In a way, the New Orleans Bowl transpired just like the 2025 season did for Southern Miss — it started dominant and ended in collapse.
Southern Miss controlled the opening half, holding a 13-6 lead at halftime with the score closer than the actual game flow indicated. But everything shifted late in the second quarter when Western Kentucky starting quarterback Tisdale was injured.
What followed were Maverick McIvor heroics, as Western Kentucky flipped the game in the second half, outscoring Southern Miss 21-3 after the break to pull away for a 27-16 win in the New Orleans Bowl.
Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson didn’t shy away from responsibility afterward.
“At the end of the day, it’s my job to get points on the board, and I didn’t do a good enough job of that today — or really down the stretch,” Anderson said. “We had yards at times, but not enough points. The effort was there, but the execution wasn’t, and that falls on me.”
The loss marked Anderson’s first since being named Southern Miss’ full-time head coach earlier this month.
A dominant first half
For all intents and purposes, Southern Miss dominated the first half — especially on defense.
The Golden Eagles held Western Kentucky to just 84 yards in the opening half, including only 16 rushing yards. It was a stunning performance against a Hilltopper offense that ranked fourth in Conference USA, averaging 405.4 yards per game.
“Our defense played lights out,” Anderson said. “They played good enough to win the football game.”
Western Kentucky had eight first-half possessions, five of which ended in either a three-and-out or a turnover.
Even when Southern Miss handed the Hilltoppers ideal field position, WKU failed to capitalize.
After Southern Miss went three-and-out on its opening possession, punter Reed Harradine dropped the snap, giving Western Kentucky the ball at the USM 13-yard line. The Hilltoppers managed just a four-play, minus-one-yard drive before settling for a 31-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Two possessions later, Southern Miss responded with a four-play, 62-yard drive capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Braylon Braxton to Tychaun Chapman, giving the Golden Eagles a 7-3 advantage.
Western Kentucky added another field goal after a short field created by a poor Southern Miss punt, trimming the lead to 7-6. Southern Miss then closed the half with two field goals to carry a 13-6 lead into the locker room.
The Golden Eagles outgained WKU 265-84 in the first half, including advantages of 195-68 through the air and 70-16 on the ground. Southern Miss converted 6 of 12 third downs, while Western Kentucky went just 1-for-8.
But everything changed in the final two minutes of the second quarter.
McIvor flips the script
Western Kentucky turned to McIvor late in the first half, and the game’s complexion changed immediately.
On the Hilltoppers’ first possession of the second half, McIvor connected with Noah Myers for a 62-yard gain down to the Southern Miss 5-yard line — a single play that accounted for more than two-thirds of WKU’s offensive output to that point.
Although Corey Myrick forced and recovered a fumble to momentarily halt the drive, the momentum had shifted.
After the turnover, McIvor led an eight-play, 65-yard drive, finishing it himself with an 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 13.
“We had them dialed up at times,” Anderson said. “But they made some really key plays on third down in the second half.”
Following a Southern Miss field goal and a pair of punts, McIvor again marched WKU down the field, engineering an 11-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from George Hart to give the Hilltoppers a 20-16 lead.
Southern Miss was forced to punt on its next possession, and McIvor sealed the outcome with a seven-play, 83-yard drive that ended with Marvis Parrish breaking free for a 54-yard touchdown run.
Western Kentucky converted eight of nine third downs in the second half, a complete reversal from the opening 30 minutes.
“Our defense played good enough to win,” Anderson reiterated. “Offensively, we’ve got to do a better job. That’s simple.”
Southern Miss’ offense struggled just as much after halftime, managing only 112 yards after piling up 265 in the first half and converting just 1 of 8 third-down attempts.
Braxton was blunt in his self-assessment.
“Honestly, just execution,” Braxton said. “I didn’t play good enough for us to win. If the guy running the show isn’t on his A-game, it’s going to be hard for the rest of the team to be on theirs.”
Braxton’s final chapter
Braxton, who played through injury and closed his collegiate career in the bowl loss, said his focus was never on individual results, but on the standard he tried to set inside the locker room.
“I just want to be known as a guy that was a great teammate, a great leader,” Braxton said. “I want these guys to be able to call me anytime — next year, five years from now. I tried to work every day to be the best leader and the best quarterback I could be, and I feel like I got a lot better this season.”
For Braxton, who arrived in Hattiesburg for his final year after beginning his career elsewhere, Southern Miss represented more than just a stop along the way.
“Bringing me in for my last year and treating me like family meant a lot,” he said. “Here, I’ve been treated well, taken care of and really appreciated.”
A game that mirrored the season
As the offseason begins, Anderson acknowledged that significant changes lie ahead.
“There’s plenty of reasons for what we’re seeing, and things we’ll address in the offseason,” Anderson said. “From recruiting to schematics to development — all of it.”
In many ways, the New Orleans Bowl encapsulated Southern Miss’ 2025 season.
The Golden Eagles opened the year red-hot, racing to a 7-2 start and placing themselves firmly in control of the Conference USA West. But the season unraveled down the stretch with four straight losses, capped by another second-half collapse.
“We took a huge step forward,” Anderson said. “Going from one win to seven wins doesn’t just happen. That matters. Now the job is to stabilize this program and take the next step.”
That next step won’t be easy.
Roster retention will be a major challenge, especially with the transfer portal opening Jan. 2. Anderson confirmed he has already met with every player eligible to return.
“There’s a lot of noise right now,” Anderson said. “We’re going to keep some. We’re going to lose some. That’s part of it.”
After the game, linebacker Chris Jones acknowledged the reality facing many players.
“At this point in my career, I’ve got to make a business decision — what’s best for me,” Jones said.
Myrick, who forced a pivotal second-half fumble and would have been a strong MVP candidate in a Southern Miss win, has already announced his intention to enter the portal.
For Anderson, the task ahead is massive — rebuilding a roster, stabilizing a program, and regaining trust.
And after a night that so closely mirrored the season itself, one question lingers over the offseason:
Will he have the fans backing him?
The transfer portal opens Jan. 2.
