This has the makings of a shootout as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-3) play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-3). Players to watch in this matchup are the CUSA’s third-leading rusher, Kenneth Dixon (972 yards, 17 TDs), and the top passer, Nick Mullens (3,578 yards, 32 TDs). It will begin Saturday, Nov 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FSN.
Louisiana Tech won a close one over UTEP 17-15 last week. Carlos Henderson had a big game in the win, registering three receptions for 78 yards and two TDs. Jeff Driskel added 188 yards and two TDs through the air. Southern Miss also got the win in last week’s performance, cruising past Old Dominion 56-31. Jalen Richard had an outstanding performance on the ground for the Golden Eagles, rushing for 161 yards and four TDs on 22 carries. Casey Martin also had a big game with 104 receiving yards and a TD on eight receptions.
Louisiana Tech is a six-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
The Bulldogs enter the game with records of 8-3 Straight Up (SU) and 6-5 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, Louisiana Tech is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Bulldogs can take advantage of the fumble-prone Golden Eagles, who rank close to the bottom of the nation in fumbles lost with 1.1 per game. Southern Miss will want to stay focused this week to avoid giving the game away to the Bulldogs. The Golden Eagles are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with 7.5 flags per game.
Across the field, the Golden Eagles have 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS records this season. In the previous five games, Southern Miss has a record of 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS. If earlier games are any indication, the Golden Eagles will throw the ball a lot. They average 336 passing yards per game, good enough for 12th in Division I. Louisiana Tech will be matching up against a stout Golden Eagles defense which has been playing better. They only allowed 14 PPG over their last five matchups, well below their season average of 22.3. Lately, the Golden Eagles have had a better pass defense. They’re allowing 142.8 passing YPG over their last five matchups, less than their average for the season (189.6 pass YPG). The Golden Eagles make it hard on their opponents down the stretch, averaging 9.9 points in the final quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louisiana Tech, ATS Winner – Southern Miss
Notes
Louisiana Tech is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana Tech’s last 6 games at home.
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Southern Miss is 6-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Louisiana Tech is 7-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
This season, Southern Miss is 3-1 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and 2-1 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
The Louisiana Tech rush defense is ranked 10th in the country this year, and will look to contain the 35th-ranked offensive ground attack of Southern Miss.
