2013-14 Football Previews – (MAC) – Golden Eagles
How on earth could a team go from 12-2 to 0-12 in the next season?
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles managed to do that in 2012. Larry Fedora left for North Carolina and Ellis Johnson took over the Golden Eagles program. Johnson was let go after one season of futility.
This team shouldn’t have been that bad. Sure, they lost a lot of talent, but they had too much talent to go winless.
Conference USA 2013 College Football Previews: Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Todd Monken
2012 Record: 0-12
Southern Miss Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win BCS Championship: +2,000 (Part of Field)
Southern Miss Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win Conference USA East Division: +800
Southern Miss Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win Conference USA: +1,700
Todd Monken was brought in during the offseason to try to pull the program together. This may not be one of the top teams in the league anymore, but they certainly should be able to win a few games.
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They could even surprise the conference if they get some momentum and get their confidence back.
Team Strengths:
Southern Miss has some star power on the defensive side of the football. A pair of big strong defensive tackles will be the anchor of a solid defensive line. Khyri Thornton and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are both going to make a lot of noise in opponents backfields this season. At the cornerback spot, Deron Wilson may be the best cover corner in the conference. Wilson could easily be a solid corner in the NFL in the coming years.
Kendrick Hardy gives this team a play maker at the running back position. Hardy has been up and down in his production levels during his career in Hattiesburg, but he has a high upside and should be much better than he was a year ago. Hardy has a lot of power, and he runs the ball very hard.
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Team Weaknesses:
The offensive line must get much better. This is the biggest goal of Coach Monkin’s heading into the season. He absolutely needs better production from this offensive front. Southern Miss will be starting four new guys on the offensive line, and that kind of inexperience on the front can lead to some real problems.
Can someone step up at the quarterback spot? Cal transfer Allen Bridgford hasn’t proven anything in his college career, but most believe he’ll be a step up from the production Southern Miss got from this position last year. The Golden Eagles were an absolute mess last year, and just saying he’ll be better than last year’s quarterback isn’t nearly enough. Bridgford has a major test ahead of him.
Southern Miss wants to transition to a spread offense, but they don’t really have the personnel to make it work right now. As mentioned above, the quarterback situation is a major question mark. At wide receiver, the Golden Eagles have a bunch of unproven guys who are very raw.
2013-2014 Southern Miss Football Prediction: 5-7
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles have nowhere to go except up. The defense is much more talented than it showed a year ago. If the offense can be a little less hapless, the defense won’t get worn down badly every single game. Still, there are lots of holes on this roster. The transition to a new system won’t be easy for a team lacking in the personnel needed. It will be a step forward, but they will still struggle against the best teams in the league.
2013 Golden Eagles Schedule
8/31/13 7:00 PM ET TEXST
9/7/13 6:00 PM ET @NEB
9/14/13 12:21 PM ET @ARK
9/28/13 TBD @BOIST
10/5/13 TBD FLINT
10/19/13 TBD @ECAR
10/26/13 7:00 PM ET NOTEX
11/2/13 12:30 PM ET @MARSH
11/9/13 7:00 PM ET @LTECH
11/16/13 TBD FLATL
11/23/13 TBD MTENN
11/30/13 TBD @UAB
