Southern Miss has a different problem: it can't keep anybody out of the end zone. The Golden Eagles gave up 55 to Troy and 54 to James Madison in their last 5, with JMU's JC Evans scoring 3 rushing touchdowns and throwing for another. JMU put up 24 in the fourth quarter alone, in front of 24,182 at Renasant Stadium. Tech just watched that same Troy team cough it up twice, so the film session writes itself.
The Golden Eagles can score, though. They put up 35 on Louisiana and 35 on UL Monroe for their only back-to-back wins of the year, and they dropped 34 even in the Troy loss. The catch is the Tech defense. It shut out UL Monroe and Old Dominion in consecutive games and has allowed 20 or fewer in 4 of its last 5. Somebody's streak gives on Saturday, and the Bulldogs' has the better track record.
Schedule helps Southern Miss a little. The JMU game was on a Thursday night, so the Golden Eagles get 9 days before kickoff in Ruston. Tech is coming off a road win at Troy and gets the standard week. Saturday, November 14 should be a clear 60 degrees at Joe Aillet Stadium with almost no wind, so the weather gives neither side an excuse. For a 3-6 team this is a chance to wreck a contender's November. For Tech it's a game to handle at home and keep the conference record clean.
