Sports - Colleges

Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

USM faces crucial stretch

HATTIESBURG — After a 3-0 start, Southern Miss’ season is suddenly on the line.

The Golden Eagles, coming off a 50-43 loss at No. 15 Houston, has an open date before heading to Marshall in a key Conference USA game on No. 14.

How crucial is the game for a Golden Eagles team that’s unbeaten at home (5-0) and winless on the road (0-4)? The school’s streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons and seven straight bowl appearances are in jeopardy.

Despite being winless on the road, an East Division title is still a possibility since the Golden Eagles (5-4) are one game behind East Carolina. The two clash in the season-finale on Nov. 28 at Greenville, N.C.

‘‘Every game is a playoff game now,’’ Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora said. ‘‘We’ve got to take care of business and it all starts with Marshall. The great thing about it, there is only one team in the East that only has one loss and we still have to play them (East Carolina).

‘‘In a sense, we control our own destiny and maybe end up playing Houston for the conference championship.’’

If that scenario unfolds, Southern Miss must win its final two road games as well as Tulsa at The Rock on Nov. 21.

And it all starts on the road where the Golden Eagles have lost four games by a combined 27 points, due mainly to break downs in the kicking game.

Against Louisville, a 68-yard kickoff return lead to the Cardinals game-winning field goal. At Houston, a seven-point swing in the kicking game - two blocked extra points (one returned for a two-point conversion) and a missed field goal was crucial.

‘‘After going back and evaluating, other than one game, we played pretty well on the road,’’ Fedora said. ‘‘I’m not saying we didn’t make mistakes because we did. In each game it was something different. It all boils down to finishing the game. ‘‘We have been a head, tied or behind by three points in the fourth quarter in all the losses. Those games were winnable, we just did not finish. For some reason, we have been able to do it at home, but not on the road.’’

Fedora stressed the season isn’t lost.

‘‘I’ve been in situations where you still have everything a head of you and you don’t,” Fedora said. “It is easier when you have everything ahead of you. I am not happy being 5-4. But I am happy that we still have our goals a head of us.’’

Senior running back Damion Fletcher moved into 14th on the FBS all-time career rushing leader list with 5,021 yards. The Biloxi native needs 266 rushing yards to become the ninth player to rush for at least a 1,000 yards in all four seasons.

Fletcher has rushed for 736 yards despite being hampered by an hamstring injury that forced him to miss one game.

‘‘Damion, I think, is still on track to reach a lot of goals he had coming into the season,” Fedora said. “I know the No. 1 goal was to win the East and that’s still out there. I think he’s going to do everything he can to get us there.’’