With 7:04 left in the second quarter, sophomore wide receiver Quez Watkins found and outran Jackson State defenders for an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the first of four Watkins touchdowns in Southern Miss’ 55-7 season opener over Jackson State.
“It’s always good to get the first win,” Southern Miss Head Coach Jay Hopson said. “We started fast. I really liked our first three or four possessions on offense. I feel like defensively we were good too. We had a few three and outs early. It was a good win and it was a good opportunity in the second half to play a lot of guys.