Folks always say you can throw away records heading into a rivalry game and that was certainly the case on Friday as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles warped back to 2015 to demolish division champion Louisiana Tech in this year’s iteration of the Rivalry in Dixie. The Golden Eagles were led by quarterback Nick Mullens who had missed the previous three weeks with an injury. Mullens was brilliant in his return, missing on just four passes in a 29-33 effort that accounted for 340 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
It was a massive win for the Golden Eagles not just because it granted them their sixth win for bowl eligibility but because it also ended a violent downward spiral in Hattiesburg that had fans wondering if the Jay Hopson hire was an unmitigated disaster.