The 2021 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Eagles played their home games at the M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by first-year head coach Will Hall.
On October 28, 2021, Southern Miss announced that this will be the last season for the team in the C-USA and will join the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022.
Preseason
C-USA media days The Golden Eagles were predicted to finish in fourth place in the West Division in the Conference USA preseason poll.
Media poll (West Division) 1 UAB 2 UTSA 3 Louisiana Tech 4 Southern Miss 5 Rice 6 North Texas 7 UTEP
Schedule
Personnel
Game summaries
At South Alabama
Statistics USMUSA First downs 19 13 Total yards 258 300 Rushing yards 125 31 Passing yards 133 269 Turnovers 4 1 Time of possession 31:27 28:33
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Trey Lowe 13/29, 133 yards, 2 INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 19 rushes, 81 yards Receiving Jakarius Caston 3 receptions, 38 yardsSouth Alabama Passing Jake Bentley 17/22, 269 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kareem Walker 18 rushes, 26 yards Receiving Jalen Tolbert 5 receptions, 168 yards
Grambling State
Statistics GRAMUSM First downs 9 22 Total yards 141 439 Rushing yards 51 290 Passing yards 90 149 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 28:00 32:10
Team Category Player StatisticsGrambling State Passing Aldon Clark 8/19, 60 yards, INT Rushing Darqueze Brutton 8 rushes, 35 yards Receiving Donald Johnson III 3 receptions, 26 yardsSouthern Miss Passing Trey Lowe 10/13, 99 yards, TD Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 21 rushes, 162 yards, TD Receiving Jakarius Caston 4 receptions, 50 yards, TD
Troy
Statistics TROYUSM First downs 17 14 Total yards 304 156 Rushing yards 49 -1 Passing yards 255 157 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 30:54 29:06
Team Category Player StatisticsTroy Passing Taylor Powell 27/39, 255 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kimani Vidal 17 rushes, 45 yards, TD Receiving Tez Johnson 10 receptions, 106 yardsSouthern Miss Passing Ty Keyes 16/27, 157 yards, 2 INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 15 rushes, 31 yards Receiving Antoine Robinson 3 receptions, 49 yards
At No. 1 Alabama
Statistics USMALA First downs 11 22 Total yards 213 606 Rushing yards 82 211 Passing yards 131 395 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 31:18 28:42
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Ty Keyes 11/24, 131 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Ty Keyes 12 rushes, 41 yards Receiving Grayson Gunter 3 receptions, 61 yardsAlabama Passing Bryce Young 20/22, 313 yards, 5 TD, INT Rushing Roydell Williams 11 rushes, 110 yards, TD Receiving Jahleel Billingsley 5 receptions, 105 yards, TD
At Rice
Statistics USMRICE First downs 21 15 Total yards 378 315 Rushing yards 57 108 Passing yards 321 207 Turnovers 4 0 Time of possession 28:22 31:38
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Jake Lange 23/37, 304 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 17 rushes, 79 yards Receiving Jason Brownlee 8 receptions, 127 yardsRice Passing Jake Constantine 16/22, 192 yards, 2 TD Rushing Cedric Patterson III 1 rush, 38 yards, TD Receiving Jake Bailey 5 receptions, 83 yards, TD
UTEP
Statistics UTEPUSM First downs 16 17 Total yards 392 254 Rushing yards 265 15 Passing yards 127 239 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 30:48 29:12
Team Category Player StatisticsUTEP Passing Gavin Hardison 7/17, 127 yards, INT Rushing Ronald Awatt 18 rushes, 159 yards, TD Receiving Tyrin Smith 1 reception, 55 yardsSouthern Miss Passing Jake Lange 20/31, 239 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 16 rushes, 43 yards Receiving Jakarius Caston 4 receptions, 94 yards
UAB
Statistics UABUSM First downs 20 9 Total yards 388 107 Rushing yards 223 75 Passing yards 165 32 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 34:08 25:52
Team Category Player StatisticsUAB Passing Dylan Hopkins 8/13, 147 yards, TD Rushing DeWayne McBride 17 rushes, 137 yards, TD Receiving Jermaine Brown Jr. 4 receptions, 48 yardsSouthern Miss Passing Jake Lange 3/10, 18 yards Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 13 rushes, 40 yards Receiving Jason Brownlee 1 reception, 14 yards
At Middle Tennessee
Statistics USMMTSU First downs 22 15 Total yards 234 287 Rushing yards 50 145 Passing yards 184 142 Turnovers 5 4 Time of possession 33:00 27:00
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Jake Lange 16/34, 166 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 20 rushes, 83 yards Receiving Jason Brownlee 9 receptions, 120 yards, TDMiddle Tennessee Passing Mike DiLiello 8/12, 78 yards Rushing Mike DiLiello 11 rushes, 77 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jarrin Pierce 3 receptions, 75 yards
North Texas
Statistics UNTUSM First downs 25 11 Total yards 537 229 Rushing yards 321 113 Passing yards 216 116 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 34:14 25:46
Team Category Player StatisticsNorth Texas Passing Austin Aune 16/30, 216 yards, INT Rushing Isaiah Johnson 17 rushes, 119 yards, TD Receiving Detraveon Brown 4 receptions, 85 yardsSouthern Miss Passing Jake Lange 17/25, 116 yards, TD Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 12 rushes, 82 yards Receiving Jason Brownlee 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD
At No. 23 UTSA
Statistics USMUTSA First downs 10 16 Total yards 189 370 Rushing yards 137 143 Passing yards 52 227 Turnovers 3 2 Time of possession 37:14 22:46
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Frank Gore Jr. 2/3, 33 yards Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 20 rushes, 123 yards, TD Receiving Jason Brownlee 3 receptions, 51 yardsUTSA Passing Frank Harris 17/30, 227 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Sincere McCormick 19 rushes, 90 yards, TD Receiving Joshua Cephus 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD
At Louisiana Tech
Statistics USMLT First downs 17 14 Total yards 294 250 Rushing yards 184 150 Passing yards 110 100 Turnovers 3 5 Time of possession 35:06 24:54
Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Frank Gore Jr. 4/8, 75 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Dajon Richard 22 rushes, 120 yards Receiving Jason Brownlee 5 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TDLouisiana Tech Passing Aaron Allen 11/26, 100 yards, 2 INT Rushing Marcus Williams Jr. 17 rushes, 76 yards Receiving Smoke Harris 4 receptions, 48 yards
FIU
Statistics FIUUSM First downs 14 18 Total yards 391 444 Rushing yards 160 322 Passing yards 231 122 Turnovers 4 3 Time of possession 28:04 31:56
Team Category Player StatisticsFIU Passing Max Bortenschlager 13/24, 231 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Lexington Joseph 16 rushes, 105 yards, TD Receiving Tyrese Chambers 5 receptions, 155 yards, TDSouthern Miss Passing Frank Gore Jr. 4/5, 81 yards, 2 TD Rushing Dajon Richard 16 rushes, 107 yards, TD Receiving Jason Brownlee 5 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
References