Charles Huff’s first season as the head coach at Southern Miss hasn’t been perfect, but the Golden Eagles have shown great improvements compared to last year already.
With a great number of new players, many who followed Huff from Marshall, Southern Miss is 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the Sun Belt standings. They have wins over FCS Jackson State, Jacksonville State, and App State with losses against Mississippi State at home and Louisiana Tech on the road.
Georgia Southern is 2-3 but has been a bit more disappointing considering the preseason expectations for the Eagles. They’ve lost to Fresno State, USC, and James Madison while defeating FCS Maine and Jacksonville State.
But with an 0-1 mark in conference play, the Eagles are looking to bounce back in this weekday matchup.
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Spread & Betting Odds
Southern Miss is a -3.5 college football betting odds favorite against Georgia Southern, with the Over/Under being 59.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Southern Miss is -160, while it’s +135 for Georgia Southern.
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern On TV
The matchup between Southern Miss and Georgia Southern will be televised on ESPN2.
The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 9. The contest is taking place at Allen E Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Prediction
I predict Southern Miss will win and cover the 3.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 59.5 total points.
After stumbling against Louisiana Tech – though the Bulldogs are stout defensively this year – I think this Southern Miss team is about to find a rhythm, especially on offense.
The Golden Eagles have scored at least 38 points in three of their last four games. Most recently, at home against Jacksonville State, they put up 42.
USM quarterback Braylon Braxton has thrown for 1,236 yards, 11 touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 65% completion rate. He’s also rushed for 169 yards and one score.
Braxton has spread the ball around, as six players have at least 100 yards receiving and six have at least 10 catches. Carl Chester is the leader as he has 224 yards and one TD on 14 catches.
I like Georgia Southern’s offense, too. I think there’s plenty of talent for the Eagles on that side of the ball. But I am a little worried after they were limited to 10 points at James Madison.
So I think Southern Miss will score plenty of points and that the Golden Eagles will also make some important plays on defense as well en route to staying undefeated in league play.
