Auburn is set to host Southern Miss on Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first home game of the season and the Alex Golesh era.
The Tigers are coming off a one-score game against Baylor that ended when safety Eric Winters made a spectacular play to prevent a successful two-point conversion that would have given the Bears the lead. The win extended Auburn's home-opener streak to 10 wins.
Southern Miss comes into this matchup after a 49-3 victory over Alcorn State. As of Wednesday, Sept 9, Auburn is favored by 32 1/2 points and has an 87% chance of winning, according to ESPN analytics. The last time these two programs met was in 2018, with Auburn winning the game, 24-13.
Here are the five most important things you need to know about Southern
Miss before heading into Saturday.
Southern Miss has a new head coach
Charles Huff departed for an open Memphis job, which led to Southern Miss promoting from within the program. It would be offensive coordinator Blake Anderson, who would take over as interim after Huff and now the head coach going forward. This is Anderson's third head coaching stint in the FBS; he holds a 75-55 record and a 3-7 bowl record.
Southern Miss run-game sparks the offense
The bread and butter of this team will come on the ground with running backs Steven Robinson and Jamarice Wilder. Robinson being the bell cow back for this squad, he scored three of Southern Miss' touchdowns in their season opener. Overall the team finished with 317 rushing yards.
The Golden Eagles' defense is turnover hungry
The secondary for Southern Miss won't make it easy for any quarterback. Defensive coordinator Joe Bolden has made this defense take a step in the right direction. Look out for defensive back Kobi Albert, who had three interceptions in week one.
Southern Miss is coming off a winning season
Though a new head coach, the program is coming off a 7-6 season with a bowl loss to Western Kentucky. The team did lose their last four games of the season. It's just a matter of whether Anderson can keep them in the winning category of seasons or have them back to a 1-11 season like Southern Miss before Huff in 2025.
Southern Miss is very familiar with the SEC
Last season, Southern Miss matched up against Mississippi State in week one. Mississippi State won 34-17. The year before saw Southern Miss take on Kentucky in week one, which was all Kentucky as they marched to a 31-0 victory.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Five things you should know about the Southern Miss Golden Eagles
