The Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-2,2-0 C-USA) took on the North Texas Mean Green (2-4, 1-1 C-USA) at M.M. Roberts Stadium for homecoming on Oct. 12.
“We knew it would be a 60-minute game, and I am really proud of our guys and they kept fighting,” Head coach Jay Hopson said.
The Golden Eagles struck first on a 59-yard catch and go from Jack Abraham to De’Micheal Harris on a four-play drive. The Mean Green answered back with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Mason Fine to Jyaire Shorter on the ensuing drive. The next four drives ended in punts for both sides. The Golden Eagles scored again on De’Micheal Harris’ 60-yard rush with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.
The scoring didn’t stop in the first quarter. Both teams scored two passing touchdowns on back to back drives to open the second quarter. The Golden Eagles scored on a one-yard Jack Abraham rush to end the quarter.
The Golden Eagles went on to score two more touchdowns in the second half. Abraham threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns, adding on a rushing touchdown. Wide Receiver-turned-Running Back De’Micheal Harris rushed for two touchdowns and 103 yards while also catching one touchdown. Harris had five catches for 79 yards. Wide receiver Quez Watkins had eight catches for 198 yards.
“Its definitely helping us a lot, having a playmaker [like Harris] that can go out there and run around out there, run up the middle, run the side,” Abraham said. “A lot of the runs showcased his explosiveness and it really helped out a lot.”
The Nasty Bunch defense showed up for the Golden Eagles in key moments. Ky’el Hemby led the defense with seven tackles, one interception and a pass deflection that led to another.
“I thought we covered really well tonight, and they [North Texas] just made plays,” Hopson said. “Other than a missed assignment, I felt like we covered well.”
Time of possession was a key factor for both teams. Both sides had multiple drives that were timed under three minutes. This caused both defenses to be on the field for the majority of the game.
The Golden Eagles claimed the 45-27 victory over the Mean Green. Southern Miss will travel to Ruston, LA to take on the LA Tech Bulldogs on Oct. 19
