Another football weekend is in the books. It’s hard to believe we are already five weeks into the season, but here we are.
The Sun Belt has made its name in recent years as one of the best Group of Five conferences in college football. In 2025, it feels more like one of the weakest.
Yes, there was drama: Louisiana rallied from 17 down to beat Marshall 54-51 in double overtime, ULM snapped a 15-game skid to Arkansas State, James Madison ran wild for 331 rushing yards, and Old Dominion held off Liberty. Southern Miss, meanwhile, never trailed in a 42-25 win over Jacksonville State.
Outside of a couple of contenders in the East Division, the league looks flat.
You can make an argument every year for James “damn” Madison in the East, as we call it on the SuperTalk Eagle Hour. Old Dominion is also 3-1, 2-0 in conference play, so the Monarchs have been a surprise this season.
No other team in the East even has a winning record. Old Dominion is averaging a league-leading 468 yards per game, while Southern Miss is fifth at 388.8. James Madison is first in defense, allowing just 209.3 yards per game. Southern Miss ranks 10th, giving up 397.4.
October 18, when Old Dominion travels to Harrisonburg, might honestly decide the East.
The West, in particular, is begging for someone to take charge.
Southern Miss is 1-0 in league play, but that win came against an East team in Appalachian State. The next conference game is also against an East team at Georgia Southern (2-3, 0-1).
The teams tied with Southern Miss at the top of the West are Louisiana, which needed double overtime and 54 points to beat a struggling Marshall team, and ULM. Yes, you read that right. ULM. The Warhawks are 3-1, 1-0 after beating a surprisingly flailing Arkansas State team.
ULM’s only loss is to No. 10 Alabama. They get Northwestern on the road this week.
South Alabama is 0-1 in league play after losing to a bad Coastal Carolina team at home. Troy and Texas State have yet to play a conference opponent.
So here’s the snapshot: Louisiana (1-0), ULM (1-0) and Southern Miss (1-0) are technically tied for first, with Troy, Texas State, Arkansas State and South Alabama looking up from behind.
I’m saying all of this to say that if Southern Miss can continue to improve and play like it did Saturday against a decent Jacksonville State team, you have to like the Golden Eagles’ chances to legitimately compete for the West title.
Think about their next four opponents:
At Georgia Southern — It feels like Georgia Southern should be favored at home, but it’s definitely a winnable game. It will come down to which Southern Miss team shows up, because Georgia Southern showed last week that a good defense can slow them down. Let’s just say the Golden Eagles lose a close one, dropping to 1-1 in league play. Most importantly, though, that would be against an East opponent.
At Louisiana — The Cajuns aren’t the same since losing their starting quarterback. In their win against Marshall, the passing game was shaky. They relied on 264 yards rushing and a few timely throws. Marshall isn’t as good as Southern Miss, and Braylon Braxton is far better than whoever Louisiana runs out there. Let’s say USM wins (2-1, 1-0 in the West).
Vs. ULM (homecoming) — Granted, ULM has looked better this year. Sixth in the Sun Belt in defense, but just 11th in offense. You’d have to think Southern Miss would be favored at home. Call it a win (3-1, 2-0 in the West).
At Arkansas State — Coming into the season, this seemed like a more formidable road game than it appears now. The Red Wolves are 1-4 and have looked terrible on both sides of the ball. Southern Miss should win (4-1, 3-0 in the West).
That would set up potentially the biggest Southern Miss game in years on Nov. 15 at home against Texas State, a matchup that could decide the West.
Now, you might be thinking, “Dima, stop getting ahead of yourself.”
And you may be right. But if Southern Miss continues improving and showing up like it did against Jacksonville State, the path is there. At the end of the day, a bowl game is probably all fans want. The Golden Eagles are already halfway there.
On the high school front, Purvis rolled into Brooklyn on Friday and pulled off its most complete performance of the season, outlasting Forrest County AHS 34-20. Quarterback Kade Lawler distributed the ball well, throwing three touchdown passes, while Jakylan Williams gashed for 108 yards and a score on just nine carries. Slade Thompson added 78 yards on 18 carries.
Defense made game-changing stops, and Hankins called it the “total team effort” he’s been waiting for. Purvis is starting to look like a team that can do some damage in region play.
Hattiesburg also turned heads Friday with a 42-16 rout of Meridian. The Tigers finally got star wideout Tristen Keys back, and his presence opened the entire offense. Keys stretched the field, the run game had more room, and quarterback Gavin Ducksworth made plays.
It was easily Hattiesburg’s best offensive showing of the season. The Tigers scored their season-high 42 points and combined it with a defense that forced turnovers. With a bye this week, they’ll have a chance to reset before a big region stretch.
Meanwhile, in the pros, Sunday night brought one of football’s dumbest traditions: the tie.
Green Bay and Dallas traded punches for four quarters, into overtime… and then walked off with a 40-40 tie. Seriously, what does a coach even say afterward? “Good job, guys. Way to… not win or lose?”
College football figured this out years ago. Every game has a winner, period. The NFL’s tie rule kills the drama of a primetime showcase. Fans deserved better.
I’ll see you out there this weekend.
