Two Conference USA adversaries will duel in Joe Alliet Stadium this weekend when the Southern Miss Golden Eagles travel to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The contest is slated to get underway on Saturday, October 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST. The intriguing match-up can also be seen on the ESPN3 Network. As of Thursday, Louisiana Tech is a slight -2.5 point favorite and the over/under sits at 55.5.
Southern Miss is 4-2 on the season but finds themselves road underdogs as they travel to take on 3-3 Louisiana Tech. Southern Miss has won four of five and takes on a Louisiana Tech team that has lost two of three. Last week, the Golden Eagles shut-out the UTEP Miners 24-0 but their offense was lethargic throughout. As the week goes on, Southern Miss looks to be getting their starting signal-caller back for this conference rivalry.
Thankfully, Louisiana Tech had a bye week last weekend to help them recover from their 23-22 loss to UAB. I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing because head coach Skip Holtz is 0-4 ATS coming off of the extra rest. Either way, the Bulldogs are back at home and are hoping to rebound to once again elevate over the .500 mark.
Southern Miss has an 8-5 edge in the all-time series against the Bulldogs. Including, a 39-24 home win in the last battle on November 25, 2016.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-2)
Well, things seem to be looking up for the Southern Miss offense heading into Louisiana this Saturday. It appears that they will have their starting quarterback back to help an offense that sputtered last week. Even so, their defense played lights-out and kept the lowly Miners from scoring a point.
Quarterback Kwadra Griggs is hoping to return for his Golden Eagles. He is the catalyst for Southern Miss’ offense, passing for over 950 yards with eight touchdowns and only one pick. His numbers aren’t great but he has been bitten by the injury bug a bit this season. Only time will tell if Griggs’ time under center will make the difference for the Golden Eagles.
When you’re talking about the offense in Southern Miss, your talking about running back Ito Smith. The senior from Mobile, Alabama has performed admirably throughout the 2017 season. Overall, he has dashed for 733 yards on 118 carries. He also has found his way to the promised land on seven different occasions. Once again, he will be asked to carry the load against the Bulldogs’ 81st rush defense.
Two wide receivers catch most of the passes from either quarterback that is tossing the ball around on Saturdays. Together, they have accumulated over 650 yards on 48 catches and eight scores. Korey Robertson leads this group with 28 catches for 388 yards and five touchdowns.
On defense, the Golden Eagles have been great. The squad is tough against opposing runners and also against pass catchers. The front seven sits 16th in the nation, allowing only 118 yards a game. The secondary isn’t far behind, holding receivers to only 204 yards a match (46th). As a whole, scoring against Southern Miss hasn’t been easy. The Golden Eagles only surrender 18.8 points per contest (23rd).
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-3)
The Bulldogs have been about as unpredictable as it comes when gaging what team will show up on Saturdays. Honestly, they have traded off wins and losses since the season began. Well, they lost two weeks ago in a gut-wrenching defeat and need this win to rise back over the .500 mark for the year.
Skip Holtz’s offense isn’t the well-oiled machine that it has been in the past. Now, it is more of a work in progress type thing. Quarterback J’Mar Smith has done pretty well considering this was his first season under center. Through six weeks of ball, Smith has completed 114 passes for over 1,500 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He will leave the pocket, rushing for 152 yards on 48 totes of the rock.
The Louisiana Tech offense is a pass-first scheme that relies on their running game to keep opposing secondaries from lying in wait. In some games, this game plan has worked but in others, it has floundered. In FBS ball, the Bulldogs rank 80th in the country rushing for just under 150 a game. Tailback Jarred Craft leads the team with 79 carries for 359 yards and three scores.
Wide receiver Teddy Veal is the most productive Louisiana Tech wideout. The shifty pass catcher has nabbed 36 passes for just over 400 yards with three trips to pay-dirt. No other receiver has caught over 13 passes but six others have caught at least five. Furthermore, four other wide receivers have navigated their way into the end zone for the Bulldogs.
The Louisiana Tech defense is a little under average in all of the four major categories in Division I ball. They are 73rd in the nation as they allow teams to score 26 points a game against them. They also are allowing 395 yards of total offense which is good for 74th on the chart. Giving up 57 points to the Mississippi State Bulldogs didn’t help their overall stats on the year.
Prediction
The Southern Miss Eagles have won eight of the last ten games against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Still, these ball clubs have split the last four. Odds gurus have the home team as a 2.5 point favorite because they think this game could go either way. The public also thinks so as this line has swung from one team being the favorite to the next throughout the week.
Here is what I think. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, having a team with a strong defense and a good running game is the perfect recipe to win on the road. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are coming into Louisiana with just that. It’s a toss-up game here so you might as well throw your cash on the underdog with the more well-rounded club. Plus you should get a nice +150 play to take the Golden Eagles straight up.
The total is at 55 and hasn’t changed much throughout the week. Despite the efforts from Ito Smith, the Southern Miss offense hasn’t been exactly electric by any means. Besides, their not 100 percent on Griggs starting in this one either. Also, Louisiana Tech shouldn’t light things up against a good Golden Eagles defense. For those reasons, I suggest you make a play on the under 55. I see a game that ends somewhere in the area of 28-24 Southern Miss. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
Trends
The Golden Eagles are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
The Golden Eagles are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 conference games.
The Under is 7-2 in the Golden Eagles last 9 games overall.
The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in October.
The Bulldogs are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss.
The Under is 4-0 in the Bulldogs last 4 games overall.
The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
