Southern Miss continued its strong start in Sun Belt Conference play with a 22-10 win over Louisiana on Saturday night in Lafayette for the Ragin' Cajuns homecoming.
The Golden Eagles (5-2, 3-0 Sun Belt) used a combination of defensive pressure and a record-setting offensive play to secure their fourth straight victory and their first 3-0 conference start since 2004.
Quarterback Braylon Braxton connected with wide receiver Micah Davis for a 98-yard touchdown in the third quarter — the longest passing play in program history — to break open what had been a close game. The score gave Southern Miss a 20-10 lead with 3:40 remaining in the third quarter.
The previous school record for longest pass play was 96 yards, set in 1985 against Louisiana Tech. Davis finished with three receptions for 134 yards, while Braxton completed 13 of 18 passes for 237 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Louisiana (2-5, 1-2) appeared poised to respond on its next possession. Quarterback Lunch Winfield drove the Ragin’ Cajuns to the 5-yard line, but he fumbled during a quarterback sneak attempt. Southern Miss defensive lineman Jabari Ishmael recovered the ball inside the 1-yard line to preserve the Golden Eagles’ lead.
Southern Miss sealed the win late in the fourth quarter when linebacker Chris Jones sacked Winfield on a fourth-and-8 play, forcing a fumble in the end zone that resulted in a safety. Jones, who leads the Sun Belt in total tackles, recorded eight tackles, including six solo stops, and the decisive strip sack.
The Golden Eagles’ defense limited Louisiana to 295 total yards, including just 112 passing. Southern Miss added two interceptions from Ahmere Foster and Corey Myrick, increasing its season total to 13. The unit entered the game ranked second nationally in interceptions and first in the Sun Belt.
Louisiana was held scoreless in the second half and managed only 86 yards of offense after halftime. The Southern Miss defense recorded multiple sacks, several tackles for loss and forced key punts in the final quarter to secure the victory.
Southern Miss returns home this Saturday to host ULM for its annual homecoming game. Kickoff at M.M. Roberts Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
