I kind of like writing these columns, so I figure this will just be a weekly thing you can expect from me.
It was a wild weekend of sports in the Pine Belt, headlined by Southern Miss finally breaking through with a 38-22 win over Appalachian State — the Golden Eagles’ first FBS victory since 2023.
For the first time in years, Southern Miss football feels like it has direction again — and Charles Huff deserves the credit.
It’s not as if Huff had to prove himself. His résumé spoke for itself. A former assistant to Nick Saban at Alabama and James Franklin at Penn State, Huff helped mold Saquon Barkley into a star before winning a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 2020. At Marshall, he built his own track record, posting a 32-20 record, three straight bowl appearances, and delivering the school’s first Sun Belt title since 2015 with a 10-win season in 2024. From coaching stints in the NFL to leading championship programs in college, Huff has shown he can win and develop talent at every level, making his hire by Southern Miss nothing short of a slam dunk.
But fans had adopted a “believe it when I see it” mindset. Even with Southern Miss in control Saturday night, social media was filled with posts like, “Is this really happening?” and “Are we actually back?”
The win was confirmation for a program that has lived in limbo for half a decade. And it was validation for Huff. While his accolades are impressive, he had never taken on a job quite like this — inheriting a 1-11 team and, in less than a year, building a roster capable of competing in the Sun Belt. With the help of the transfer portal, the To the Top Collective and other resources, Huff reshaped Southern Miss from the ground up. Three weeks into the season, the payoff is undeniable.
“This is not the same old Southern Miss,” Huff said after the win. “And it won’t be ever again as long as I’m here. We got a lot of work to do. But you’re not just going to come up here and chalk up a win. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be competitive. Our guys are going to be coached well and they are going to play hard. Not saying we are going to win every game, but you aren’t going to get on the plane and come to Hattiesburg and expect to leave with a win. It’s not going to happen…ever again.”
This is what hiring a coach is supposed to look like. In three weeks, Huff has already shown he can deliver. The climb is still long — the Sun Belt won’t get any easier — but Huff has proved something Southern Miss desperately needed: that he’s the right man for the job.
Just 20 minutes west in Sumrall, another transformation is taking shape.
The Bobcats are 3-0 after a dramatic 26-24 win over Purvis, capped by Wyatt Jones’ 45-yard field goal as time expired. For a program that went 1-9 last season, the difference is staggering.
First-year head coach Drew Granger has been quick to credit his players for buying into a new culture. The Bobcats are playing with confidence, and even more importantly, they’re winning the close games — two straight decided on the final play.
“There’s never been a man prouder to wear Sumrall on his chest than me,” Granger said. “I’m having the best time of my career, and it’s easy when you’ve got guys willing to work their absolute tails off every single day of the week, no matter how they feel. Our guys show up to work.”
The challenge now is consistency. Sumrall has jumped to Class 5A this year, and the question is whether they have the size and depth to contend by season’s end. They’ll try to keep the streak alive Friday at West Marion.
“Our locker room is in it together,” Granger said. “Nobody cares who’s the hero. It’s program over self here at Sumrall. The scoreboard said Bobcats long before we got here, and it will continue to say Bobcats long after. If we are the best versions of ourselves, we’ve got a shot Friday night against anybody.”
Even on a weekend filled with great sports moments in the Pine Belt, there was a heaviness that couldn’t be ignored. Like so many others, I was rocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk this past week. The news on Wednesday was heartbreaking to watch, and the outpouring of grief — from flags at half-staff to tributes across social media — was a reminder of how many lives he touched.
I want to be clear: my prayers go out to the Kirk family and all who loved him. Beyond politics, this is about a husband, a father, a friend who was taken far too soon. For me, and I think for many, it was a gut punch that put life in perspective. Sports bring us joy, but moments like this remind us to hold our loved ones a little closer and to cherish the time we have.
Let’s have a great week. I’ll see you out there.
