover.

USM will need better execution on both sides of the ball as red-hot Jackson State makes its way to Hattiesburg.

Jackson State

Jackson State comes into this game off the heels of a 28-14 win over Hampton. This win extended their win streak to 11, with their last loss coming on September 21st, 2024 to Grambling State.

Running back Ahmad Miller leads a potent rushing attack for Jackson State, running for a career-high 172 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. Quarterback JaCobian Morgan will be looking to bounce back after struggling in week one. The redshirt senior went 15-for-30 for 143 yards and no touchdowns. Morgan also added 42 yards on the ground.

Defensively, the Tigers were hunting for the football, forcing four fumbles but only recovering two of them. Florida transfer Quincy Ivory had a big game last week with eight total tackles and two sacks. Star defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams did not see the field last week for JSU, but Southern Miss and Coach Huff will see him this weekend

Head Coach T.C. Taylor provided an update on why Williams didn’t play in week one, mentioning they wanted to give him rest for his leg.

“We sat him out, he’ll be good to go this week,” said Taylor.

Taylor also wants to see a much more disciplined team this week after the Tigers committed 10 penalties last week.

“When you got 10 penalties in a game, that’s unacceptable as a program,” Taylor said.

Jackson State at Southern Miss

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. EST (4 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WUSM-FM 88.5 locally (also on Varsity Network app)

For information on tickets, fans can visit southernmiss.com. Fans can also contact the ticket office via phone at (800) 844-TICK(8425) or (601) 266-5418, or via email at ticket.office@usm.edu.