Southern Miss football defeats Rice in LendingTree Bowl behind Frank Gore Jr. record
Frank Gore Jr. put college football historians to work Saturday.
Gore’s NCAA bowl-record 329-yard rushing performance propelled USM to a 38-24 win over the Rice Owls in the LendingTree Bowl, securing the first bowl win for the Golden Eagles (7-6) since 2016.
Runs of 55, 59 and 64 yards by Gore Jr. cut canals of green turf through the Owls’ defense throughout the night. He set the single-season school rushing record on 15.7 yards per touch.
His final run was a 55-yard jaunt to the end zone that created breathing room on the scoreboard in the final minutes of the game.
It was sorely needed breathing room: USM had already watched its two-score halftime lead evaporate in the third quarter.
“I thought we came out and played a dominant first half,” USM coach Will Hall said after the game. “But then in the third quarter, they drove it and scored. Which is what good teams that are well-coached do... We’re just used to it. That’s what we do, we play close games. We played 13 games this year, 12 of them were close. We didn’t bat an eye, we kept battling.”
Rice (5-8) scored 21 unanswered points out of the break, but USM responded with a touchdown pass from Gore Jr. to Ty Mims and retook the lead in the fourth quarter when Jason Brownlee make a diving grab in the end zone.
Trey Lowe completed seven of his pass attempts for 170 yards and two scores for USM. Linebacker Daylen Gill recorded 11 tackles and three sacks in his final game for USM.
Southern Miss improved from three wins in Hall’s first season with the program to seven this season.
Gore Jr. establishes his own legacy
Frank Gore Sr. was in the building to witness his son rack up more yardage in a single game than he ever did at Miami, or in the NFL.
It was a legacy-establishing night for a running back who left South Florida determined to carve out his own legacy in Hattiesburg.
“I already told (Gore Sr.) he can’t mess with me,” Gore Jr. said. “I told him right when he came on the field, that I’m the best in the family.”
The night the third-year back had came as no surprise to his teammates, and Gore Jr. lobbed all credit to his offensive line and to wide receiver Jason Brownlee.
Brownlee had only three catches on 10 targets and picked up 72 yards with them. Still, in his final game wearing Black and Gold, Brownlee’s impact was immeasurable.
“(Brownlee) gets an assist, tonight,” Hall said. “They double-covered him most of the night, which allowed us to have hats in the run game. He’s going to be rewarded for that at some point in life. Anytime you choose others above yourself, it always wins in the long run.”
Gore Jr. alluded to the fact he knew he was putting together a special night during a first half where gained 108 yards on the ground.
When the Owls stormed back, though, his focus shifted.
“I didn’t even worry about the stats,” Gore Jr. said. “Once we went down, stats went out the door and I just focused on getting the trophy and winning for my teammates.”
Gill makes his last ride count
Gill elected to use his final year of eligibility at Southern Miss following a lone year at Ole Miss, and was thrust into a significant role when the linebacker unit suffered a pair of season-ending injuries.
As the season wore on, his impact grew. It culminated in a game-altering performance against Rice that earned him bowl defensive MVP honors.
Gill had 11 tackles and three sacks, two of them coming on back-to-back plays during a critical fourth-quarter possession.
“Daylen is proud he came here and we’re proud he came here,” Hall said. “Daylen loves this place, he really does. He’s embraced our culture as quick as anybody I’ve ever had that played for me for a year... He’s kind of the epitome of this program.”
Gill helped anchor a defense that forced two turnovers, made seven stops in the defensive backfield and had eight pass breakups.
He said the unit came out a “little sluggish” in the second half, but defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong refocused them.
“Coach Armstrong, he keeps us together,” Gill said. “He always says ‘stay calm’ during the game. During good plays or bad plays.”
Rice’s offensive output dropped from 7.6 yards per play in third quarter to 2.6 in the fourth. Jay Stanley sealed the win with his team-high fifth interception of the year with under a minute left.
Southern Miss will now enter a new offseason with the momentum of a winning season for the first time since 2019.
This story was originally published December 17, 2022 at 8:47 PM.
