# 2018 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

The 2018 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Eagles played their home games at the M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by third-year head coach Jay Hopson. They finished the season 6–5, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in a three-way tie for second in the West Division. Despite being bowl eligible, they were not invited to a bowl game.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Lou Groza Award | Parker Shaunfield | K | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Picasso Nelson, Jr. | DB | SR |

### C-USA preseason awards

On July 16, 2018, Conference USA released their preseason awards, including the preseason all-CUSA team. Kicker Paker Shaunfield was selected as the preseason special teams player of the year. He was the only player named to the all-CUSA team.

### Preseason media poll

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Golden Eagles predicted to finish in fourth place in the West Division.
West Division :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | North Texas |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech |
| 3 | UAB |
| 4 | Southern Miss |
| 5 | UTSA |
| T–6 | Rice |
| T–6 | UTEP |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Jackson State* | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | W 55–7 | 29,176 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe* | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN3 | L 20–21 | 19,579 |
| September 15 | 2:30 p.m. | at Appalachian State* | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | Cancelled | |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | Rice | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | W 40–22 | 20,159 |
| September 29 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Auburn* | Jordan–Hare StadiumAuburn, AL | SECN | L 13–24 | 83,792 |
| October 13 | 1:00 p.m. | at North Texas | Apogee StadiumDenton, TX | ESPN3 | L 7–30 | 18,252 |
| October 20 | 6:00 p.m. | UTSA | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | W 27–17 | 21,259 |
| October 27 | 1:00 p.m. | at Charlotte | Jerry Richardson StadiumCharlotte, NC | ESPN3 | L 17–20 | 8,687 |
| November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | Marshall | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | Stadium | W 26–24 | 20,375 |
| November 10 | 6:30 p.m. | at UAB | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | beIN | L 23–26 $^{OT}$ | 25,618 |
| November 17 | 2:30 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS (Rivalry in Dixie) | Stadium | W 21–20 | 19,142 |
| November 24 | 2:00 p.m. | at UTEP | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | ESPN+ | W 39–7 | 14,962 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||
    Schedule Source:
* ↑ This game was cancelled in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.

## Game summaries
### Jackson State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Golden Eagles | 14 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 55 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: September 1
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 29,176
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
JSU –
USM –
Leading Rushers
JSU –
USM –
Leading Receivers
JSU –
USM –
Leading Tacklers
JSU –
USM – :

### Louisiana–Monroe

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Warhawks | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Golden Eagles | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 87° · Partly Cloudy · SSW – 7 mph.
* Game attendance: 19,579
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV: ESPN3
Game information :
First quarter
USM - Jaylond Adams 75-yard TD pass from Jack Abraham, Parker Shaunfield kick good, 14:47 (USM 7-0)
ULM - Sam Miller 0-yard fumble return for TD, Craig Ford kick good, 12:05 (TIE 7-7)
ULM - Marcus Green 49-yard TD pass from Caleb Evans, Ford kick good, 4:37 (ULM 14-7)
USM - Shaunfield 42-yard field goal, 2:01 (ULM 14-10)
Second quarter
USM - Quez Watkins 5-yard TD pass from Abraham, Shaunfield kick good, 6:36 (USM 14-17)
Third quarter
ULM - Green 4-yard TD pass from Evans, Ford kick good, 14:03 (ULM 21-17)
USM - Shaunfield 47-yard field goal, 6:51 (ULM 21-20)
Leading Passers
ULM - Caleb Evans - 15/28, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
USM - Jack Abraham - 31/46, 378 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Leading Rushers
ULM - Austin Vaughn - 9 carries, 85 yards
USM - Tez Parks - 17 carries, 42 yards
Leading Receivers
ULM - Marcus Green - 4 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
USM - Jaylond Adams - 9 receptions, 158 yards, TD
Leading Tacklers
ULM - Collin Turner – 10 tackles
USM - Picasso Nelson Jr. – 7 tackles :

### Rice

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 8 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 22 |
| Golden Eagles | 10 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 40 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: September 22
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 20,159
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
RICE –
USM –
Leading Rushers
RICE –
USM –
Leading Receivers
RICE –
USM –
Leading Tacklers
RICE –
USM – :

### At Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| No. 10 Tigers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: NW 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
* Game attendance: 83,792
* Referee: David Smith
* TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), D.J. Shockley (analyst), Dawn Davenport (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First quarter
AUB – Seth Williams 46 yd pass from Jarrett Stidham (Anders Carlson kick), 3:39 (AUB 7–0)
Second quarter
USM – Parker Shaunfield 44 yd field goal, 12:51 (AUB 7–3)
AUB – Anthony Schwartz 6 yd run (Anders Carlson kick), 6:43 (AUB 14–3)
Third quarter
USM – Parker Shaunfield 51 yd field goal, 7:20 (AUB 14–6)
AUB – Chandler Cox 2 yd pass from Jarrett Stidham (Anders Carlson kick), 5:39 (AUB 21–6)
Fourth quarter
USM – Quez Watkins 12 yd pass from Jack Abraham (Parker Shaunfield kick), 13:47 (AUB 21–13)
AUB – Anders Carlson 23 yd field goal, 2:00 (AUB 24–13)
Leading Passers
USM – Jack Abraham – 30/44, 215 yards, TD, 2 INT
AUB – Jarrett Stidham – 19/33, 245 yards, 2 TD
Leading Rushers
USM – Trivensky Mosley – 4 carries, 25 yards
AUB – Kam Martin – 24 carries, 90 yards
Leading Receivers
USM – Jaylond Adams – 8 receptions, 47 yards
AUB – Darius Slayton – 5 receptions, 91 yards
Leading Tacklers
USM – Shannon Showers – 8 tackles
AUB – Deshaun Davis – 10 tackles :

### At North Texas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Mean Green | 0 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 30 |
at Apogee Stadium, Denton, TX
* Date: October 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Overcast and rain • Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Wind: NE 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
* Game attendance: 18,252
* Referee: Justin Elliot
* TV: ESPN3
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
UNT – Jalen Guyton 53-yard pass from Mason Fine (Cole Hedlund kick), 13:11. Mean Green 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 99 yards, 2:45.
USM – Quez Watkins 44-yard pass from Jack Abraham (Parker Shaunfield kick), 11:06. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:05.
UNT – Cole Hedlund 41-yard field goal, 7:11. Mean Green 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:55.
Third quarter
UNT – DeAndre Torrey 6-yard run (Cole Hedlund PAT blocked), 0:34. Mean Green 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:29.
Fourth quarter
UNT – DeAndre Torrey 8-yard run (Cole Hedlund kick), 10:45. Mean Green 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:22.
UNT – DeAndre Torrey 34-yard run (Cole Hedlund kick), 0:33. Mean Green 30–7. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:33.
Leading Passers
USM – Jack Abraham – 29/42, 318 yards, TD, INT
UNT – Mason Fine – 24/38, 292 yards, TD
Leading Rushers
USM – Trivenskey Mosley – 11 carries, 73 yards
UNT – DeAndre Torrey – 17 carries, 95 yards, 3 TD
Leading Receivers
USM – Jordan Mitchell – 12 receptions, 135 yards
UNT – Jalen Guyton – 7 receptions, 124 yards, TD
Leading Tacklers
USM – Picasso Nelson – 8 tackles
UNT – E. J. Ejiya – 12 tackles :

### UTSA

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roadrunners | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Golden Eagles | 6 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 21,259
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
UTSA –
USM –
Leading Rushers
UTSA –
USM –
Leading Receivers
UTSA –
USM –
Leading Tacklers
UTSA –
USM – :

### At Charlotte

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| 49ers | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, NC
* Date: October 27
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 8,687
* TV announcers (ESPN3): Bobby Rosinski, Reggie Walker, Libby Clark
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
USM –
CHAR –
Leading Rushers
USM –
CHAR –
Leading Receivers
USM –
CHAR –
Leading Tacklers
USM –
CHAR – :

### Marshall

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thundering Herd | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Golden Eagles | 3 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 20,375
* TV: Stadium
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
MARSH –
USM –
Leading Rushers
MARSH –
USM –
Leading Receivers
MARSH –
USM –
Leading Tacklers
MARSH –
USM – :

### At UAB

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Blazers | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
at Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
* Date: November 10
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 25,618
* TV: beIN
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
USM –
UAB –
Leading Rushers
USM –
UAB –
Leading Receivers
USM –
UAB –
Leading Tacklers
USM –
UAB – :

### Louisiana Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Golden Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS
* Date: November 17
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C); mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 19,142
* Referee: Dan Gautreaux
* TV: Stadium
Game information :
First quarter
USM - Steven Anderson 1-yard TD run, Briggs Bourgeois kick good, 6:54 (USM 7-0)
LT - Adrian Hardy 5-yard TD pass from J'Mar Smith, Bailey Hale kick good, 1:28 (TIE 7-7)
Second quarter
USM - Neil McLaurin 49-yard TD pass from Jack Abraham, Bourgeois kick good, 10:32 (USM 14-7)
LT - Kam McKnight 6-yard TD run, Hale kick good, 4:39 (TIE 14-14)
LT - Hale 24-yard field goal, 0:00 (LT 17-14)
Fourth quarter
LT - Hale 23-yard field goal, 13:40 (LT 20-14)
USM - Anderson 6-yard TD run, Bourgeois kick good, 6:02 (USM 21-20)
Leading Passers
LT – J'Mar Smith – 27/43, 243 yards, TD
USM – Jack Abraham – 24/29, 195 yards, TD
Leading Rushers
LT – Israel Tucker – 9 carries, 24 yards
USM – Steven Anderson – 12 carries, 29 yards, 2 TD
Leading Receivers
LT – Adrian Hardy – 11 receptions, 110 yards, TD
USM – Quez Watkins – 9 receptions, 110 yards
Leading Tacklers
LT – Collin Scott – 9 tackles
USM – Xavier Marion – 8 tackles :

### At UTEP

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 16 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 39 |
| Miners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 14,962
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
USM –
UTEP –
Leading Rushers
USM –
UTEP –
Leading Receivers
USM –
UTEP –
Leading Tacklers
USM –
UTEP – :