Golden Eagles rising in Hall's second year | Free News

I wrote this on Thursday night, but I don’t know that I’ll be more impressed by anything this college football weekend than what I saw out of Southern Miss against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at M.M. Roberts Stadium. 

It is apparent that head coach Will Hall and his staff are making moves to put Southern Miss football at the top of the Sun Belt Conference, which the program just joined in 2022. Will they get there this year? Probably not. But if you had told me a year ago that Southern Miss would be 5-3 overall with a 3-1 conference record in 2022, I would have told you Hall deserves to win Sun Belt Coach of the Year – and he does. 

You have to judge where Southern Miss is from where the program has been in the past 10 years. Once Larry Fedora departed after Southern Miss’ last Conference-USA championship in 2011, Ellis Johnson let a thriving program slip to 0-12 just a year later. From there, Todd Monken’s three-year stint as a head coach was centered on getting the program back on track. Monken left it in good shape and on the rise after a 9-5 record and C-USA runner-up finish in 2015. 

Jay Hopson’s tenure as head coach from 2016-20 saw the Golden Eagles finish with a winning record and appear in a bowl game each year, aside from 2018, but he bowed out during the beginning of the COVID-19-ridden 2020 season. The Golden Eagles finished 3-7 that season and lost a number of key players to the transfer portal. 

It’s safe to say stability has been lacking in the program for some time, but that is exactly what Hall is appearing to bring back. One more victory in their last four games makes the Golden Eagles bowl eligible for the first time since 2019, but for Southern Miss fans, it has felt like ages.

I have written before about how impressed I have been with Hall, and the results on the field Thursday night gives credibility to those claims. Louisiana won the Sun Belt last season and went 13-1 overall. While they lost their former head coach Billy Napier to the Florida Gators this offseason, the Ragin’ Cajuns have been a force at times this year and have some of the best players in the conference.

The keys to Southern Miss’ early success under Hall are things fans have been screaming for years – recruit locally first and then branch out, establish good play in the trenches and get the most out of your players. Southern Miss has done all of those things and then some. 

This is not a championship team, yet. But there are a number of areas where the Golden Eagles perform on a championship level. The defense is as good as any in the Sun Belt and better than a lot of Power 5 teams’ defenses. That’s just a fact. The secondary, led by 2021 Conerly Trophy finalist Malik Shorts, is exceptional. The Golden Eagles forced four turnovers against Louisiana, a team that came into the game with a plus-1.29 turnover margin. 

If there has been one criticism in the Hall era so far, it has been the lackluster offense over his 20 games as head coach. But that problem is not squarely on his shoulders and the offense has been steadily improving this season despite inconsistency under center. Injuries at quarterback have been crippling for the past two seasons, but it appears freshman Zach Wilke will take over as the full-time starter, which will help the continuity of the unit. 

The Golden Eagles’ superback package, which lines up running back Frank Gore Jr. at quarterback in a two-receiver set, has been remarkably effective. Not only do the rushing yards come in bunches, but Gore has also been adept at taking shots downfield, throwing a 52-yard touchdown on Thursday. 

Everything is on the up-and-up at Southern Miss right now. I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility that the Golden Eagles will win eight games this season. The only game remaining on the schedule I wouldn’t bet on them in is their Nov. 12 matchup with Coastal Carolina. An 8-4 regular season would be a gigantic step in the right direction and create an excitement surrounding the program that hasn’t been there in more than a decade. 

If you support Southern Miss, grab a ticket and come fill The Rock one weekend, because it could be the beginning of something special. 

•

Josh Beasley is Director of Media Operations for the Leader-Call. Email him at sports@leader-call.com.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbHAnZyrZZOWua16wqikaKaVrMBwstGenJimlazAcLPOpZuepl2arqi4xKxkq6GjnruoecinZKGZnKHAbr%2FEnKannF2usqK%2BjpqpraGTobKgssWdaJxoYGt6doLFbWRqaZWZenqCxHBkcmthan2lfJFqmp%2BbXp3Brrg%3D