2012-13 Football Previews – (C-USA) – Southern Miss
Southern Miss may have started the 2011 season with an ugly loss at Marshall in week two, but the Golden Eagles ended the season on an extreme high by thrashing Houston in the Conference USA Championship game and then winning the Hawaii Bowl.
Conference USA 2012-2013 College Football Previews: Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Ellis Johnson
2011 Record: 12-2
Southern Miss Gambling Odds from JustBet to win BCS Championship: (Part of Field) +1,800
Southern Miss Gambling Odds from 5Dimes to win Conference USA: +450
Southern Miss Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2012 Schedule –>
Larry Fedora did a whole lot for this program, but he has left for North Carolina. It will be up to Ellis Johnson to keep the ball moving in the right direction.
Last year was the Golden Eagles first ten-win season since 1988. There are tons of key departures from last year’s squad, so there are many unknowns surrounding this year’s Southern Miss team. Conference USA’s last year should be wide open as there is no clear favorite in the league. Can the Golden Eagles keep their momentum going from last year’s huge successes? It’s a year of transition for Southern Miss.
Team Strengths:
Desmond Johnson and Kendrick Hardy give this team two very solid runners in the backfield. Junior Jeremy Hester should get in on the action as well. There might not be that one huge star here, but this team has tons of depth at the tailback spot.
Tracey Lampley may be the best wide receiver in the conference. Lampley gets quite a few carries in the team’s unique offense, and he is a game breaker. He is one of the best special teams players you’ll see in the nation as well. Justin Sims and Quentin Pierce should be reliable wideouts as well.
The defensive front has several to replace, but Jamie Collins is a star on the outside. Collins plays the bandit position for the Golden Eagles, and he can really get after the opposing quarterback. Khyri Thornton is a big strong defensive tackle who can plug the running lanes.
Team Weaknesses:
The quarterback spot has been a major strength in the past few years, but Southern Miss goes into this season with a major question mark here in 2012. Austin Davis knew this offense like a book, and it will be tough to replace him. It’s anyone’s guess who ends up in this spot, but the production from quarterback will certainly be down in 2012.
Southern Miss lost three starting linebackers from the 2011 season. This has been a position where the team has been able to set themselves apart from the rest of the league in the past, but that won’t be the case this season.
2012-2013 Southern Miss Golden Eagles Football Prediction: 7-6
I think this team is going to come back down to earth quickly in 2012. It won’t be because Johnson does a bad job. This team simply doesn’t have the talent level it had last season, and the record will suffer because of it. The schedule isn’t easy either. Southern Miss starts the season with Nebraska on the road, and they must also play Boise State in the non-conference schedule. Road trips to UCF and SMU will be key in deciding the Conference USA title.
Southern Miss should become bowl eligible this year, but don’t expect them to get close to the double digit victory total of 2011.
2012 Southern Miss Schedule
9/1/12 3:30 PM ET @NEB
9/15/12 TBD ECAR
9/22/12 7:00 PM ET @WKEN
9/29/12 TBD LOU
10/6/12 TBD BOIST
10/13/12 TBD @CENFL
10/20/12 TBD MARSH
10/27/12 TBD @RICE
11/3/12 TBD UAB
11/10/12 TBD @SMU
11/17/12 TBD UTEP
11/24/12 TBD @MEM
