HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A fired up Southern Miss football squad scored 20 points in the opening period and held off a second-half rally for a 39-24 victory over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in a nationally-televised Sun Belt Conference game on Thursday at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Louisiana (4-4, 2-3 SBC), which returns home to host SBC West Division leader Troy on Nov. 5 for Senior Day, trailed 20-5 at the end of the first quarter and 29-11 at halftime before getting to 32-24 when Terrence Williams scored from 1-yard out with 3:12 remaining.
But after Louisiana forced punt with 2:15 remaining, Natrone Brooks iced the game with a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:14 left.