Here come the Eagles. Southern Miss earns first conference win since 2023
For the first time in a long time, Southern Miss is on top.
The Golden Eagles (2-1) picked off three red zone passes in the first half of a 38-22 home win over Appalachian State. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak against FBS opponents and a nine-game losing streak in-conference.
“This ain’t the same old Southern Miss and won’t be ever again as long as I’m here,” coach Charles Huff said after the game. “We got a lot of work to do, but you’re not just coming in here and chalking up a win. It’s going to be a battle.”
An improbable 99-yard pick six by Ian Foster in the second quarter was the spark in a stretch where USM scored 24 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0 early.
The Mountaineers entered the game scoring a perfect 8-for-8 in the red zone, but converted just one of their first four trips into points Saturday. Anthony Richard Jr intercepted App State quarterback AJ Swann’s end zone fade on the game’s first possession, and linebacker Mathis Haygood ended a scoring threat late in the first half when he jumped Swann’s final pass attempt of the night.
It was Foster’s interception in between that provided the greatest shift in momentum. Swann tossed running back Rashod Dubinion a swing pass toward the goal line that the senior had to dive for to corral it. The ball bounced off his arms at the 1-yard line and landed fortiutisly in the grasp of Foster, who raced alone for the school’s longest pick six since 2016.
Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton threw for 279 yards and 112 of them went to Tychaun Chapman. Running back Jeffery Pittman scored his first two touchdowns of the season and recorded a team-high 39 rushing yards.
The Golden Eagles last won a conference game on Nov. 9, 2023 when they beat Louisiana 34-31. They now have a winning record through three games for the first time since 2019.
Southern Miss will look to hold on to that when it makes its road debut at Louisiana Tech next week.
Foster arrives
Foster had been hailed by his coaches as the best player on the roster in the preseason. He fills the all-important nickel position in defensive coordinator Jason Semore’s 4-2-5, playing a role that requires the ability to perform at all three levels of the defense.
The third-year sophomore had 11 total tackles through a quiet first two weeks of the season, but finally showed fans in week three what the coaching staff has seen all along.
Foster more than doubled his season tackles with 12 Saturday. Three of them came in the middle of the box on Dubinion runs of zero, one and two yards in the first half.
Late in the opening half, after his pick six, he made a rapid break from a cover 2 hook zone to jump a pass intended for Dubinion in the flat and nearly came away with his second interception of the quarter.
It would go down as his second pass breakup, but not his last. Foster would go airborne to smother an out route while matched up on the slot receiver to force a third and long for the Mountaineers just outside the red zone late in the third quarter.
That drive ended in a missed field goal.
Another week, another receiver
Southern Miss has showcased its newfound depth at the skill positions a quarter of the way through the season with different receivers stepping up each week.
The latest was a veteran in Chapman who came into the contest with two catches for eight yards. Chapman, now on his third team, averaged 28 yards a catch on four receptions Saturday.
“We don’t know wh it’s going to be, we don’t have a joystick that says the ball is going to go here,” Huff said about having multiple leading receivers. “We have to react to the defense, which mean’s everybody has to be ready. It was (Chapman’s) night. When the ball finds you, you got to take advantage of the opportunity because it may not find you for another three weeks... (Chapman) did a good job. He hadn’t really done anything the first two games, but he’s practiced hard and he’s been ready.”
Chapman was 100 % on his targets from Braxton and all of them were for first downs. His first two came on inside routes totalling 45 yards on a first half drive that resulted in the Eagles taking their first lead of the game.
His next touch came in the fourth quarter on a tunnel screen. That was a 26-yard gain and the last 12 of them came with 300-pound defensive lineman Dylan Manuel on his back.
Chapman’s final grab came down the seam on a go route that went for 41 yards and set USM up outside the red zone. The Golden Eagles would score on both of those possessions and had 17 points throughout the night on drives where Chapman caught a pass.
Breakout day for Tapp
Edge rusher Jabari Ishmael left the game in the first half with an injury, but there was drop off in pocket-disrupting production.
Former Texas Longhorn and Arizona State Sun Devil J’Mond Tapp made seven stops, brought down the quarterback three times and added another two hurries.
All three of his sacks came in the second half. Tapp practically single-handedly altered the flow of the game in the third quarter with two monumental plays.
Braxton had just thrown an interception and the Mountaineers were in plus territory with a chance to make it a 10-point game with plenty of time remaining. App St. showed an empty set on second down and Tapp torched the left guard before getting to the quarterback and forcing a third and long.
That led to a fourth down conversion attempt thwarted by Tapp swimming through a double team and forcing a throw behind a crossing Jaden Barnes that fell incomplete.
Southern Miss would get a season-high five sacks on the night. It also got season-bests in tackle for loss yardage, forced turnovers, pass breakups and quarterback hurries.
It’ll face a new test with future conference opponent LTU next week. That game is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 11:03 PM.
