5 Thoughts ... 2008 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss 30 ... Troy 27 OT
GAME
REVIEW: Southern Miss blocks kick to win
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2008 New Orleans Bowl
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1)
Is it possible to have a worse start and a better ending than
Southern Miss came up with in the win over Troy ... and for the
season as a whole? The Golden Eagles needed a timeout on the first
play, got nailed with a false start penalty and got a bad option
pitch batted down and returned for a score from Troy's Jorrick
Calvin. In the fourth quarter and overtime, the Golden Eagles made
up for the early mistakes by coming through with the clutch plays
they needed to make. The middle part of the game wasn't bad, either.
The Golden Eagles stayed calm, cool, and collected despite losing
star WR DeAndre Brown to a horrific injury, despite having problems
getting the Troy offense off thee field at times, and, of course,
despite the lousy start. For a hot team that turned a major corner
late in the season, this was a special win for USM that should make
for a fun off-season. Next year, the team isn't going to struggle as
much over the first half of the year and it won't have to rally. But
after this game, it knows it can. -
Pete
Fiutak
2) Give Larry Fedora a little more time and he’ll get the Southern
Miss offense where Tulsa, Houston, and Rice are in Conference USA.
He’s got one of the best offensive minds around and has already
shown an ability to improve the overall talent level in Hattiesburg.
Considering he inherited players recruited to play in a completely
different system and went with a freshman quarterback, Fedora did
real well to get the Eagles over .500. After beating Troy in
overtime, Southern Miss takes a five-game winning streak into the
offseason, which is just the kind of momentum it’ll need to be the
class of the East Division next fall. -
Richard Cirminiello
3)
Although the New Orleans Bowl was as entertaining as it gets for a
December 21st bowl, it wasn’t the same after Southern Miss WR
DeAndre Brown suffered a gruesome leg injury early on. He was the
best reason to tune out the Giants and Panthers on NBC, a 6-6 true
freshman gazelle with limitless upside. And there he was, writhing
on the turf with a nasty fracture that looks like it’ll keep him
away from the field well beyond spring practice. You root for a
quick recovery for all of the obvious reasons and a few that are
self-serving, like he’s so much fun to watch in action. You can just
see the greatness on the horizon for certain players. Brown is one
of them. Here’s hoping he’s in uniform when the Eagles open up the
2009 season. -
Richard Cirminiello
4) Former coach Jeff Bower, who won and won and won, had no business
being pushed out of the Golden Eagle program. With that said, the
past should have nothing to do with the way current USM boss Larry
Fedora is assessed or appreciated. Very simply, the new head honcho
in Hattiesburg has gotten his players to buy into his methods. Many
2-6 teams would have folded; not this one. Tonight's improbable bowl
victory--which was in doubt until the stunning blocked field goal in
overtime--was truly a microcosm of Fedora's first season as an FBS
head coach. Faith, perseverance and patience were definitely
rewarded in the Louisiana Superdome. -
Matthew
Zemek
5) Don't ever... ever...
ever... run backwards when the first down marker is within your
sights. Maybe Troy receiver Michael Terry will finally learn that
lesson after a third down play in the fourth quarter in USM
territory. Terry didn't get the first down, and in no man's land on
the Golden Eagle 39, Troy went for it on 4th and one, got stuffed,
and Austin Davis went to work completing four passes on the way to
the score to pull USM within three. If any other young players (or
veteran coaches) were watching this game, they just found the
ultimate teachable moment for pass catchers. Terry's lack of common
sense paved the way for Southern Miss's ballsy late-game comeback
and overtime win. -
Matthew
Zemek
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2008 CFN New Orleans Bowl Preview