Nothing appeared to be right for Southern Miss in their matchup against Texas State on Saturday, a game that quickly deflated the Golden Eagles’ five-game winning streak and saw the Bobcats get a 41-14 win.
Statistically, it was one of the worst appearances for Southern Miss (7-3, 5-1 Sun Belt) this season, allowing 441 yards and turning the ball over three times while forcing no turnovers. Without star quarterback Braylon Braxton, who suffered a knee injury against Arkansas State last week, the Golden Eagle offense couldn’t find a rhythm with both of its scores coming in the second half when the game was out of reach.
Scoring summary
Texas State (4-6, 1-5) got on the board first with a 29-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game. The Bobcat defense then stripped the ball out of the hands of Southern Miss running back Jeffrey Pittman inside the red zone and recovered. TSU capitalized with quarterback Brad Jackson finding the end zone on a three-yard run on the ensuing drive.
In the second quarter, Texas State kicker Tyler Robes sent another ball through the uprights, this time from 50 yards out, to extend the lead to 13-0. For the next two series, Southern Miss punted and the Bobcats countered with two straight touchdowns: an 82-yard pass from Jackson to Chris Dawn Jr. and then a four-yard run by Jackson.
Texas State held a 27-0 lead at halftime.
Even though Southern Miss got the ball first in the second half, the offense stayed out of sync. Quarterback Landry Lyddy tossed an interception before the offense turned it over on downs the next possession.
Finally, the Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard when Lyddy connected with Elijah Metcalf on a four-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 27-7.
In the fourth quarter, Texas State scored two more touchdowns – a short rush by Lincoln Pare and a 100-yard pick six by Christopher Jones. Southern Miss found one more score, a two-yard rush by Pittman, but it was little too late. The final score was 41-14.
What the coach said
First-year Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff was visibly exhausted after the game, but when speaking with reporters, he said he wasn’t surprised by Texas State’s offensive production. Sprinkle in a lost turnover battle, it was a perfect recipe for a blowout, according to him.
“Texas State really took advantage of their opportunities and were able to maximize their drives,” Huff said. “We talked about how it was going to be a turnover battle. We did not win the turnover battle. We talked about having to be efficient with our drives on offense. Didn’t go a great job of that either.”
Numbers never lie
Southern Miss fell to 2-4 all-time against Texas State, now having lost all three games against the Bobcats when playing in Hattiesburg. The team was shut out in the first half for the first time since the 2024 season opener against Kentucky.
Lyddy, filling in for Braxton, became the 10th Golden Eagle quarterback to start a game since 2021. He finished 29 of 44 passing for 267 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Linebacker Chris Jones tied a career high with 15 tackles. J’Mond Tapp recorded the only sack of the contest, giving him a team-best 5.5 for the year.
For Texas State, Jackson was 14 of 17 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 29 yards and two touchdowns.
Not out yet
While Saturday’s blowout may be discouraging to some after Southern Miss exploded onto the scene as the best turnaround in college football – quickly flipping from a one-win team in 2024 to a seven-win team in 2025 – all hope is not lost when it comes to competing for a Sun Belt championship.
If Southern Miss wins out, the team will clinch the Sun Belt West and earn a spot in the league championship.
Next up
Southern Miss will head to Mobile to play South Alabama next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
