When Southern Miss visits Robertson Stadium on Saturday to take on the No. 15 Cougars, they do so knowing they control their own destiny in the race for an appearance in the Conference USA championship game.
The Golden Eagles will be the only team on the field to have that luxury, thanks to UH’s loss at UTEP.
That may not matter, however, if Southern Miss cannot stop UH’s offense, and head coach Larry Fedora knows that. He is also aware that a win will require more than simply shutting down quarterback Case Keenum and the Cougars’ passing game.
‘It is not all about stopping the passing game,’ Fedora said. ‘You still have to concentrate on stopping the run. Bryce Beall is a heck of a football player.
‘They are averaging 135 to 140 yards a game rushing, which is really good, especially when you are throwing it for over 400 (yards) a game. That is their hidden yardage that will get you if you are not careful.’
Fedora said the Cougars’ (6-1, 2-1 C-USA) passing attack is unique compared to more traditional systems that stretch the field.
‘When you look at their passing game, it is really not downfield throws, but a controlled passing game where they get the ball to quick guys out in open spaces, and those guys make plays,’ Fedora said. ‘They are going to catch the football and we have to do a good job of tackling in open space.’
The Golden Eagles (5-3, 3-1) rebounded nicely from a three-game losing streak by posting consecutive victories over Memphis and Tulane. The two wins came by a combined margin of victory of 57 points and against teams with a total of four wins between them.
Saturday, Southern Miss will have a chance to beat a ranked opponent and also get its first road win of the season.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the game will be’ broadcasted on Comcast Sports Southwest.
‘When you get to play a nationally ranked team on the road and on TV, everyone should get a little excited,’ Fedora said. ‘It is a tremendous opportunity. As a football team, you do not get those very often, and when they do come up you better take advantage of it.
‘This is our second time this season to play a ranked opponent, and we feel like from looking at film this is the best team we have played at this point.’
To take full advantage of the opportunity, Fedora stressed the importance of sticking to the running game while still finding balance on offense.
‘We will go into this game wanting to be effective running the football, because we think that will help us all the way around,’ Fedora said. ‘Obviously we want to try and be balanced. We have always said that balance to us is that we do not care how we get it ‘- either run or pass.’
