USM writes fitting end to season|[12/21/2005]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Hull powers Golden Eagles to victory in bowl game
LAFAYETTE, La. – A pair of up-and-comers gave Southern Miss a fond farewell to a season few will ever forget.
Freshman tight end Shawn Nelson hauled in six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore running back Cody Hull ran 37 times for 161 yards and a score as the Golden Eagles defeated Arkansas State, 31-19, for their second straight New Orleans Bowl victory.
“This is a great win for this football team,” said Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower, who led the Golden Eagles to their 12th straight winning season. “It hasn’t been easy all year and it wasn’t easy tonight. We knew we’d have to play well to win this football game.”
The bowl victory brought to an end one of the most tumultuous seasons in Southern Miss history.
Forced off campus by Hurricane Katrina and forced to postpone another game because of Hurricane Rita, the Golden Eagles needed a victory over Tulane in the final game of the season to become bowl-eligible with a 6-5 regular season record.
Early on Tuesday night, it appeared as if the circumstances surrounding the season had taken too much of a toll. Southern Miss lost two fumbles in the first quarter and led only 10-3 late in the second.
Indians’ quarterback Nick Noce’s 4-yard quarterback keeper with six seconds to play in the first half sent ASU into halftime with a 10-10 tie and possession of the ball to start the third quarter.
“They went in with the momentum and we knew we were not playing Southern Miss football and that play right before the half showed that,” said USM quarterback Dustin Almond, who completed 17 of 32 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. “We went in, coach gave a speech and we came out playing Southern Miss football.”
Kevis Coley recovered a fumble early in the third quarter to set up Hull’s 1-yard touchdown – his only score of the night – as the Golden Eagles took a 17-10 lead. ASU and USM traded touchdowns on the next two possessions and the Indians took advantage of a botched punt for a safety to pull to 24-19 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Behind dominating offensive line play, however, the Eagles controlled the ball for most of the fourth quarter, registering three drives of at least 10 plays.
“We had a serious size disadvantage. They are so big and strong,” ASU coach Steve Roberts said. “We thought we could win with quickness, but they put their bodies on our bodies. We were able to stop a few things, then we tried to load the box and then you open yourself up to another can of worms with Almond and Nelson.”
Southern Miss put the game out of reach with 8:22 to play in the fourth quarter when Almond found Nelson for a 6-yard touchdown pass and a 31-19 lead. Nelson, who had never played tight end before coming to Southern Miss, became the first Golden Eagle receiver since Marvin Young to register back-to-back 100-yard games. He had 113 yards in the season finale against Tulane.
“Throughout this year, I accomplished some of the goals I set out for myself,” Nelson said. “But I know next year I will have to come out and work harder and keep getting better.”
Following Nelson’s touchdown, ASU drove to the USM 42 but was forced to punt. Southern Miss put together a 15-play drive that consumed 5:02 before turning the ball over on downs to the Indians. Hull carried the ball six times on the final drive.
“I’m tired,” Hull said. “It’s good to get all those carries and have the coaches lean on me and give me all those carries.”
Noce led Arkansas State with 213 yards passing and a touchdown running and throwing. Southern Miss held ASU to 119 rushing yards.
“I don’t care about my stats. If we win the game, that’s all that
matters to me,” Noce said. “I know I could have done more to help my team win. You can’t really be happy about your self performance if your team loses.”
For Southern Miss, Nelson and Hull will be two key cogs for the future. But Bower was quick to highlight what his senior class, including five senior captains, meant to this year’s team.
“We were never on a routine,” Bower said. “We played on a Tuesday and Sunday and Friday and our players got banged up. Our players hung in there and I think it teaches you a valuable lesson that things aren’t always going to go your way.
“This is a tough team. People don’t understand what this football team went through. Special thanks to our senior class and our five team captains. They were leaders for this football team and did a tremendous job.”