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As homecoming approaches, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles are still searching for their first FBS win since November 8, 2025. Last week, the Golden Eagles fell to Arkansas State, 23-13, in disappointing fashion. The Golden Eagles gave up 304 yards of offense and two turnovers, then allowed 53 yards on seven penalties. But now, it's time to look ahead again.
It's Homecoming weekend in the Hub City, and Southern Miss faces their oldest rival, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, who are looking to be a pretty tough matchup.
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are led on the field by sixth-year head coach Michael Desormeaux, who took over in 2021 when Billy Napier left Lafayette for the Florida Gators. Over his six seasons so far, Desormeaux has achieved a 34-27 overall record and a 1-4 postseason record.
Thus far in the 2026 season, the Ragin' Cajuns are 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Cajuns have pulled off big wins over FCS Lamar, UAB, Charlotte, Arkansas State, and Troy, but have also fallen to USC (49-30) and Sun Belt/in-state rival Louisiana Tech (32-31). Overall, the Cajuns have outscored their opponents 210-135.
On the offensive side of the ball, Lunch Winfield is the Cajuns' starting quarterback, who has thrown for 1,153 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He has also been sacked eight times. Interestingly enough, Winfield is also the team's leading rusher, with 463 yards and 8 touchdowns.
This season, the Golden Eagle defense has struggled in all but one game: against Alcorn State. But with all five losses, there has obviously been a problem. Overall, in five of USM's losses, the defense has allowed 2,460 yards of offense, and the team has been outscored 193-96. And while USM's offense appears to have improved some over the last few weeks, the defense still has to make up the other half of the game.
Against Arkansas State, the Golden Eagles allowed 304 total yards of offense, while the Red Wolves went 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions. But on a brighter note, Southern Miss racked up four sacks against ASU's quarterback and deflected three passes. But one thing still stands out. The Red Wolves, the Trojans, the Green Wave, and anyone the Golden Eagles have lost to have not been able to keep the Golden Eagles out of the end zone.
Golden Eagle defensive coordinator Joe Bolden still says he's trying to reshape the defense and their strategies. "I've told our guys before, when you play defense, you have to be unrecognizable to your mother," Bolden said. "You got to be nasty. You got to be mean."
And with a threat as big as a successful dual threat in Lunch Winfield, you do have to be nasty. While Winfield has been caught in the pocket and sacked eight times, he has still thrown for four touchdowns and run for eight more. He is not scared to leave the pocket when he needs to, and is still quick on his feet. Southern's key to him is to stay nasty and get meaner to put pressure on Winfield.
Landry Lyddy has now fully embraced his role as the Golden Eagles' starter. Last week against Arkansas State, Lyddy totaled 208 yards in the air, two yards on the ground, and 1 passing touchdown. The only things left to improve in Lyddy's game are his interception rate and accuracy.
Since becoming USM's full-time starter, Landry Lyddy has completed 74 of 124 passes (59.6%) for 961 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. Two of those interceptions came against Arkansas State, putting the Red Wolves in a good spot.
As Lyddy continues to adjust to his position, Blake Anderson said in this week's press conference, "I don't want the quarterback playing scared. I want him playing confident, and I want him playing better." Coach Anderson also said that it is important to look beyond the quarterback when evaluating wrong moves or questionable plays in a game.
In Coach Anderson's first stint at Southern Miss, he was known for his aggressive coaching style as the offensive coordinator. This reputation followed him to North Carolina as OC and to Arkansas State and Utah State as head coach. Quarterbacks such as Austin Davis (USM), Bryn Renner (UNC), and Fredi Knighten (ASU) have showcased Anderson's abilities, and this far into a new season, some fans have been questioning those coaching abilities, as the team sits at 1-5 on the season.
However, as with any coach enduring a large roster turnover and a narrowed window to build said roster, especially in today's college football, it's understandable to have some growing pains. But Anderson's overall track record proves he is not a 1-5 coach.
In his first two seasons at Arkansas State and Utah State, Coach Anderson compiled a total record of 32-20. While Golden Eagle fans are used to the troubles of a new head coach, maybe it's time to pump the brakes a little, and let Coach Anderson get settled. And rivalries like this can be the perfect tone setter for a new coach and team looking to get on track.
Though not having an official name, the Southern Miss-Louisiana rivalry is one of the oldest and deepest in the Sun Belt Conference. These two teams first met in 1923, when UL won 66-0, and Southern Miss did not win a game until 1932. At this point, Southern Miss was 1-7 against the Ragin' Cajuns, but that was soon to change. Between 1932 and 1940, Southern Miss went on a nine-game win streak to take the series 10-7. Over the next 86 years, between two conferences and decades of independence, this rivalry grew to be mostly in the Golden Eagles' favor, but it also instilled deep hatred and appreciation for each other. Today, Southern Miss holds a 42-12-1 all-time record over the Ragin' Cajuns.
Interestingly enough, the 2026 matchup is not entirely new to either team. In the past, Southern Miss has remarkably scheduled many homecomings for the UL game. All-time, at homecoming, the Golden Eagles hold a 6-1 record over Louisiana.
But at this point, after 103 years, it's time to make this rivalry official. A good name is needed. Might I suggest the "Hub City Bowl," since Lafayette and Hattiesburg are both known as the "Hub City" in their respective states? Just a thought.
Staff Member, Season Record in () |
Score Prediction |
|---|---|
Andy Baeuerle (2-4) |
Louisiana 42, Southern Miss 17 |
Dalton Trigg (4-2) |
Louisiana 34, Southern Miss 24 |
Josh House (1-4) |
Louisiana 31, Southern Miss 14 |
Charlie Lanehart (4-2) |
Louisiana 35, Southern Miss 10 |
Drew Johnson (2-3) |
Louisiana 21, Southern Miss 7 |
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