NCAA Football Southern Miss Football

Nothing like looking ahead a few years and trying to imagine what the college football landscape might be like. Toward that end Nebraska and Southern Mississippi have agreed to a three-game series. The teams will meet in 2012, 2013 and 2015(!).

The first game in the series will be played on Sept. 1, 2012, in Lincoln, and will mark the Huskers' season opener. The Huskers will travel to Southern Miss for a game on Sept. 7, 2013, with the final meeting in the three-game contract set for Sept. 5, 2015.

As a Husker fan, I like the addition of the Golden Eagles to our future non-conference slate. If nothing else, their presence hopefully signifies a move away from laughable schedules such as the Huskers' 2009 version, which includes a trio of Sun Belt Conference foes in Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Arkansas State (in addition to Virginia Tech). I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be the work of new athletic director Tom Osborne (pictured at right). Speaking of Dr. Tom, here is what he had to say about the games with USM:

"Southern Miss has an outstanding football program with a tradition of taking on top programs around the country," Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne said in a statement. "We had a competitive three-game series with them a few years back and this should be another challenging set of games for our football team against a good opponent."

Nebraska and Southern Miss have met three times before. The last meeting – a 21-17 Golden Eagle victory in Lincoln - is best remembered by Husker fans for Joe Dailey's inexplicable decision to scramble out-of-bounds as time expired.

Ah, the good old days.

Poor Southern Miss fans must have had a heart attack when the Clarion Ledger ran a piece titled "USM Notes: Terry Bowden Would Like To Coach," envisioning the squeaky dwarf late of ABC prowling the sidelines in Hattiesburg.

Fortunately for cardiologists near the Arkansas border, the contents of that article are mercifully unrelated to USM. See, Bowden wants to coach you, no matter who you are or what you play:

"All I would want to say is that I'm very interested in any program where I feel like I would be a good fit, where there was a need I could fill," Bowden said. "If that means a place that has never won seven games before, then I'd like to help them win seven games. If that means a place that has never won a championship before, then I'd like to help them a win a championship."

Have a football program? Of any sort whatsoever? Or, I guess, like volleyball or something? Whatever! Terry Bowden's your man.

He'd be perfect for the Unversity of Phoenix Phoenixes (We're From Pheonix! Or the Internet!), which is a fake team my friends and I made up that travels around the country getting its teeth kicked in by local rivals -- the University of Phoenix is everywhere and therefore local rivals with everyone -- for 500k a pop. Since winning is no object, Bowden would be perfect.

(HT: EDSBS.)

If we ever get an answer about whether the Southern Miss coach resigned or was fired, what I really want to know is why? Jeff Bower has long been considered one of D-IA's best coaches, making a winner out of an otherwise anonymous program and staying loyal for well over a decade of bowl appearances and competitive play.

Check out Google News right now, could there be a more contradictory coaching story out there right now?

Got that? Me either.

Southern Miss @ Boise State | 1st Half | 2nd Half

Boise State leads 28 to 10 over Southern Miss.

Be sure and read the first half live blog ... ESPN broadcasters love to dance. They just flashed video of Lou Holtz doing some crazy dance, then Rece Davis joining him. Earlier, Craig James was dancing all weird in the booth. Not to go all Peyton Manning on you guys, but "alright, now stop that. Seriously, stop."

Early conclusions: Craig James is high (maybe). Boise's remote. Southern Miss can't stop basic runs like "pitch left". Boise State has the highest per capita of shopping mall Santa's. I'm missing The Office and CSI.

Live Blog after the jump ...

Southern Miss @ Boise State | 1st Half | 2nd Half

I'm up against it. My job here tonight is to draw eyeballs and clicks to FanHouse while writing about this Thursday night matchup between two non-BCS powerhouses. It's going to be a good one, however ...

Now stick with me here but I have a hunch - just a hunch, mind you - that the majority of you reading this (or potentially reading this) are going to be glued to something else on TV tonight. Like ... The Office season premiere, maybe?

Yeah I want to know how the Jim/Pam/Karen thing resolves itself too. I'd also like to see CSI and what happens to the abducted Sara Sidle. I hope she lives, she reminds me of someone I know and that's just heartbreaking to know she might die. And then there's other distractions I could care less for but steal my readers like Grey's Anatomy, Survivor, Earl, ER and other franchises. Dare I mention a sanitized version of Killing Me Softly, Forrest Gump, The Untouchables, CSI reruns on Spike, Beerfest, Spies Like Us and Field of Dreams?

My boss here isn't down with me waving the white flag so let's make a deal. You watch your shows, but also have the laptop handy or be near a computer to keep tabs with us over here as I update you about tonight's game. Sound good? Good. Also: don't tell me what happens in The Office or CSI. DO NOT WANT. I'm watching the game for you, remember? I've got the TiVo set, but until the game is over I'm in the dark about any other events on TV tonight so let's keep it that way.

Live Blog starts at 7:30 Eastern ~ ~ ~ Vitals, TV Info and Pregame Notes after the jump ...

Not wanting to get left out of the excitement, Southern Miss announced that it will be upgrading its football stadium... to the tune of $31.8 million dollars. The expansion will include 3,700 seats, 34 suites, and 320 "club level seats". This comes as great news to Southern Miss alumni such as Brett Favre, The Sunday Morning Quarterback, and, of course, Jimmy Buffett.

The coaching staff at USM is excited about this decision and the direction it will take the program, which ranked 5th in Conference USA for attendance last year.

"I think it puts a big smile on everybody's face," assistant head football coach Randy Butler said. "It's a positive. We've used it in recruiting, but now you can actually look out there and see construction. It's another positive for Southern Miss, our athletic department and our football program."

College football fans will see a veritable clash of the titans on September 22 in Boise this year, if by "titans" you mean "top ten non-BCS teams in an out-of-conference matchup". Of course, it's a lot last dramatic when you put it that way.

In all seriousness, Boise State and Southern Miss have been more or less the top of the class in terms of consistent performance for non-BCS teams over the past several years, and their matchup will be an early-season quest for bragging rights among the outsiders.

I suggest they call it the "Potato Bowl". Or the, uh, "Brett Favre Bowl".

10:29 PM. This one's all over but the quiet muttering. Southern Miss leads 28-0 and Ohio has just crossed midfield for the second time all day. Solich breaks out the option, but that works about as well as everything else has today: not at all.

10:35 PM. So, there's a big game tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ohio's getting sacked and trying halfback passes and generally running around futilely, but this one's over. Let's talk shop.

Theory: Ohio State will spread Florida like they did Michigan because they have similarly intimidating defenses against conventional attacks but corner depth best described as "not extant."

Hey... wait! Ohio Touchdown on that option play action that never works in NCAA. Now 28-7. They've got 9:34 to score... uh... three more touchdowns. Anyway, there's a game tomorrow.

10:43 PM. So the onside kick fails and USM takes over on the Ohio side of the field.

Theory: Reggie Nelson will not allow three long touchdowns like the Michigan safeties did. Ohio State will have to earn their touchdowns, which they probably will, but 42 points is not a likely total. Nor anywhere close. (USM punt.)

But Ohio State is probably going to have a number of those maddening drives where Smith is robotically effective and they'll score some points. The threat of a Ginn bomb is ever-present, too. Ohio State will score. (Horrible decision by Ohio quarterback leads to interception, USM ball at the 30).

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State is sort of similarly vulnerable. Antonio Smith was toasted frequently versus Michigan (inadvisable pass from USM results in an Ohio interception... nice play that's not interference since he was going for the ball). But Chris Leak has not displayed the same sort of coolness under pressure and ability to read and fire so rapidly, plus the aggressive Ohio State defense will not yield such easy outs from pressure. (Ohio driving with around three minutes on the clock).

Holy crap: USM's Mark Bower is in his 16th year at the same school, which places him fourth in the country in seniority.

11:04 PM. Ohio turns the ball over on downs and Stephen Reaves, late of Michigan State, has taken over at quarterback. With a minute left this one's done. Final score: 28-7. Catch us tomorrow for the Not Fiesta Bowl blowout.

9:52 PM. Well, first play of the second half is a fumbled pitch and a five-yard loss. Hope! Not really. On third and ten Young buys some time with a late rollout and hits a corner route nicely for the first. Ohio's totally outclassed here. How did they manage to go 7-1 in the MAC?

Our first flag of the second half is yet another offsides on Ohio, their third. Each time they've lined up offsides. How does that happen?

10:00 PM. This is turning into a pretty impressive USM drive. Fletcher's just cut and spun his way to a Mike Hart-esque first down. Only 2.2 YPC so far... this attempted throwback pass to the QB won't help -- it was covered, when does that ever happen -- but he managed to pick up a couple out of what could have been a five-yard loss.

Aaaand that's an awesome five-yard WR screen that ended up with a reversed field and one of those OH GOD moments where it's either going to be a ten yard loss or a touchdown (or, evidently, a five yard gain). Block in the back brings it back.

Fletcher makes a glorious stop-and-go cut to the backside. Would never, ever work against a team not named "Ohio" but damn impressive anyway. Third and six after a second and twenty one and Harrison rips off another 16-yard gain... holding brings it back, but way downfield so it's a third and one, which is converted. WR screen for nine is followed with ANOTHER ridiculous Fletcher cutback that somehow gets the corner -- this is not a good defense -- and ends at the pylon. Touchdown, 28-0 USM, and that was a nine-minute will-killing drive that ends the game.

10:10 PM. Ugly. Even when Ohio gets a play that works the team screws it up. Throwback to the TE is one-hopped on first and ten. On third and four Emerson is sackdefied, punty time, and the announcers are officially permitted to start yammering about anything other than the game in front of their eyes. Please.

10:20 PM. Well... that's it for this quarter. It's 28-0 Southern Miss. Southern speed!

8:48 PM. Occasionally when Austin Everson, the Ohio quarterback, drops to throw he finds guys wide open way downfield. He's just done this again, getting the Bobcats into USM territory with the score tied 0-0 at the start of the second.

Wait... something's happening! A ball thrown deep! WIDE OPEN! underthrownbyfiveyards. Grumble. Ohio drive ends with a punt; Lasher puts it down around the ten. Still zero-zero.

Have I mentioned that Carmen Electra is clearly on the downside in these Taco Bell commercials?

8:52 PM. Andre Ware was the Grand Marshal of something called the "GMAC Bowl Parade," which appears to be just like the Rose Parade without the roses, floats, horses, and marching bands. But other than that it's basically the same.

Young alternates plays where he looks really good with plays like this one, where he short hops a wide open curl route by about five yards. Teams have 60 yards of offense each. Wooo! Penalty! Declined... offsides on a successful wide receiver screen. Hey: that was fun. Bobby Weakley, who is a monstrous bubble-butted fullback spins and rumbles his way to a first down. Huge cutback lane for Corey Harrison gets USM into Ohio territory. There are hints of things that may happen... sack on first and ten makes those hints a mere rumor.

Hey! A zone read develops nicely and Corey Harrison, who had a nice run earlier in the drive gets past a bunch of unfortunately-positioned blitzers, cuts back against the safety, and completes a 90-yard USM drive. 7-0, USM.

9:02 PM. Ohio's backup is in and waggles out, deciding to run for about five. One touchdown versus six interceptions so far this year. Ohio goes three-and-out and punts. Ohio has a guy on the sideline named "Febus," which is awesome. Save me Febus!

9:07 PM. Bobby Petrino is the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons! Zounds. This has implications beyond his coaching, as it makes Brian Brohm extremely likely to leave, doesn't it? I suppose if they retain the rest of the staff, including his brother, he would stay. Early money is a coordinator elevation.

Meanwhile, USM is driving into Ohio territory again. Nice floating touch pass against cover zero finds its way into a USM receiver's hands and sets up first and goal. Beauty throw from the erratic but occasionally brilliant Young. Next play is a USM dive touchdown. 14-0, USM.

9:19 PM. This one is getting out of hand, I think. With 3:03 left in the half and no discernible Ohio passing game, a score of some sort right here is critical for the Bobcats. This does not appear to be happening. Ohio quickly finds itself in third and six.... pick! Pick-six! 21-0, USM. This baby is over. I'm calling it.

9:24 PM. Ohio's running with 30-ish seconds on the clock here. The Bower switch -- he was the guy who tossed the interception -- looks awful in retrospect. Half's over. Catch us in the second half.