Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Encyclopedia
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi
in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA
.
The school's earliest nickname was Tigers. Thereafter came such nicknames as Normalites (from Mississippi Normal College, the early name of the University), Yellow Jackets, Confederates, and Southerners. Golden Eagles was selected in a student/alumni vote in the early 1970s. Seymour d'Campus
is the name of the modern-day mascot eagle.
Southern Miss has a long history in the NCAA, and its intercollegiate sports teams operate under the auspices of the university's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors. Bowl games, conference championships, and All-American athletes have all been frequent occurrences at Southern Miss. Among notable alumni is former NFL quarterback Brett Favre
and former NFL punter Ray Guy
.
lines, including 12 first-team selections. In their history, the Golden Eagles have sent dozens of players to the NFL, including NFL Team of the Century
member Ray Guy and three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre.
The University of Southern Mississippi has won the national championship in football, as voted by the UPI, in both 1958 and 1962 of what was then known as the "Small College" Division. At that time, Southern Miss was called Mississippi Southern College.
offensive coordinator, Larry Fedora
, was named as his replacement.
, the Golden Eagles posted a 7-6 record after a dismal 2-6 start. The Golden Eagles won five straight games to finish the season, including wins over 2008 C-USA champion East Carolina
and a New Orleans Bowl
win over Sun Belt Conference
champion Troy University
. Also in 2008, the Golden Eagles football team boasted an 80% graduation rate and the men's program was awarded the 2008 David M. Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement Among Athletes having the best graduation rate of any of the eight public universities in the state of Mississippi.
in 1999 and 2000 behind the arm of Courtney Blades.
in 2009.
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team participates as a member of Conference USA
and plays its home games in M.M. Roberts Stadium. In 2008, after 17 years at the helm of the USM Football program, Jeff Bower was replaced by Larry Fedora
. Fedora is charged with continuing a tradition that has seen Southern Miss be the model of consistency for the past 20 + years. Noted professional athletes Brett Favre
and Ray Guy
both played for the University of Southern Mississippi.
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...
in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
.
The school's earliest nickname was Tigers. Thereafter came such nicknames as Normalites (from Mississippi Normal College, the early name of the University), Yellow Jackets, Confederates, and Southerners. Golden Eagles was selected in a student/alumni vote in the early 1970s. Seymour d'Campus
Seymour d'Campus
Seymour d'Campus is the mascot for The University of Southern Mississippi. He attends Golden Eagle sporting events all year round including Southern Miss Football, Lady Eagle Volleyball, Lady Eagle Soccer, Golden and Lady Eagle Basketball games, as well as many other community and University...
is the name of the modern-day mascot eagle.
Southern Miss has a long history in the NCAA, and its intercollegiate sports teams operate under the auspices of the university's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors. Bowl games, conference championships, and All-American athletes have all been frequent occurrences at Southern Miss. Among notable alumni is former NFL quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and former NFL punter Ray Guy
Ray Guy
William Ray Guy is a retired American football punter for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Coming from the University of Southern Mississippi, he was the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft when the Oakland Raiders selected him in 1973.Guy was a key member of...
.
Football
Football is, arguably, the most successful program in Golden Eagle athletics. Over its entire history, the football team has won two College Division national championships in 1958 and 1962, respectively. The team also has been the leader in Conference USA, winning three of the league’s first four championships. Entering the 2011 season, Southern Miss is also just one of a handful of programs in the nation that has posted 16 consecutive winning seasons. The program has had three undefeated seasons overall, including a 9-0 season in 1958. Thirty All-Americans have graced the Southern Miss side-lines, including 12 first-team selections. In their history, the Golden Eagles have sent dozens of players to the NFL, including NFL Team of the Century
member Ray Guy and three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre.
The University of Southern Mississippi has won the national championship in football, as voted by the UPI, in both 1958 and 1962 of what was then known as the "Small College" Division. At that time, Southern Miss was called Mississippi Southern College.
Rivalries
- Tulane- The rivalry between Southern Miss and Tulane Green Wave footballTulane Green Wave footballThe Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
was born on the evening of October 13, 1979 and is known as The Battle for the Bell. As members of Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
the two teams played each other every year until 2006, when the league was split into Eastern and Western Divisions. Following their 2010 meeting, Southern Miss leads the series 23-7.
- Memphis- The long-standing rivalry between Southern Miss and MemphisMemphis Tigers footballThe Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
dates back to October 26, 1935 and is often referred to as the Black and Blue BowlBlack and blue bowlThe long-standing rivalry between Southern Miss and Memphis dates back to October 26, 1935 and is often referred to as the Black and Blue Bowl. This yearly classic garnered its name from the intense competitive nature of the contest, as well as the competing schools' colors: the black of Southern...
. This yearly classic garnered its name from the intense competitive nature of the contest, as well as the competing schools' colors: the black of Southern Miss and the blue of Memphis. Both teams are members of Conference USA in the Eastern Division, and the teams play each other every year. Following their 2010 meeting, Southern Miss leads the series 39-21-1.
- Mississippi State- The instate rivalry between the Bulldogs and Golden Eagles spans almost half a century. The two schools have played numerous contests, but a twenty year hiatus has cooled the rivalry to some extent. However, there is a schedule home and home series scheduled to begin in 2013 in Starkville, MS. Southern Miss holds a two game advantage to the Bulldogs, due to forfeits by Mississippi State in 1975 and 1976.
- Louisiana Tech- The rivalry between Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech spans over 40 games and originated in 1935. The Southern Miss & Louisiana Tech Rivalry, or Rivalry in DixieRivalry in DixieRivalry in Dixie is the college football rivalry game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Southern Miss leads the all-time series 31–13.-History:...
, was recently renewed in 2010 resulting in a 13-12 Golden Eagle victory in Ruston, Louisiana. The Golden Eagles then won the 2011 game in Hattiesburg, MS 19-17. Since 2010, Southern Miss leads the series 31-13.
News & notes
Southern Miss' football history currently includes 16-straight winning seasons, eight consecutive bowl appearances and four league championships in the 12-year history of Conference USA. In 2007, the Golden Eagles and Coach Jeff Bower were selected as conference team and coach of the decade respectively.2007
After 17 years as head football coach, 14 of those being consecutive winning seasons, Jeff Bower was forced to resign. Former Oklahoma State UniversityOklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
offensive coordinator, Larry Fedora
Larry Fedora
-References:...
, was named as his replacement.
2008
Under first year head coach Larry FedoraLarry Fedora
-References:...
, the Golden Eagles posted a 7-6 record after a dismal 2-6 start. The Golden Eagles won five straight games to finish the season, including wins over 2008 C-USA champion East Carolina
2008 East Carolina Pirates football team
The 2008 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the college football season of 2008-09. and plays their home games in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium...
and a New Orleans Bowl
2008 New Orleans Bowl
The 2008 R+L CarriersNew Orleans Bowl was the eighth edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles defeated the Troy Trojans, 30-27 in a dramatic overtime game...
win over Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
champion Troy University
2008 Troy Trojans football team
The 2008 Troy Trojans football team represented Troy University in the college football season of 2008–2009. The Trojans played their home games at Movie Gallery Stadium in Troy, Alabama and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans successfully defended their Sun Belt Championship, winning...
. Also in 2008, the Golden Eagles football team boasted an 80% graduation rate and the men's program was awarded the 2008 David M. Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement Among Athletes having the best graduation rate of any of the eight public universities in the state of Mississippi.
Women's basketball
The Lady Eagles also have a storied history. With 10 postseason appearances, the women's program is the most proficient at Southern Miss. In those 10 appearances, they have made the NCAA Tournament 8 times advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1994. The team has had two All-Americans including Janice Felder in 1994.Softball
The Southern Miss Lady Eagles softball team made it to the Women's College World SeriesWomen's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
in 1999 and 2000 behind the arm of Courtney Blades.
Baseball
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team made its first ever appearance in the College World SeriesCollege World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
in 2009.
Traditions
Eagle Fever, Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime. and Go Gold! are the rallying cries that Golden Eagle students and fans have used to help create such traditions as Homecoming and EagleFest, tailgating in The District, Friday Night at the Fountain pep rallies, the Eagle Walk at The Rock, the game-day Eagle Walk parade, the Painting of the Eagle Walk, the Junior Eagle Club Tunnel, the band's Fifth Quarter Concert, featuring a hallmark rendition of Amazing Grace.The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team participates as a member of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
and plays its home games in M.M. Roberts Stadium. In 2008, after 17 years at the helm of the USM Football program, Jeff Bower was replaced by Larry Fedora
Larry Fedora
-References:...
. Fedora is charged with continuing a tradition that has seen Southern Miss be the model of consistency for the past 20 + years. Noted professional athletes Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and Ray Guy
Ray Guy
William Ray Guy is a retired American football punter for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Coming from the University of Southern Mississippi, he was the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft when the Oakland Raiders selected him in 1973.Guy was a key member of...
both played for the University of Southern Mississippi.