Southern Miss was a victim of circumstances it created in a 63-31 loss at Louisiana Tech.
The Golden Eagles (3-7, 2-4 Sun Belt) started the game about as poorly as a team could when quarterback John White threw an interception on the first play. Six seconds in, Blake Anderson’s team was behind the proverbial 8-ball. That omen stayed consistent throughout the game and on the final scoreboard.
White, who had his first start since 2023 last week against James Madison, was more of a detriment than an asset to Southern Miss in the blowout loss to the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-0 Sun Belt). The Madison-Ridgeland Academy product finished the night 21 of 43 with 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a dismal 4 interceptions, with a pair of the picks resulting in Louisiana Tech touchdowns.
The Bulldogs capitalized in just four plays after the initial pick by White when Dylone Brooks carried the ball a yard into the end zone. The Golden Eagles responded in an impressive 13-play, 73-yard bounce-back drive for White that ultimately ended in a field goal.
Louisiana Tech answered with two more touchdowns to two different players, putting the score at 21-3 at the end of the first quarter. Southern Miss cut the deficit to 11 with 14:21 to play in the half thanks to a 53-yard touchdown run from running back Jamarice Wilder who finished with 83 yards on 11 carries.
However, any hopes for Southern Miss were dashed when the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered, 14 of those points coming via pick-6s thrown by White. His three first half interceptions saw Southern Miss with a 42-10 deficit at the half.
Louisiana Tech quarterback Blake Baker continued to add onto his stellar night with a score to start the second half. Baker finished with 236 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 21 of 28.
The Golden Eagles scored a few more touchdowns but it ultimately did not prove fruitful in the 32-point defeat.
Southern Miss finished the game with 406 yards, 5 turnovers, and a turnover on downs. Louisiana Tech had 495 yards backed by a stellar performance from Baker. To make matters worse for the Golden Eagles, the Bulldogs scored from 10 different players.
Next up
With hopes for a bowl game out the window, Southern Miss will play its last home game of the season next Saturday against South Alabama at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
