AUBURN, Ala. – Southern Miss came to Auburn with a chance to turn a promising start into something much bigger. However, the Golden Eagles left with their first loss of the Blake Anderson era, falling 43-8 to the Tigers on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
A week after opening with a 49-3 win over Alcorn State, Southern Miss (1-1) couldn’t produce the breakthrough it was looking for against an SEC opponent. Despite having some moments that could serve as building blocks going forward, the scoreboard ended up being much more in Auburn’s favor than the Golden Eagles anticipated. Auburn improved to 2-0, while the Golden Eagles were left to sort through the positives and negatives from their first road trip of the season.
With temperatures in the 80s and orange and blue stretching into the upper deck, with the noise rolling down toward the field after an hour-long weather delay before starting the game, Jordan-Hare offered a much more intimidating setting for the Golden Eagles than the warm welcome they received during last weekend’s home opener at Renasant Stadium in Hattiesburg. Under the bright lights on the Plains, Southern Miss got an early look at how its new group would handle a stage like this.
Anderson made his expectations clear during the week leading up to this big test: Southern Miss was going to Auburn to try to win, and not just play for a moral victory. That made Saturday’s result a disappointment, but it was a learning experience for the Golden Eagles that can help the team grow as this season progresses.
Southern Miss returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 19, against UConn at Renasant Stadium in Hattiesburg. That is a game we have circled as being pivotal for how this Golden Eagles’ season might turn out. This Auburn road trip is officially a thing of the past and part of Anderson and his coaching staff’s film room evaluations for the coming week. We’ll soon see how Anderson’s squad gets off the mat and responds to its first loss.
Editor’s Note: This article will be updated throughout the evening.
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