Southern Miss loses steam in season-opening loss at home to in-state SEC foe
The debut of Charles Huff took a sour turn Saturday in Southern Miss’ opener against Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs scored three times in the third quarter and turned what had been a tie game late in the first half into a runaway 34-17 win in Hattiesburg. It was the Golden Eagles’ 11th straight double-digit loss.
“I felt like we battled in the first half,” first-year head coach Huff said following the loss. “We knew it was going to be a game where if we didn’t make enough plays early they would probably be able to wear us down a little bit. Which started to happen in the second half.”
Mississippi State’s Davon Booth and Fluff Bothwell combined for 122 yards out of the backfield and 50 of them came in the third quarter. The duo charged a sudden escape from a slim 13-10 halftime advantage to a comfortable 34-10 lead entering the fourth.
Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton completed 26 of 39 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Eagles’ run game found little room to breathe and it resulted in progressively tighter windows downfield. Braxton was intercepted on the first play of USM’s third possession of the third quarter and that quickly brought about an untouched back-breaking touchdown run from Booth.
“(Mississippi State) spent $15 million on their O-line and D-line, they should get a return on their investment,” Huff said. “We’re built pretty good, but we’re not built for that league.”
What went wrong for Southern Miss
Huff lauded the first-half play of both his offense and defense. The first touchdown drive of the Huff era came facing a 10-3 deficit in the second quarter. Braxton hit tight end Kadinn Morris deep over the middle on third and long from USM’s own 31-yard line.
A few plays later, Carl Chester scaled an MSU corner to haul in a contested sideline fade to set up the Eagles at the goal line. The drive finished with a circus catch touchdown by Micah Davis, who tracked a deflected ball on his way to the ground.
The Golden Eagle defense forced two consecutive three-and-outs in the second quarter and held the Bulldogs to a field goal when they marched to the goal line in the final moments of the half.
Huff said the plan was to get ahead early and force MSU to rely more on its pass game to mitigate the depth advantage its offensive line has.
But he also admitted to playing conservatively in the opening half and potentially missing opportunities to accomplish that goal.
“Probably in the first half we could’ve took some more shots,” Huff said. “You do that and you put your defense in a tough spot. I thought we were playing good, defensively, in the first half so we didn’t want to try and push the ball downfield and get a turnover and turn over the momentum. Didn’t want to push the ball downfield and get a quick three-and-out. So a little bit of coaching philosophy we can probably look at and try to improve on.”
The come apart began on MSU’s first drive out of the break. A 51-yard pass to Brenen Thompson set up a Bothwell touchdown run. Southern Miss responded with three plays and a punt.
There was little resistance on the next Bulldog drive, which ate up 67 yards on 11 plays and again ended with Bothwell in the end zone.
Southern Miss’ next possession was even shorter than the last: eight seconds. Braxton was picked off on the first play and an energy-depleted defense was forced back onto the field for the drive that ended in Booth putting a bow on the third quarter onslaught.
“We played a good defense,” Braxton said. “Those guys get paid just like we get paid. They probably get paid a little bit more but they’re good players. They’re big, strong, physical and they know football. They’re smart.”
Huff and Braxton call for patience
Much about Saturday felt rejuvenated. Attendance was announced at 33,485. A quarterback played a game from start to finish and did so with a relatively clean pocket. The defense created 12 havoc plays, including six pass breakups that would have been a season-high a year ago.
But the final score was all too familiar. It was the 11th straight double-digit loss and the 14th straight loss to an FBS opponent.
“I get it, I understand,” Huff said. “The fan base has been in this position for way too long. But trust the process. We will be fine.”
Braxton stepped off the turf saddled with his first career loss as a starting quarterback. The offense ran 51 plays that ended in either a pass or run by the 230-pound redshirt senior.
The final one was a 7-yard touchdown throw to T.J. Johnson. Braxton credited MSU’s secondary for its length and playmaking ability and was confident the rest of the road will look different for his offense.
“We liked that last drive,” Braxton said. “I feel like we showed everybody that we’re not going to quit no matter what the scoreboard says. That speaks to who we are. I feel like when the playing field is a little bit more even, we’re going to be that. We’re not going to feel this way too many more times. That’s for sure.”
Braxton applauded the game-day atmosphere and said it was one of the best home environments he’s played in. But to a fan base marred with four losing seasons out of the last five, Braxton did make a plea and a promise.
“Don’t turn your back on us when it goes bad one time,” Braxton said. “Keep supporting us and we’re going to treat y’all right. I promise.”
Southern Miss stays home next week when it hosts another in-state opponent in Jackson State. That game will kick at 4 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN+.
This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 2:34 PM.
