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July 26, 2001

Brent Beaird
BamaOnLine.com

REVIEW: Last year, the Golden Eagles finished 8-4 with a Mobile Alabama Bowl win over TCU. The three conference losses were the most in four seasons of play in Conference USA. They lost three of the final five games including the Cincinnati and East Carolina games by a total of eight points.

OFFENSE: Quarterback Jeff Kelly (17 wins in two years), who broke his thumb in the spring game, is one of nine returning starters on offense. Kelly joins Brett Favre and Lee Roberts as one of only three quarterbacks in USM history to throw for consecutive 2,000 yards seasons.

If Derrick Nix returns to form, the running game will be much improved. Nix, who rushed for 1,000 yards his first two seasons, missed all but five games last year with a kidney ailment and he spent some time in the hospital the last week of June for a similar problem. His backups are Dawayne Woods, who had 631 yards last year and Tim Blackwell, the spring's most improved offensive player.

Three of the top four receivers return including LeRoy Hand (40 catches) and Kenneth Johnson (27 receptions).

The offensive line has concerns because of injuries and reshuffling in the spring.

DEFENSE: New coordinator Tyrone Nix, the brother of Derrick, inherits a defense, ranked second overall in the nation last year, that returns only four starters. However, they are a good nucleus to build around.

Linebacker Rod Davis was a second team freshman All-American, linebacker Roy Magee had 14 tackles for loss and defensive back Chad Williams led the team with 114 tackles. The biggest concern is the line that lost five starters.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Brant Hanna was 12 of 18 field goals last year and Mark Haulman averaged 41 yards punting. COACHING: Jeff Bower is 67-47-1 in 11 years in Hattiesburg.

OUTLOOK: This program has come a long way during the Bower era. Southern Miss has a streak of five consecutive years where they have won seven or more games. Another example of the progress of the program is that Kansas State refused to play USM in Manhattan for the Black Coaches Association Classic.

SERIES HISTORY: Even though Southern Miss is 41-18 the past five years, they have beaten the Tide only once during that period and twice since 1990.

THE POSITIVES: This is the first of several revenge games for the Tide. Southern Miss forced four turnovers and held Alabama to 217 total yards in last year's ugly affair.

THE NEGATIVES: Southern Miss, who opens with Oklahoma State, has a week off before facing Alabama. This starts a critical three week stretch when Alabama faces three bowl teams with two of the games at home.


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