The Southern Miss football team has lost two games in a row, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the Sun Belt championship conversation.
In fact, a win this weekend for the Golden Eagles (7-4, 5-2) over Troy (7-4, 5-2) would clinch the program’s first-ever Sun Belt West title and land Charles Huff and company in next month’s conference championship game.
Not many people, especially Southern Miss fans, could have predicted the team would be fighting for a title game appearance going into the final game of the regular season after a 1-11 mark in 2024. Maybe the only person who could have predicted it was Huff himself.
“It’s going to be the hardest thing we’ve ever been a part of, but I can guarantee you it will be the most rewarding, most gratifying moment we’ve ever been a part of when we hoist that trophy at the Rock,” Huff said upon being introduced as head coach in December.
While Huff, who signed a five-year contract to lead the Golden Eagles after winning a Sun Belt championship at Marshall in 2024, didn’t necessarily put a timetable on when championship football would be restored in Hattiesburg, a combination of things has either fallen or been forced into place to potentially expedite the process.
For one, it starts at the top. Since stepping on campus, Huff has brought with him a unique attitude that’s been missing for some time. Constantly embodying confidence and being as transparent when his team wins as when it loses, Huff brings a special persona to the table. It’s that persona, combined with the Xs and Os, that gets assistant coaches and players to buy in.
Speaking of the players, Huff quickly turned over a roster that didn’t produce much in 2024, kept the guys that did produce, and brought in a whopping 80 new faces. Those include quarterback Braylon Braxton, wide receiver Elijah Metcalf, defensive back Josh Moten, defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp, and running back Jeffrey Pittman. That wouldn’t have been possible without an aligned commitment amongst money-giving fans and the school administration.
Then, as Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady once said, “You need to be good, but you also need a few breaks to go your way to win a championship.” That quote applies in Southern Miss’ case as the Golden Eagles just happen to play in the Sun Belt’s weaker division this year. On the other side, in the East, James Madison (10-1, 7-0) is sitting pretty in first with the next two, Old Dominion and Coastal Carolina, having the same conference record as both Southern Miss and Troy. They don’t play in the west, though, which means either Southern Miss or Troy will meet James Madison in the title game on Dec. 5.
Putting the recipe that got Southern Miss to this situation aside, Huff said during the conference coaches’ media availability on Monday that this is what his team has been working toward all year and they’re ready to go.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity coming up this weekend, obviously playing meaningful football here in Hattiesburg in November against a really good opponent. Our guys are really fired up,” he said. “We know we have a huge challenge in front of us.”
Southern Miss and Troy will kick off from inside M.M. Roberts Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Golden Eagles head into the game as a 6.5-point favorite.
