For the third time in as many seasons, Southern Miss enters a game that feels like a true measuring stick. The Golden Eagles have failed the previous two years to show progress, and now, under first-year head coach Charles Huff, they reach another fork in the road.
Last week’s win over Jackson State ended the longest losing streak in program history, but as Southern Miss prepares for Appalachian State, the stakes seem higher.
App State has long been a standard-bearer in the Sun Belt — the kind of program Southern Miss fans hoped their own school could mirror when the Golden Eagles joined the league three years ago. And at M.M. Roberts Stadium, the Mountaineers arrive as a litmus test: Is Southern Miss ready to move forward under Huff, or will the climb prove steeper than expected?
“Got an unbelievable challenge this week,” Huff said. “Appropriate fear for a really good program, undefeated App State team coming in here, [head coach Dowell] Loggains and his staff have done a phenomenal job just getting the job. You can really see that they hit the ground running and have done a really good job of building a really effective roster, putting in challenging schemes and playing with the right disposition to be 2-0 at this point.”
Huff said last week’s victory was a relief but hardly a celebration. He noted the locker room mood lasted “about an hour” before focus shifted to App State. For many Southern Miss fans, this matchup has long been circled as the real measuring stick.
Huff is no stranger to the Sun Belt, and certainly not to the Mountaineers. Last season at Marshall, his team beat App State 52-37 despite being outgained 473-365. App State quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns but also tossed two interceptions, while the Mountaineers rushed for just 55 yards. Huff’s quarterback, Braylon Braxton, stole the show with a dual-threat performance in his first start: 129 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, plus 140 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
Turnovers swung that game, and Huff knows they will again Saturday night.
App State arrives with a balanced attack that has shredded opponents through two weeks. Behind quarterback AJ Swann, the Mountaineers are averaging nearly 350 passing yards per game, paired with a rushing output of 195 yards. Running back Rashod Dubinion has been the spark, forcing defenses to crowd the box, while Swann’s efficiency — five touchdowns and one interception — makes it difficult to sell out against the run. Few teams have pressured him.
“I think that’s an attribute to their O-line,” Huff said. “That’s a tribute to the way they package plays. The plays look a lot like runs, so you’ve got to kind of play the run and then get off. That’s a tribute to him getting the ball out of his hand. From a coaching standpoint, we got to try to create pass rush without running past the run. He does have the ability to step up, and he’s not a Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson, but he can step up and get a first down that creates some issues as well.”
For Southern Miss, creating turnovers and applying pressure on Swann will be critical.
“We got to play with cohesion,” Huff said. “We got to do a good job of trying to compress the pocket, and then our DBs are going to have to do a really good job of being sticky, you know, being close to these guys when the ball goes in the air.”
No doubt this will be the best secondary Swann has seen, and there could be chances for interceptions from a Southern Miss unit led by veterans like Natrone Brooks and Jay Stanley.
On defense, App State has been among the Sun Belt’s best, allowing just 12 points per game. But those numbers came against Charlotte and Lindenwood, meaning Southern Miss will be the most capable offense they’ve faced.
Braxton has thrown for 413 yards and five touchdowns in two games, spreading the ball around with Chester emerging as a reliable target. The run game remains a concern, though.
App State’s front seven has stifled opponents, giving up fewer than 40 rushing yards per game. Southern Miss has averaged 120.5 yards on the ground, but those numbers feel inflated, and the unit hasn’t looked sharp. For the Golden Eagles, the offensive line will be the key to opening lanes and sustaining drives.
“I want every play to be blocked perfect, every play to be run perfect,” Huff said. “As far as the path to improve, if we just go out and improve every week, it’s what I’m asking these guys to do. There’s always going to be things to work on. That’s the beauty of football; there is always a way you can get better. But I’m pleased with them showing up. What we are looking for is continued improvement.”
Special teams could loom large. Southern Miss kicker Reed Harradine is 2-for-4 on field goals this season, while App State’s Dominic De Freitas has been perfect at 4-for-4. In a projected one-score game, a miss could be costly.
Southern Miss is 0-3 in Sun Belt openers since joining the league and hasn’t started 2-1 since 2019. For Huff and the Golden Eagles, a win would be more than evening the series. It would provide tangible proof of progress and a signal that this team is ready to contend.
Prediction
This game has the makings of a shootout, with both teams possessing explosive weapons and quarterbacks capable of carrying the offense. App State’s defense offers a statistical edge, but the combination of home field, hunger and momentum from finally returning to the win column could be enough to swing it.
Southern Miss forces a late turnover and drives for the winning touchdown.
Pick: Southern Miss 38, Appalachian State 31.
That would be Southern Miss covering the spread (App State -3.5) and hitting the over (56.5). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+
