HATTIESBURG – Southern Miss did get the win over the winless UTEP Miners, but it wasn’t pretty.
The Golden Eagles’ offense missed three great scoring opportunities in the first half, but thanks to the USM defense, the 24-0 score was good enough to push USM’s record to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA.
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“That always a good thing,” Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson said of the shutout. “You’re always excited about it. Again, a football team we knew was a good football team. After watching them last week against Western Kentucky, we knew it was going to be a fight.”
Saturday’s shutout was the second of the season for the Golden Eagles’ defense after recording a 45-0 win over Southern Miss on Sept. 9. The last time Southern Miss shutout an FBS team was UAB in 2001.
The Southern Miss defense only allowed 147 total yards to UTEP – 130 passing and 17 rushing – while the Miners averaged 2.9 yards per play. USM forced two defensive turnovers, too, and another UTEP turnover came on special teams.
“I thought we played really well today on defense,” Hopson said. “I thought that was a good effort.”
Keon Howard received his second straight start Saturday, and he threw two interceptions and fumbled once on UTEP’s side of the field. Only the fumble came while the offense was in the red zone, but both interceptions were picked off inside the red zone.
Howard recorded 221 passing yards and a touchdown on 16-of-27 passing to go along with his two interceptions.
“To me, he was pressing a little bit in the first half, but I think he settled down in the second half,” Hopson said. “He had some nice throws in the second half. The best thing about Keon is he’s a competitor. He keeps fighting; he keeps digging.”
For the second straight week, Howard was not made available to the local media after the game.
Howard threw his first interception on the opening drive of the game, but then he followed that up with a score on the next possession. A 23-yard pass and catch to Korey Robertson moved the ball near midfield, then a couple of plays later, Howard connected with a wide open Jaylond Adams for a 52-yard touchdown.
That was Adams’ first career touchdown, too, and it gave Southern Miss a 7-0 lead.
“The corner back and safety ran into each other,” Adams said. “It was like a rub route where I run behind the outside receiver and they bumped into each other. I was just wide open.
“It felt amazing to get my first touchdown and make some big plays for my team.”
Howard’s fumble came on the next drive, as he tried to scramble from the UTEP 15, but he coughed the ball up at the 9-yard line to erase the scoring chance.
Later in the second quarter, UTEP had a muffed punt, which was recovered by USM’s Justin Abston at the Miners’ 30-yard line, to start three straight turnover plays. On the very next play, Howard underthrew a receiver and UTEP’s Kahani Smith came up with the interception at the 2. Southern Miss’ defense, however, forced a fumble on the ensuing play and Kelsey Douglas recovered it at the 2 to set up an easy touchdown run by Ito Smith to give USM a 14-0 lead.
“That fumble was a big fumble,” Hopson said. “It was a big play because it gives you a two-score lead going into half. We were kind of upset with some of the missed opportunities we had and we weren’t able to capitalize in the first half.”
Smith notched his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter when he rushed for 20 yards to push the lead to 21-0. Smith finished with 120 rushing yards – his 20th career 100-yard game – and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
“No, it sure doesn’t,” Smith said when asked if it’s felt like 20 career 100-yard games. “I didn’t even know I had 100 tonight. It’s been a long ride.”
Parker Shaunfield added a 38-yard field goal late in the fourth to bring the game to its final, 24-0.
Southern Miss will travel to Louisiana Tech next Saturday for a 6 p.m. kick.
