http://ncaabbs.com/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:02:31 -0600 MyBB http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=396643 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:14:33 -0600 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=396643
Who is on your wish list???]]>
Who is on your wish list???]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=389095 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=389095 may be gathering some legs after all. We'll know tomorrow it looks like.

Miss State-USM series renewel]]> may be gathering some legs after all. We'll know tomorrow it looks like.

Miss State-USM series renewel]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=387575 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:01:20 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=387575 Short video of DeAndre Brown's first game back from injury.

He's backkkkkkkkkkk]]> Short video of DeAndre Brown's first game back from injury.

He's backkkkkkkkkkk]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=385390 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:58:14 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=385390
Eagle Walk]]>
Eagle Walk]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=385385 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:41:53 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=385385 Painting the Eagle Walk

2009 Eagle Walk painted by the Freshmen]]> Painting the Eagle Walk

2009 Eagle Walk painted by the Freshmen]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=384827 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:20:46 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=384827 Freddie Parham

Parham makes presence known at USM

By PATRICK MAGEE

Freddie Parham stepped on the Southern Miss campus last year with plenty of speed to burn, but nagging injuries grounded the receiver in his first season with the Golden Eagles.

After transferring from East Central Community College, Parham averaged 9.1 yards on 19 receptions for 173 yards last year, numbers that didn’t tell the story of the big play potential that the coaching staff expected.
But with a strong summer of workouts and a good fall camp, Parham appears ready to improve on his 2008 season.

“He’s by far been the most impressive receiver to me,” quarterback Austin Davis said. “He works his tail off, loves to play and is passionate about what he’s doing.”

The one constant topic that comes up among the USM players and coaches is Parham’s work ethic.

“The one thing you know about Freddie is he’s always going to go 100 percent,” Fedora said. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got on every single play.
“There’s the old saying, ‘Don’t worry about making a mistake, go hard.’ That’s the way Freddie looks at it and he does a great job of that. I wish we could get a few more guys to do that.”

During his 2008 season, Parham battled various injuries, including a hamstring injury, that kept him from fulfilling his promise on the field.

He said his best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.38 seconds, but he was never able to go full speed and show what he could do.

“It got real frustrating,” Parham said. “Sometimes I got down about it. My parents kept me up and the coaches told me to keep it up even when I was doing bad because I really wasn’t confident last year.”

But Parham said he’s 100 percent healthy now and should get his fair share of catches in a receiving corps where each will have to fight to get the quarterback’s attention.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt pointed out that Parham is possibly having the best preseason camp of any Golden Eagle.

“Freddie has really made great improvement and arguably the most improvement on the football team from year one to where we stand today,” Wyatt said.

“I’m looking forward to him having a great week of practice and playing on Saturday night. He’s one of the leaders on offense and we’re excited about the way he’s playing right now.”

With Parham running at full speed, he could take some pressure off fellow receiver DeAndre Brown as the main deep threat.

Fedora said he is interested to see how defenses try to cover a speedy receiver like Parham while containing a dominant talent like Brown.

“I think Austin has come a long way and with DeAndre such a deep threat, he may get some double-teams,” Parham said. “We should be able to get some receivers with single coverage.”

It’s obvious that Davis and Parham have developed a strong quarterback-receiver relationship entering their second season together.

“He’s always coming to me asking about what went wrong on the last play,” Davis said. “He wants to know why we didn’t complete it, was he in the right spot or was the ball off. He’s going to have a big year. I think he’s worked really hard summer and camp and he’s going to have a huge impact.

“He’s got great speed so he’s going to be an over-the-top guy. He runs good routes and he’s great on reverses. He’s going to be good.”

Parham is also projected to put his speed to use in the return game, likely to contribute both as a kick returner and punt returner. Fedora wants to see more explosive play out of his returners, and the Margaret, Ala., native seems to fit the bill.

“Special teams are going to be key and coach Fedora has pressed down hard on that,” Parham said. “It really starts as a unit where we’ve all got to work together. If I score a touchdown, it’s not just me running down and making a touchdown. It’s because 10 other guys helped me do it.”]]> Freddie Parham

Parham makes presence known at USM

By PATRICK MAGEE

Freddie Parham stepped on the Southern Miss campus last year with plenty of speed to burn, but nagging injuries grounded the receiver in his first season with the Golden Eagles.

After transferring from East Central Community College, Parham averaged 9.1 yards on 19 receptions for 173 yards last year, numbers that didn’t tell the story of the big play potential that the coaching staff expected.
But with a strong summer of workouts and a good fall camp, Parham appears ready to improve on his 2008 season.

“He’s by far been the most impressive receiver to me,” quarterback Austin Davis said. “He works his tail off, loves to play and is passionate about what he’s doing.”

The one constant topic that comes up among the USM players and coaches is Parham’s work ethic.

“The one thing you know about Freddie is he’s always going to go 100 percent,” Fedora said. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got on every single play.
“There’s the old saying, ‘Don’t worry about making a mistake, go hard.’ That’s the way Freddie looks at it and he does a great job of that. I wish we could get a few more guys to do that.”

During his 2008 season, Parham battled various injuries, including a hamstring injury, that kept him from fulfilling his promise on the field.

He said his best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.38 seconds, but he was never able to go full speed and show what he could do.

“It got real frustrating,” Parham said. “Sometimes I got down about it. My parents kept me up and the coaches told me to keep it up even when I was doing bad because I really wasn’t confident last year.”

But Parham said he’s 100 percent healthy now and should get his fair share of catches in a receiving corps where each will have to fight to get the quarterback’s attention.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt pointed out that Parham is possibly having the best preseason camp of any Golden Eagle.

“Freddie has really made great improvement and arguably the most improvement on the football team from year one to where we stand today,” Wyatt said.

“I’m looking forward to him having a great week of practice and playing on Saturday night. He’s one of the leaders on offense and we’re excited about the way he’s playing right now.”

With Parham running at full speed, he could take some pressure off fellow receiver DeAndre Brown as the main deep threat.

Fedora said he is interested to see how defenses try to cover a speedy receiver like Parham while containing a dominant talent like Brown.

“I think Austin has come a long way and with DeAndre such a deep threat, he may get some double-teams,” Parham said. “We should be able to get some receivers with single coverage.”

It’s obvious that Davis and Parham have developed a strong quarterback-receiver relationship entering their second season together.

“He’s always coming to me asking about what went wrong on the last play,” Davis said. “He wants to know why we didn’t complete it, was he in the right spot or was the ball off. He’s going to have a big year. I think he’s worked really hard summer and camp and he’s going to have a huge impact.

“He’s got great speed so he’s going to be an over-the-top guy. He runs good routes and he’s great on reverses. He’s going to be good.”

Parham is also projected to put his speed to use in the return game, likely to contribute both as a kick returner and punt returner. Fedora wants to see more explosive play out of his returners, and the Margaret, Ala., native seems to fit the bill.

“Special teams are going to be key and coach Fedora has pressed down hard on that,” Parham said. “It really starts as a unit where we’ve all got to work together. If I score a touchdown, it’s not just me running down and making a touchdown. It’s because 10 other guys helped me do it.”]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=384609 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:21:58 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=384609 The Buffet Busters

From The Student Printz

Meet the Southern Miss buffet busters
Golden Eagle offensive line ready for upcoming season

By Alan Wheat


Second-year head coach Larry Fedora and his coaching staff are banking on another big year rushing the football, and with a bevy of talent at the running back position, the sky could be the limit.

The Golden Eagles return the school’s all-time leading rusher Damion Fletcher, as well as V.J. Floyd, Tori Harrison and Desmond Johnson from a team last year that rushed for over 192 yards a game. As if that wasn’t enough, his coaching staff recruited two of the highest-rated runners in the state, Tracey Lampley and Kendrick Hardy.

But Fedora knows somebody has to block, and that’s where offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic comes in.

With four returning starters on the his offensive line, there is an enviable level of stability. Kyle Burkhart returns at left tackle, Micah Brown at left guard, Ryan Hebert at right guard, and junior Cameron Zipp will anchor the line at center.

But the unit also has some solid developing talent, including right tackle Brennan Houston, who Fedora mentioned specifically.

“We’ve thrown Brennan Houston in the mix, who’s come on really well this Fall,” Fedora said. “So I think they’re going to be pretty solid in that front five.”

The 6-foot-4 310-pound Houston rebounded from a summer marred by a marijuana-related arrest to have an outstanding fall camp.

“Ain’t I a special one, huh?” Houston laughed. “It’s coming along, but you just have to be humble about it.”

Houston said he knows he has some tough shoes to fill. Ryan McKee, last year’s starter at right tackle, is currently fighting for a roster spot with the NFL’s New York Jets.

“I knew coming in I was going to have to work hard,” Houston said. “I have four veterans on my left side; they expect a lot from me and I expect a lot from myself.”

Kapilovic said the head coach and retuning starters have confidence in Houston developing into a valuable asset at right tackle.

“We’ve progressed a lot,” Zipp said. “It’s all about getting a feel for the guy next to you and being on the same page.”

Zipp also expressed his pride in blocking for Damion Fletcher and the rest of the backfield. “It’s great,” he said. “That’s our pride and joy, having a great run game. It’s what we strive for.”

Kapilovic said that he’s still looking for depth on the line, but this season Southern Miss has plenty of developing talent at the position.

With the progression of Brennan Houston and many of the other new additions to the line such as freshmen Jonathon Guerry, Ed Preston, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Ben Schoenberger, Kapilovic is feeling more comfortable than he was at this point last year.

“Ed Preston is a guy that’s, right now, as strong as or stronger than anybody we have; we just have to refine his technique,” Kapilovic said. “Ben Schoenberger is battling and getting better every day, and we just have to continue to work with him.”]]> The Buffet Busters

From The Student Printz

Meet the Southern Miss buffet busters
Golden Eagle offensive line ready for upcoming season

By Alan Wheat


Second-year head coach Larry Fedora and his coaching staff are banking on another big year rushing the football, and with a bevy of talent at the running back position, the sky could be the limit.

The Golden Eagles return the school’s all-time leading rusher Damion Fletcher, as well as V.J. Floyd, Tori Harrison and Desmond Johnson from a team last year that rushed for over 192 yards a game. As if that wasn’t enough, his coaching staff recruited two of the highest-rated runners in the state, Tracey Lampley and Kendrick Hardy.

But Fedora knows somebody has to block, and that’s where offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic comes in.

With four returning starters on the his offensive line, there is an enviable level of stability. Kyle Burkhart returns at left tackle, Micah Brown at left guard, Ryan Hebert at right guard, and junior Cameron Zipp will anchor the line at center.

But the unit also has some solid developing talent, including right tackle Brennan Houston, who Fedora mentioned specifically.

“We’ve thrown Brennan Houston in the mix, who’s come on really well this Fall,” Fedora said. “So I think they’re going to be pretty solid in that front five.”

The 6-foot-4 310-pound Houston rebounded from a summer marred by a marijuana-related arrest to have an outstanding fall camp.

“Ain’t I a special one, huh?” Houston laughed. “It’s coming along, but you just have to be humble about it.”

Houston said he knows he has some tough shoes to fill. Ryan McKee, last year’s starter at right tackle, is currently fighting for a roster spot with the NFL’s New York Jets.

“I knew coming in I was going to have to work hard,” Houston said. “I have four veterans on my left side; they expect a lot from me and I expect a lot from myself.”

Kapilovic said the head coach and retuning starters have confidence in Houston developing into a valuable asset at right tackle.

“We’ve progressed a lot,” Zipp said. “It’s all about getting a feel for the guy next to you and being on the same page.”

Zipp also expressed his pride in blocking for Damion Fletcher and the rest of the backfield. “It’s great,” he said. “That’s our pride and joy, having a great run game. It’s what we strive for.”

Kapilovic said that he’s still looking for depth on the line, but this season Southern Miss has plenty of developing talent at the position.

With the progression of Brennan Houston and many of the other new additions to the line such as freshmen Jonathon Guerry, Ed Preston, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Ben Schoenberger, Kapilovic is feeling more comfortable than he was at this point last year.

“Ed Preston is a guy that’s, right now, as strong as or stronger than anybody we have; we just have to refine his technique,” Kapilovic said. “Ben Schoenberger is battling and getting better every day, and we just have to continue to work with him.”]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=383905 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:14:24 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=383905 Damion Fletcher]]> Damion Fletcher]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=383718 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:35:03 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=383718 Not too many Eagle fans posting over here but I'll try this anyways.

First of all, the Eagles need to take back the Rock. Visitors have been 3-3 the last two years. We'll never get to where we want to be if we continue losing games in Hattiesburg. Southern Miss struggled for years to get 6 home games and now that we have them, we're dropping the ball. This needs to stop this season. I think LF and the talent we have can make the Rock feared again by opponents. I see us winning all six games at home this season as we re-establish our tradition of tough play at home.

Road games at UAB and Marshall I see as wins. Same as we renew our series with Louisville. The Houston game will be a high scoring game but we owe them for the loss in the Championship 3 years ago. Kansas will be a battle. I'm hoping for some lightning in a bottle from our offense in the name of Austin-to-Brown for that one. That brings us to the final game of the season with ECU. If both teams have lived up to their potentials to that point, it will be a classic.

I see us with 9+ wins (losses to Kansas and maybe Tulsa at home) leading to the ECU game. Division, championship, and bowl games will result from that last game of the season. I can't predict that game until the rest of the season unfolds. Hopefully, we'll be in great shape by the time we get there.

What does the rest of you Eagle fans think? Come on and post here on the Southern Miss site.]]> Not too many Eagle fans posting over here but I'll try this anyways.

First of all, the Eagles need to take back the Rock. Visitors have been 3-3 the last two years. We'll never get to where we want to be if we continue losing games in Hattiesburg. Southern Miss struggled for years to get 6 home games and now that we have them, we're dropping the ball. This needs to stop this season. I think LF and the talent we have can make the Rock feared again by opponents. I see us winning all six games at home this season as we re-establish our tradition of tough play at home.

Road games at UAB and Marshall I see as wins. Same as we renew our series with Louisville. The Houston game will be a high scoring game but we owe them for the loss in the Championship 3 years ago. Kansas will be a battle. I'm hoping for some lightning in a bottle from our offense in the name of Austin-to-Brown for that one. That brings us to the final game of the season with ECU. If both teams have lived up to their potentials to that point, it will be a classic.

I see us with 9+ wins (losses to Kansas and maybe Tulsa at home) leading to the ECU game. Division, championship, and bowl games will result from that last game of the season. I can't predict that game until the rest of the season unfolds. Hopefully, we'll be in great shape by the time we get there.

What does the rest of you Eagle fans think? Come on and post here on the Southern Miss site.]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382333 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:19:02 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382333 Ryan Hebert, Anthony Gray on Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List

Aug. 18, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss senior offensive tackle Ryan Hebert (Schriever, La.) and junior defensive lineman Anthony Gray (Philadelphia, Miss.) have garnered nominations to the 40th annual Rotary Lombardi Award watch list in an announcement Tuesday by the organization.

The watch list includes 153 players from 79 teams and 11 conferences and is presented annually by Houston¡¯s Rotary Club to the nation¡¯s top college football lineman ¨C offense or defense ¨C who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.

Hebert is one of those individuals on that list who has been an integral part of the Golden Eagle offensive line which helped the squad collect a school record 5,636 total yards a season ago. A preseason All-Conference USA selection he started in all 13 games a season ago and graded at 75 percent or better in every regular season game.

As for Gray, a preseason Conference USA selection as well, he played in all 13 games a season ago and tallied 29 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and six sacks. He added a pair of forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to anchor the defensive line.

On Oct. 14, the 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award will be announced with the four finalists named on Nov. 11.

The 40th Rotary Lombardi Award dinner will be held on December 9, 2009, at the Hilton Americas Hotel. Net proceeds from the event benefit the American Cancer Society.

The 2008 Rotary Lombardi Award winner was Brian Orakpo, a defensive end from Texas.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aab.html]]> Ryan Hebert, Anthony Gray on Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List

Aug. 18, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss senior offensive tackle Ryan Hebert (Schriever, La.) and junior defensive lineman Anthony Gray (Philadelphia, Miss.) have garnered nominations to the 40th annual Rotary Lombardi Award watch list in an announcement Tuesday by the organization.

The watch list includes 153 players from 79 teams and 11 conferences and is presented annually by Houston¡¯s Rotary Club to the nation¡¯s top college football lineman ¨C offense or defense ¨C who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.

Hebert is one of those individuals on that list who has been an integral part of the Golden Eagle offensive line which helped the squad collect a school record 5,636 total yards a season ago. A preseason All-Conference USA selection he started in all 13 games a season ago and graded at 75 percent or better in every regular season game.

As for Gray, a preseason Conference USA selection as well, he played in all 13 games a season ago and tallied 29 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and six sacks. He added a pair of forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to anchor the defensive line.

On Oct. 14, the 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award will be announced with the four finalists named on Nov. 11.

The 40th Rotary Lombardi Award dinner will be held on December 9, 2009, at the Hilton Americas Hotel. Net proceeds from the event benefit the American Cancer Society.

The 2008 Rotary Lombardi Award winner was Brian Orakpo, a defensive end from Texas.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aab.html]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382331 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:13:18 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382331 Football Completes Fall Camp with Final Two-A-Day

Aug. 18, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss football team closed out their 2009 fall camp with two practices inside M.M Roberts Stadium and Carlisle-Faulkner Field today.

In the morning session the Golden Eagles worked out for approximately two-and-a-half hours in helmets and shoulder pads before donning full pads in the two hour evening practice.

"We really got after it this morning ,we went really hard then we came back and finished it up strong in the afternoon practice," head coach Larry Fedora said.

With the Golden Eagles beginning classes tomorrow Fedora expressed excitement that Southern Miss finished fall camp on a high note.

"We had a much better two-a-day than our first one (last week), it was good to see the guys really get after it today."

With the two practices today the Golden Eagles officially close fall camp, working 15 practices over the last 14 days, including two two-a-days.

The black and gold will return to the practice field tomorrow afternoon and the team will start to begin preparations for Alcorn State in the next week.

Southern Miss will host Alcorn in the season opener on September 5th at 6:00 p.m.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aad.html]]> Football Completes Fall Camp with Final Two-A-Day

Aug. 18, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss football team closed out their 2009 fall camp with two practices inside M.M Roberts Stadium and Carlisle-Faulkner Field today.

In the morning session the Golden Eagles worked out for approximately two-and-a-half hours in helmets and shoulder pads before donning full pads in the two hour evening practice.

"We really got after it this morning ,we went really hard then we came back and finished it up strong in the afternoon practice," head coach Larry Fedora said.

With the Golden Eagles beginning classes tomorrow Fedora expressed excitement that Southern Miss finished fall camp on a high note.

"We had a much better two-a-day than our first one (last week), it was good to see the guys really get after it today."

With the two practices today the Golden Eagles officially close fall camp, working 15 practices over the last 14 days, including two two-a-days.

The black and gold will return to the practice field tomorrow afternoon and the team will start to begin preparations for Alcorn State in the next week.

Southern Miss will host Alcorn in the season opener on September 5th at 6:00 p.m.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aad.html]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382329 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:06:15 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382329 Young Southern Miss team embraces expectations

August 18, 2009 4:57 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Larry Fedora doesn't remember a light bulb going on over the heads of his Southern Miss players in the middle of last season.

There was no grand epiphany; the team didn't go on a spirit walk.

There's nothing he can pinpoint to explain what happened to his team after it started the season 2-6 and then rallied to win its final five games, including the New Orleans Bowl against Sun Belt Conference champion Troy.

It just sort of happened.

"That's something that was so frustrating, those kids were practicing hard, they were buying in to everything we were telling them, even when we were losing," Fedora said. "On Sunday nights, we were coming out there for practice and there wasn't any head hanging. It was, 'Let's go, let's get after it,' the same way they did the Sunday before and the Sunday before that .... They just stuck in there, kept believing and some young kids started growing up."

Southern Miss had 13 freshmen and sophomores in their two-deep last season, including freshmen at quarterback and their top receiver spot. And it took a while for those players to adjust to the speed of the college game, and for the entire team to adjust to a new coaching staff and a new system.

But the Golden Eagles never stopped working and eventually the momentum that caused them to lose five straight from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25 swung to a five-game winning streak to end the season.

That swing has the Golden Eagles projected as one of the top teams in Conference USA heading into the 2009 season.

"If you take this fall camp compared to last fall camp, you see a completely different team," quarterback Austin Davis said. "If you went back and watched the first 10 days of camp last year, mentally there was so much on us because we had to learn so much in a short amount of time. This camp, we said we wanted to pick up where we left off against Troy in the New Orleans Bowl. We don't want to go backwards."

From the moment offseason conditioning began, Southern Miss continued to move forward behind the leadership of players such as Davis. Fedora saw it in spring football and it's carried over to fall camp.

After 15 winning seasons, the drive to be successful is something that's engrained in Southern Miss.

"One thing around this place, the tradition here of always winning, that's part of the reason why these kids come here, they expect to win," Fedora said. "They expect our fans to expect us to win. Those expectations are out there. I don't think there's going to be a time when they step on the field and they say it's going to be OK if we don't win this game. That's not the way they look at it."

An informal media poll conducted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune had Southern Miss coming in second in Conference USA East behind East Carolina, but four of the 24 voters picked the Golden Eagles to win the East and two picked them to win the conference outright.

Fedora said he's not worried about his young team buckling under the pressure and embraces the expectations that have been levied against Southern Miss. He's stressed to his team that the history of Southern Miss is a winning history and that this team isn't going to change that.

"I'd love to be the No. 1 team going into every year because I want the target to be on our back. It makes no difference," Davis said. "That's what we should shoot for. We shouldn't shy away from the expectations. I want the expectations, and I think a lot of the guys want them because it's Southern Miss. That's why you come play football at Southern Miss because you know you're going to come play for a good football team. You know you're going to play other good football teams. And you know you're going to compete for a conference championship and be expected to win."

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/ncfnation/0-1...tions.html]]> Young Southern Miss team embraces expectations

August 18, 2009 4:57 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Larry Fedora doesn't remember a light bulb going on over the heads of his Southern Miss players in the middle of last season.

There was no grand epiphany; the team didn't go on a spirit walk.

There's nothing he can pinpoint to explain what happened to his team after it started the season 2-6 and then rallied to win its final five games, including the New Orleans Bowl against Sun Belt Conference champion Troy.

It just sort of happened.

"That's something that was so frustrating, those kids were practicing hard, they were buying in to everything we were telling them, even when we were losing," Fedora said. "On Sunday nights, we were coming out there for practice and there wasn't any head hanging. It was, 'Let's go, let's get after it,' the same way they did the Sunday before and the Sunday before that .... They just stuck in there, kept believing and some young kids started growing up."

Southern Miss had 13 freshmen and sophomores in their two-deep last season, including freshmen at quarterback and their top receiver spot. And it took a while for those players to adjust to the speed of the college game, and for the entire team to adjust to a new coaching staff and a new system.

But the Golden Eagles never stopped working and eventually the momentum that caused them to lose five straight from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25 swung to a five-game winning streak to end the season.

That swing has the Golden Eagles projected as one of the top teams in Conference USA heading into the 2009 season.

"If you take this fall camp compared to last fall camp, you see a completely different team," quarterback Austin Davis said. "If you went back and watched the first 10 days of camp last year, mentally there was so much on us because we had to learn so much in a short amount of time. This camp, we said we wanted to pick up where we left off against Troy in the New Orleans Bowl. We don't want to go backwards."

From the moment offseason conditioning began, Southern Miss continued to move forward behind the leadership of players such as Davis. Fedora saw it in spring football and it's carried over to fall camp.

After 15 winning seasons, the drive to be successful is something that's engrained in Southern Miss.

"One thing around this place, the tradition here of always winning, that's part of the reason why these kids come here, they expect to win," Fedora said. "They expect our fans to expect us to win. Those expectations are out there. I don't think there's going to be a time when they step on the field and they say it's going to be OK if we don't win this game. That's not the way they look at it."

An informal media poll conducted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune had Southern Miss coming in second in Conference USA East behind East Carolina, but four of the 24 voters picked the Golden Eagles to win the East and two picked them to win the conference outright.

Fedora said he's not worried about his young team buckling under the pressure and embraces the expectations that have been levied against Southern Miss. He's stressed to his team that the history of Southern Miss is a winning history and that this team isn't going to change that.

"I'd love to be the No. 1 team going into every year because I want the target to be on our back. It makes no difference," Davis said. "That's what we should shoot for. We shouldn't shy away from the expectations. I want the expectations, and I think a lot of the guys want them because it's Southern Miss. That's why you come play football at Southern Miss because you know you're going to come play for a good football team. You know you're going to play other good football teams. And you know you're going to compete for a conference championship and be expected to win."

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/ncfnation/0-1...tions.html]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382326 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:57:20 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382326 Damion Fletcher on 73rd Maxwell Award List for 2009

Aug. 14, 2009


HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Damion Fletcher, a senior running back at Southern Miss, is one of 55 players who comprise the watch list for the 73rd Maxwell Award in a announcement today by the Maxwell Football Club.

The Maxwell Award is presented to the Outstanding Player in college football and the list is comprised of those players who were selected based on their performance during the 2008 season.

The Maxwell Award has been presented since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Maxwell Football Club, founded in 1935, is based in Philadelphia, Penn., and is the oldest football club in the United States.

Fletcher rushed for over 1,000 yards for the third straight season last fall, finishing with 1,313 yards. The school's all-time leading rusher with 4,287 yards, the Biloxi, Miss., native also needs four rushing scores to become the leader in that category at the school. He also is vying to become the ninth ever FBS player to rush for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons of his career.

Tim Tebow of the University of Florida was the recipient of the 72nd Maxwell Award his outstanding performance during the 2008 season. Tebow, the first sophomore to ever win the Maxwell Award, and also only the second two time winner of the award returns for his senior season with the Gators.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on November 4th and three finalists for each award will be announced November 23rd. The winner of the 2009 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 10, 2009. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 5, 2010.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2009 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aaa.html]]> Damion Fletcher on 73rd Maxwell Award List for 2009

Aug. 14, 2009


HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Damion Fletcher, a senior running back at Southern Miss, is one of 55 players who comprise the watch list for the 73rd Maxwell Award in a announcement today by the Maxwell Football Club.

The Maxwell Award is presented to the Outstanding Player in college football and the list is comprised of those players who were selected based on their performance during the 2008 season.

The Maxwell Award has been presented since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Maxwell Football Club, founded in 1935, is based in Philadelphia, Penn., and is the oldest football club in the United States.

Fletcher rushed for over 1,000 yards for the third straight season last fall, finishing with 1,313 yards. The school's all-time leading rusher with 4,287 yards, the Biloxi, Miss., native also needs four rushing scores to become the leader in that category at the school. He also is vying to become the ninth ever FBS player to rush for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons of his career.

Tim Tebow of the University of Florida was the recipient of the 72nd Maxwell Award his outstanding performance during the 2008 season. Tebow, the first sophomore to ever win the Maxwell Award, and also only the second two time winner of the award returns for his senior season with the Gators.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on November 4th and three finalists for each award will be announced November 23rd. The winner of the 2009 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show which will be held on December 10, 2009. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 5, 2010.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's Selection Committee and the Maxwell Club reserves the right to make additions and subtractions to these lists as the 2009 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA Sports Information Directors, Head Coaches and selected national media are eligible to vote for these awards.

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aaa.html]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382324 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:52:01 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=382324 Austin Davis on Manning Award Watch List

Austin Davis

Aug. 17, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Austin Davis, a redshirt sophomore quarterback at Southern Miss, is one of 38 players on the watch list for The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, in an announcement made on Monday. The winner will be named following the bowls in January and will be honored at a February banquet in New Orleans.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.

Florida's Tim Tebow will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the honor after collecting it last season. He is joined by Oklahoma's Sam Bradford to give the award two Heisman Trophy winners on the Watch List. Each of the 11 FBS conferences is represented on the Watch List with at least two candidates while the Big 12 leads the way with seven Watch List selections. In addition, Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards becomes the first player from an FCS school to be recognized on the preseason Manning list.

In his first season directing the offense, Davis threw for a school-record 3,128 yards and 23 touchdowns as he ended the year with a combined total of 15 school records for both game and single-season marks. In addition, Davis rushed for 508 yards and nine rushing scores.

"We have another great class of quarterbacks this season," said Archie Manning. "We have 38 quarterbacks on our Watch List, but there are any number of other guys who could step into the picture as the season gets going. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch another tremendous college football season."

"We have had the opportunity to recognize five outstanding quarterbacks with the Manning Award," said Paul Hoolahan, Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO. "It is truly a great honor for the Allstate Sugar Bowl to sponsor this award and we wish the best of luck to every quarterback and team in the country for another great year of college football."

While the preseason Watch List includes just 38 quarterbacks, every quarterback in the nation remains eligible for the honor. Additional quarterbacks may be added to the Watch List after the start of the season. Ten finalists will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings. That list will be released on Monday, Nov. 30. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 14.

The first four winners of the Manning Award reads like a Who's Who list at the quarterback position. USC's Matt Leinart was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005, followed by Texas' Vince Young in 2006. Both went on to be top 10 NFL draft picks. In 2007, LSU's JaMarcus Russell earned the award and was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick. Boston College's Matt Ryan claimed the award in 2008 and was drafted No. 3, quickly becoming the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.

2009 Manning Award Watch List Austen Arnaud (Jr., Iowa State)
Sam Bradford (Jr., Oklahoma)
Levi Brown (Sr., Troy)
Darryll Clark (Sr., Penn State)
Jimmy Clausen (Jr., Notre Dame)
Andy Dalton (Sr., TCU)
Austin Davis (So., Southern Miss)
Armanti Edwards (Sr., Appalachian State)
Robert Griffin III (So., Baylor)
Matt Grothe (Sr., USF)
Max Hall (Sr., BYU)
Tim Hiller (Sr., Western Michigan)
Jerrod Johnson (Jr., Texas A&M)
Colin Kaepernick (Jr., Nevada)
Case Keenum (Jr., Houston)
Dan LeFevour (Sr., Central Michigan)
Corey Leonard (Sr., Arkansas State)
Thaddeus Lewis (Sr., Duke)
Ryan Lindley (So., San Diego State)
Jake Locker (Jr., Washington)
Jeremiah Masoli (Jr., Oregon)
Colt McCoy (Sr., Texas)
Kellen Moore (So., Boise State)
Tony Pike (Sr., Cincinnati)
Terrelle Prior (So., Ohio State)
Todd Reesing (Sr., Kansas)
Zac Robinson (Sr., Oklahoma State)
Tyler Sheehan (Sr., Bowling Green)
Riley Skinner (Sr., Wake Forest)
Rusty Smith (Sr., Florida Atlantic)
Jevan Snead (Jr., Ole Miss)
Ricky Stanzi (Jr., Iowa)
Tim Tebow (Sr., Florida)
Trevor Vittatoe (Jr., UTEP)
Adam Weber (Jr., Minnesota)
Juice Williams (Sr., Illinois)
Russell Wilson (So., N.C. State)
T.J. Yates (Jr., North Carolina)

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aaa.html]]> Austin Davis on Manning Award Watch List

Austin Davis

Aug. 17, 2009

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Austin Davis, a redshirt sophomore quarterback at Southern Miss, is one of 38 players on the watch list for The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, in an announcement made on Monday. The winner will be named following the bowls in January and will be honored at a February banquet in New Orleans.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.

Florida's Tim Tebow will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the honor after collecting it last season. He is joined by Oklahoma's Sam Bradford to give the award two Heisman Trophy winners on the Watch List. Each of the 11 FBS conferences is represented on the Watch List with at least two candidates while the Big 12 leads the way with seven Watch List selections. In addition, Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards becomes the first player from an FCS school to be recognized on the preseason Manning list.

In his first season directing the offense, Davis threw for a school-record 3,128 yards and 23 touchdowns as he ended the year with a combined total of 15 school records for both game and single-season marks. In addition, Davis rushed for 508 yards and nine rushing scores.

"We have another great class of quarterbacks this season," said Archie Manning. "We have 38 quarterbacks on our Watch List, but there are any number of other guys who could step into the picture as the season gets going. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch another tremendous college football season."

"We have had the opportunity to recognize five outstanding quarterbacks with the Manning Award," said Paul Hoolahan, Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO. "It is truly a great honor for the Allstate Sugar Bowl to sponsor this award and we wish the best of luck to every quarterback and team in the country for another great year of college football."

While the preseason Watch List includes just 38 quarterbacks, every quarterback in the nation remains eligible for the honor. Additional quarterbacks may be added to the Watch List after the start of the season. Ten finalists will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings. That list will be released on Monday, Nov. 30. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 14.

The first four winners of the Manning Award reads like a Who's Who list at the quarterback position. USC's Matt Leinart was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005, followed by Texas' Vince Young in 2006. Both went on to be top 10 NFL draft picks. In 2007, LSU's JaMarcus Russell earned the award and was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick. Boston College's Matt Ryan claimed the award in 2008 and was drafted No. 3, quickly becoming the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.

2009 Manning Award Watch List Austen Arnaud (Jr., Iowa State)
Sam Bradford (Jr., Oklahoma)
Levi Brown (Sr., Troy)
Darryll Clark (Sr., Penn State)
Jimmy Clausen (Jr., Notre Dame)
Andy Dalton (Sr., TCU)
Austin Davis (So., Southern Miss)
Armanti Edwards (Sr., Appalachian State)
Robert Griffin III (So., Baylor)
Matt Grothe (Sr., USF)
Max Hall (Sr., BYU)
Tim Hiller (Sr., Western Michigan)
Jerrod Johnson (Jr., Texas A&M)
Colin Kaepernick (Jr., Nevada)
Case Keenum (Jr., Houston)
Dan LeFevour (Sr., Central Michigan)
Corey Leonard (Sr., Arkansas State)
Thaddeus Lewis (Sr., Duke)
Ryan Lindley (So., San Diego State)
Jake Locker (Jr., Washington)
Jeremiah Masoli (Jr., Oregon)
Colt McCoy (Sr., Texas)
Kellen Moore (So., Boise State)
Tony Pike (Sr., Cincinnati)
Terrelle Prior (So., Ohio State)
Todd Reesing (Sr., Kansas)
Zac Robinson (Sr., Oklahoma State)
Tyler Sheehan (Sr., Bowling Green)
Riley Skinner (Sr., Wake Forest)
Rusty Smith (Sr., Florida Atlantic)
Jevan Snead (Jr., Ole Miss)
Ricky Stanzi (Jr., Iowa)
Tim Tebow (Sr., Florida)
Trevor Vittatoe (Jr., UTEP)
Adam Weber (Jr., Minnesota)
Juice Williams (Sr., Illinois)
Russell Wilson (So., N.C. State)
T.J. Yates (Jr., North Carolina)

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...09aaa.html]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=375558 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:33:46 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=375558 ]]> ]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=374559 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:19:24 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=374559 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=372961 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:12:41 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=372961 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=372099 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:30:30 -0500 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=372099 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=347803 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:59:16 -0600 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=347803 will be accepted through Feb. 23.

The league will select 12 finalists (one from each school) that will each receive two 2009-10 season tickets to their school's home basketball games. The video finalists will then be featured on ConferenceUSA.com from Feb. 25-Mar. 4, where fans will decide the Grand Prize winner to be announced on March 5.

The fan vote winner receives a pair of club seats to both the 2009 C-USA Men's Basketball Championship in Memphis and the 2010 C-USA Men's Basketball Championship in Tulsa, as well as another chance to record their life as an Ultimate Fan at both events.

Click below to enter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crcQVy-62Eo]]> will be accepted through Feb. 23.

The league will select 12 finalists (one from each school) that will each receive two 2009-10 season tickets to their school's home basketball games. The video finalists will then be featured on ConferenceUSA.com from Feb. 25-Mar. 4, where fans will decide the Grand Prize winner to be announced on March 5.

The fan vote winner receives a pair of club seats to both the 2009 C-USA Men's Basketball Championship in Memphis and the 2010 C-USA Men's Basketball Championship in Tulsa, as well as another chance to record their life as an Ultimate Fan at both events.

Click below to enter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crcQVy-62Eo]]> http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=337797 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:46:15 -0600 http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=337797
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!

We are up for the Pontiac game changing performance for the bomb that beat Temple at ESPN.com. It would be a 100k scholarship for us!!
Can you give us a hand and vote for UB on the link below !

________________________________________________
UB made the Final Four.

No one gives us a chance, va three BCS powers...we will not be outworked.

Everyone can vote once per week per PC.


http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/pontiacgcp/

or espn.com

keyword=pontiac]]>
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!

We are up for the Pontiac game changing performance for the bomb that beat Temple at ESPN.com. It would be a 100k scholarship for us!!
Can you give us a hand and vote for UB on the link below !

________________________________________________
UB made the Final Four.

No one gives us a chance, va three BCS powers...we will not be outworked.

Everyone can vote once per week per PC.


http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/pontiacgcp/

or espn.com

keyword=pontiac]]>