Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Southern Miss Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 6-5 overall, 5-3 in Conference USA
Head Coach: Jay Hopson, 4th year, 21-16
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTHERN MISS OFFENSE
– The offense that sputtered and struggled way too often – scoring 27 points or fewer eight times in 11 games – gets back nine starters and maybe ten. There was no ground game and no downfield passing attack – letting the defense try to win games – but …
– The quarterback situation is settled with Jack Abraham back. The junior was terrific with the short to midrange passing game completing a nation-leading 73% of his passes with 15 touchdowns. He threw ten picks, but overall he was more than fine. Tate Whatley filled in and was fine in his few moments of work, and sophomore Marcelo Rodriguez got in a little bit of work, too. However …
– Is Quez Watkins going to be able to go? The team’s all-star leading receiver missed spring ball and is questionable for the season with academic eligibility issues, but second-leading receiver Tim Jones is back after coming up with 42 grabs.
In all, including Watkins, the top six wide receivers return, but lose TE Jay’Shawn Washington. Considering Abraham is able to spread the ball around, the passing game will click no matter what, but it’ll be a whole lot better if Watkins returns.
– All five starters are back on an offensive line, but it was a disaster. It was the second-worst in the nation in tackles for loss allowed and gave up 33 sacks. Throw in the lack of a running game, and now the production has to match the experience.
6-3, 310-pound center Arvin Fletcher is the best of the bunch, and there’s excellent size and depth, but now this group has to block someone.
– The running backs are there if they get room to work. Sophomore Trivenskey Mosley came up with a nice true freshman season with a team-leading 499 yards – not a lot, but averaged five yards per carry. He’s a slippery-dangerous runner, and 6-2, 242-pound Steven Anderson brings the thump – the sophomore was second on the team in rushing and ran for a team-high six scores.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUTHERN MISS DEFENSE
– Six starters and three of the top four tacklers are back from the nation’s third-best defense that allowed just 278 yards and 19.8 points per game. How good was the D? No one came up with more than 30 points, and it allowed 24 points or fewer in nine of the 11 games.
– USM had seven all-stars, starting with junior DE Jacques Turner at one end and with 264-pound Demarrio Smith back in the middle. The line needs a few new parts to step up, but the key backups from last year are about to get into the lounge.
Former transfer Von’Darius Freeman is a 339-pound space-eater for the nose, but it’ll take fall camp to come up with the right rotation for the other end job.
– Leading tackler Picasso Nelson is done in the secondary, but CB Ty Williams and safety Ky’el Hemby are back after combining or 100 tackles and nine picks – Hemby came up with six of them. They’re not the only playmakers in a secondary for a defense that picked off 14 passes and allowed just 13 scores.
– Two of the top linebackers from last season are done, but 210-pound junior Racheem Boothe is back after finishing fourth on the team with 47 tackles. The other two spots are up for grabs in fall camp with a slew of young, inexperienced options battling for jobs.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP SOUTHERN MISS PLAYERS
Best Southern Miss Offensive Player
QB Jack Abraham, Jr.
If he’s able to play WR Quez Watkins is the team’s best player. Jack Abraham isn’t all that bad, either, leading the nation completing 73% of his passes for 2,347 yards and 15 touchdowns. He doesn’t run much, and he threw ten interceptions, but any time you hit 70% or more of your passes in six games, you’re doing something right.
2. WR Quez Watkins, Jr.*
3. RB Trivensky Mosley, Soph.
4. C Arvin Fletcher, Jr.
5. RB Steven Anderson, Soph.
*Watkins is No. 1 if eligible
Best Southern Miss Defensive Player
DE Jacques Turner, Jr.
The team’s most disruptive force on the defensive front earned First Team All-Conference USA honors after coming up with five sacks, ten tackles for loss and 33 stops. The 6-1, 247-pounder isn’t all that big, but he’s quick off the ball, tough against the run, and can take over games. As long as he’s consistently generating pressure, he’s doing his job.
2. S Ky’el Hemby, Jr.
3. LB Racheem Boothe, Jr.
4. CB Ty Williams, Sr.
5. CB Rachuan Mitchell, Jr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Southern Miss Offense
Get much, much better line play. There’s no excuse to convert just 36% of your third down chances, and to sputter as much as your offense does, when you have a deadly accurate 73% passer like Jack Abraham and a good group of skill players to keep things moving, unless …
Unless your offensive line isn’t doing anything to keep defenses from roasting marshmallows in your backfield.
The Golden Eagles have a line loaded with experience and size, and now it has to be a whole lot stronger after allowing the second-most tackles for loss per game in the nation and pushing for a mere 113 rushing yards per outing.
Biggest Key To The Southern Miss Defense
Create steadier pressure. It’s hard to fault a defense that dominated throughout the season, led the nation with the fewest first downs allowed, and finished No. 3 overall. It would be nice, though, to generate more big plays and sacks.
The Golden Eagles generated 23 sacks on the season to average just over two per game. That was fine, but not great. Again, the overall results were amazing, but the sacks came in waves, with two or more in six of the games, and one or none in five of them.
Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Drake Dorbeck, Sr.
… and the rest of the offensive line. All five starters are back along with all of the top reserves. There’s talent, upside, and depth. If the line becomes stronger and more consistent, and the offense can crank out about 30 points per game, the Golden Eagles should be deadly.
The 6-6, 320-pound Dorbeck is a good, smart veteran who’s back at left tackle. He’s an all-star in the classroom, and if he’s a all-star on the field, again … look out.
Key Game To The Southern Miss Season
North Texas, Oct. 12
Beating UAB is a must to have a shot at winning the Conference USA West title, but that comes later. First, the Golden Eagles have to get by North Texas – that’s been a massive problem.
The Mean Green have won three straight in the series, but USM gets the game at home after getting a week off to prepare.But UNT gets a week off to get ready, too.
– Southern Miss Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Southern Miss Fun Stats
– Field Goals: Southern Miss 18-of-22 – Opponents 10-of-17
– Red Zone Scoring: Southern Miss 30-of-34 – Opponents 23-of-31
– Punt Return Average: Southern Miss 11.45 yards – Opponents 3.13 yards
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. SOUTHERN MISS WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
Really, can the offense be just a wee bit better? Last season it did enough to get to six wins by not getting in the defense’s way.
Really, can the defense do that again? Yeah, even with a slew of key losses, there’s still a base of terrific players to work around and be among the best Ds in Conference USA again.
Just about everyone is back on offense – with a big exception at receiver depending on the status of Quez Watkins – and the other side will keep the All-Conference USA teams packed with Golden Eagles, but …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Last year’s schedule was a walk in the park compared to what’s coming.
USM wasn’t able to get by ULM, stumbled at Charlotte, and beat a whole lot of fluff around the two good wins against Marshall and Louisiana Tech.
There’s still UTEP and Rice to face, and there shouldn’t be problems with UTSA and WKU if the Golden Eagles are really good enough to think about winning the West.
Getting the massive games against North Texas and UAB at home is a huge boost, especially considering there’s a week off to get ready for each showdown.
However, there’s also a trip to Mississippi State, andto Louisiana Tech, and to an improved Florida Atlantic, and against a good Troy team, and against some Alabama team.
USM will lose the two SEC road games – but put up a decent fight – will drop at least one game it really, really shouldn’t – watch out for the trip to UTSA – and will misfire just enough to be a wee bit of a disappointment considering this should be one of Conference USA’s best teams.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
