Southern Miss traveled to Miami to face the Hurricanes for the first time in program history and fell on the road by a score of 30-7.
Golden Eagles head coach Will Hall turned to freshman Zach Wilcke at quarterback, holding Ty Keyes out due to a lingering injury. While Wilcke looked sharp to open the game, leading Southern Miss down the field for an impressive touchdown early in the first quarter, the Hurricanes would eventually overwhelm USM from a talent standpoint.
Wilcke still managed to show some promise throughout the game, putting the Golden Eagles in a position to extend drives against a tough Hurricanes defense that held the team to just 33 rushing yards.
𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦.@SouthernMissFB’s @Wilcke12_ 👉 @DMooo05. ☀️🏈pic.twitter.com/UbXEPydhc8
— Sun Belt Football (@SunBeltFB) September 10, 2022
Defensively, Southern Miss forced a dynamic Miami offense to struggle in the first half, only allowing 10 points. Junior defensive back Malik Shorts added another interception to his arsenal, a feat he’s earned in consecutive games.
Notable performances for the Golden Eagles came from Wilcke with 207 yards in the air and one touchdown, as well as senior wide receiver Jason Brownlee with 105 yards on five receptions and one touchdown.
Southern Miss is scheduled to host Northwestern State on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. CT.
