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| Thursday, September 21 Bower makes sure Golden Eagles aren't flying too high By Eric Crawford Special to ESPN.com | |||
| Forget about the near-upset at Tennessee three weeks ago and last week's 21-0 coming-out
party at No. 13-ranked Alabama.
The toughest test to date for the No. 23-ranked Southern Miss Golden
Eagles might be in staying emotionally high for their first non-nationally
ranked, non-Southeastern Conference opponent of the season.
Southern Miss (1-1) will travel to Stillwater, Okla., to face an unbeaten Oklahoma State team that is looking for its first 3-0 start since 1997.
And what is Southern Miss looking for? Momentum for what could be a 10-1
season is a start. And the Golden Eagles seem to be on a perpetual quest for
respect.
The Alabama win might help in that area. It was Southern Miss' first win
against a ranked non-conference team since 1991, but Eagles coach Jeff Bower
said it will do little good if it's followed up by a loss to Oklahoma State.
Southern Miss is favored by a touchdown.
"We'll address (the danger of a letdown)," Bower said. "I think coming
off a win like we had tests your intelligence. I think it tests your maturity
of the football team. I think it tests your senior leadership.
"We know how to handle it as coaches and we have to do a good job of
getting this football team ready. But our players have to be smart enough to
know, too, that that win is in the past and this is another ball game.
"Preparation is everything. We played well against Alabama because we were
prepared well, and that's why we won the football game. That's the same key
this week."
Bower was particularly pleased with a defensive unit that stifled Alabama
for three quarters and came away with a shutout.
"We were very happy with our defense," Bower said. "We saw a lot of trick
plays but we defended them well. And we also created some big plays, which is
something we haven't done in past years against Alabama."
They will need some big plays against an Oklahoma State offense that has
looked balanced and potent in its first two games, albeit against much weaker
competition (Tulsa, Division I-AA Southwest Texas) than Southern Miss has
faced. The Cowboys are averaging more than 400 yards of offense and 26.5
points per game.
Of even more concern, however, might be the Oklahoma State defense, which has managed nine sacks in its first two games. With Southern Miss quarterback
Jeff Kelly nursing a hyperextended knee (he played most of the game against
Alabama with it), the Eagles will need to give him as much protection as they
can.
"It's a big game for us," Bower said. "We've got to keep improving."
Around Conference USA Army A quarterback controversy? At Army? This hasn't happened since Abe Lincoln couldn't decide whether to go with McClellan or Grant. No sooner has first-year coach Todd Berry tossed out the wishbone than he'll soon likely have to make another tough quarterback decision. Senior Joe Gerena threw for 305 yards in last week's loss to Houston while starter Chad Jenkins sat with an ankle injury. "Joe could absolutely play his way into a starting position," Berry said, while noting that Jenkins had also been impressive in directing the team. ... Regardless of which player gets the nod, he'll have a challenge. The Tigers defense is one of the best in C-USA. Cincinnati Bearcats coach Rick Minter's team took a lead into the final three minutes against No. 6 Wisconsin, but came away with an overtime loss in its bid for a second straight upset of the Badgers. Instead of a moral victory, Minter called it an opportunity lost, but Cincinnati will get another shot at a Big Ten foe this weekend against a hard-luck Indiana team. ... Cincinnati has won two games with last-minute drives and Indiana has lost two by giving up late scores. ... A win for the Bearcats could set them up for bowl contention with a solid C-USA season. East Carolina The Pirates host Syracuse on Saturday, and the Orangemen have never lost in Greenville, with a perfect 4-0 mark. ... Their last win in the series came in 1994, when they knocked off the Liberty Bowl-bound Pirates 21-18. ... Junior quarterback David Garrard threw for 185 yards in Saturday's 37-17 win over Tulane, moving into second place on ECU's all-time passing list with 5,195 yards and passing current New Orleans Saints QB Jeff Blake. He also ran 16 times for 112 yards, his second career 100-yard rushing game. Houston Where are the wide receivers? When sophomore WR Brandon Middleton suffered a season ending broken forearm in last week's 31-30 win over Army, he became the fourth Houston receiver to go down this year, joining Jerrian James (academics), Orlando Iglesias (ankle) and Kendall Williams (ankle and knee) on the sideline. ... Houston visits No. 15 Texas on Saturday in the first meeting of the old Southwest Conference rivals since 1995. ... Texas has won the last four games in the series after Houston won four of five from 1987 to 1991. Louisville The Cardinals rank No. 1 in the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to 19.5 yards per game. But that might not be good news considering that the last team that held the top spot, North Carolina, gave up 194 yards on the ground in a 63-14 loss last Saturday. Louisville's destination this Saturday? Florida State. In a game to be televised on ESPN2, the young Cardinals will take a dramatic step up from the competition they've faced in building a 2-0 record so far this season. ... Sophomore QB Dave Ragone ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency with seven TD passes and only one interception. ... The last time Louisville coach John L. Smith faced a team ranked as highly as Florida State, he was an assistant for a Washington State team that knocked off No. 1 UCLA. Memphis The Tigers are looking for their fifth straight conference win on the road, dating back to Oct. 9. They're also looking for their fourth straight road win overall, and haven't lost on the road since a 17-16 setback at Tennessee last Sept. 25. ... Sophomore running back Sugar Sanders had a career-high 31 carries for a career-best 96 yards in Saturday's 19-17 win at Arkansas State. The 31 carries was the ninth-highest total in school history. ... Senior quarterback Travis Anglin had his first TD pass of the season against Arkansas State, a 13-yarder to tight end Billy Kendall. ... The catch extended Kendall's streak of consecutive games with a catch to 19. Tulane The Green Wave will visit SMU on Saturday and have won four straight in their series against the Mustangs. ... Against East Carolina last week, quarterback J.P. Losman, a transfer from UCLA making his first college start, completed 20 of 35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. ... True freshman RB Mewelde Moore recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game, gaining 131 yards on 22 carries. His 106.5 yards per game rushing average leads Conference USA. UAB The Blazers are hurting on offense, literally. Starting flanker Willie Quinnie is out with a sore knee. Starting tailback Carl Fair (sprained ankle) and starting wingback Cedric Thatch (foot) are also out with injuries. All three are questionable for Saturday's game at LSU. ... The Blazers showed improvement from their opener against Chattanooga, but still lost at Kansas 23-20 last Saturday in a game that will count on UAB's Conference USA record because of the league's unbalanced seven-game schedule. ... UAB's game against LSU will be its first ever against the Tigers. Eric Crawford covers Conference USA for the (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal | ALSO SEE Big East notebook Big Ten notebook Big 12 notebook Big West notebook MAC notebook WAC notebook | ||
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