Golden Eagles return to winning formula

[Guest HowieP1]

September 26, 2004

Golden Eagles return to winning formula

By Rick Cleveland

rcleveland@clarionledger.com

NEW ORLEANS  Two games into the 2004 season, Southern Miss has re-concocted an age-old formula for football success:

Bend but never break on defense.

Force turnovers.

Rick Cleveland

Protect the ball on offense.

Don't do anything to beat yourself in the kicking game.

The formula was just enough to beat Nebraska in the Golden Eagles' opener and it was more than plenty to handle Tulane's Green Wave 32-14 here Saturday night in the Louisiana Superdome.

USM's formula is not always pretty. It's certainly not flashy.

But style points aren't what Jeff Bower is after. He just wants more points than the other team.

And he usually gets just that.

So while Mississippi's other two Division I-A programs flounder, Southern Miss moves into October at 2-0 and eager for more. The Golden Eagles will take a 10-game Conference USA winning streak into Saturday night's match with South Florida in Tampa.

USM won't play a home game until Oct. 7, but thousands of gold-clad Eagle fans turned the Superdome into as close to a homefield advantage as a team will get on the road. Those in gold had plenty to cheer in the 'Dome and plenty to celebrate in the French Quarter later.

Offensively, USM pounded the ball relentlessly at Tulane's young defensive front, and quarterback Dustin Almond mixed in several beautifully thrown passes.

The numbers were impressive: Tailback Anthony Harris banged his way for 118 yards rushing, and back-up Sherron Moore went for 76 more. Redshirt freshman Larry Thomas showed much promise on a 39-yard fourth quarter run. USM finished with 305 yards on the ground.

"They ran us over," Tulane coach Chris Scelfo said. "They hit us in the mouth and we didn't respond very well to that."

Almond, behind mostly spotless pass protection, completed 15 of 22 throws for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

But make no mistake the most important numbers this night were:

Three (the number of turnovers USM's ball-hawking defense forced).

Zero (the number of times USM turned the ball over).

Against Nebraska, USM forced five turnovers and committed only one. The Eagles are now a plus-7 in turnovers through two games. You won't lose often like that.

"Like we've done so many times before, we made some big plays with our defense," said Bower, who surely never tires of what he's seen so often from Tyrone Nix's defense.

Boley is difference-maker

Fast, aggressive players like USM linebacker Michael Boley create turnovers. Boley showed why he very well might be the best collegiate football player in Mississippi these days.

After racking up an amazing 20 tackles and forcing two fumbles against Nebraska, Boley came up with two of the biggest plays this night.

His first quarter hit on Tulane quarterback Lester Ricard forced a pass interception that led directly to USM's first score. Then, when Tulane was driving, down just 17-7 in the third quarter, Boley shot into the backfield and stopped Tulane running back Jovan Jackson for a 2-yard loss on fourth down at the USM 21.

Said Scelfo, "Their defense really flies around, and they don't give up anything."

Scelfo, like all C-USA coaches, has seen the same formula work so often for USM.

USM has now won 43 of its 54 league games since the league formed.

Not that Bower's keeping up. He said he wasn't aware USM's league winning streak has reached double digits.

"I didn't even know that," Bower said. "We've got to get ready for South Florida. They're a tough team at home. We've got to put this one behind us and get ready for South Florida."

***

In 2002 USF led the nation in turnover margin. Turnovers killed us last year and and we haven't improved in that stat this year. We need to get back to winning the turnover battle in order to beat USM on Saturday.

[The_Reaper]

Fug So. Miss!!! ;D

[Cubanbull]

Thats the key vs USM, dont turn the ball over and make their offense beat you. Last year our TO gave them the push to put us away.

[smazza]

usm wins like every other team

in big secret

protect the ball,control the clock and stop the other team