The Big 3 Report by Jason “Gator” Pigott
(Gator's Take Season Record: 11-5)
#25 Southern Mississippi (4-0) at Alabama (4-2)
The Golden Eagles got more than they bargained for last Thursday night as the Houston Cougars
came into M.M. Roberts Stadium with an upset on their minds. The Cougars out-gained the Eagles
518-338 and for the first time this season, looked like the team from a year ago. (I guess the
kidnappers team didn't get the memo.)
The Eagles squandered a 14-point lead in the second half and trailed by eight points in the games
final minutes. QB Dustin Almond scored on an 18-yard TD run with 1:22 left in regulation but pulled
a hamstring in the process. This forced backup QB, Damion Carter to come in and manage the 2-point
conversion try with the outcome in the balance. The Eagle offensive line took the pressure off the
young QB as RB, Anthony Harris took the handoff from Carter and scored easily. In overtime, the
Eagles got the ball first and scored, but the PAT was blocked, thus leaving the door wide open for a
Cougar upset. However, the Eagle defense would rise up in the extra session and stop the Cougars
for a 35-29 win.
This week, USM is back on the road against Alabama . The Crimson Tide whipped Kentucky last
week 45-17 but lost its leading rusher, Ray Hudson (638 yards, 4 TD), for the season with a fractured
knee. Earlier this season, starting QB Brodie Croyle was lost for the season with a knee injury as
well. Still, the Tide is no slouch. The strength of this team is the offensive and defensive lines and
they are excellent.
The Tide defense held Kentucky to only 177 total yards and looked good doing it. Offensively,
Alabama looked very much like the team we love that plays on Friday nights. Bama ran the ball
in 63 of their 74 offensive plays for 304 yards. This “Picayune-like” performance might have
worked against a soft Kentucky defense, but when playing a team of equal or better talent, the
Tide will be forced to pass the ball to keep the defense guessing. Junior QB, Spencer Pennington
went 7 of 11 for 83 yards last week in only his 2 nd career start.
The Eagles will be without QB Dustin Almond this week due to injury so Damion Carter will
get the start. Carter can hurt defenses with his arm and scrambling ability. I feel if he given
enough of an opportunity, he will become a game-breaker before his career at USM is over.
Carter was the starting QB in last year's 17-3 loss to Alabama and the numbers weren't pretty.
They won't be pretty this week either if the Golden Eagles cannot establish a respectable running
game. Success in this game will rest on the shoulders of the USM O-line.
Gator's Take: This is a tough match-up for the Eagles. Alabama is 33-6-1 against USM in the
last 40 years with the Eagles last winning in 2000. After being shredded by the wide-open style
Houston offense last week, the Eagle defense will return to form in facing a more conventional
Crimson Tide attack. A win here would make the Eagles legitimate…a loss, and it's back to the
Liberty Bowl. Here's to change! GOLDEN EAGLES 16 Crimson Tide 13
Ole Miss (3-3) vs. #13 Tennessee (4-1)
WOW! After looking bad the week before against a weak Arkansas State team, the Rebels rebounded
to upset #25 South Carolina 31-28 on Saturday. Head Coach David Cutcliffe surprised everyone,
even his own players, by implementing a rotating 3-QB system on a per down basis. Perhaps, even
more surprising is that the system worked.
The Rebels piled up 319 yards of offense in the first half against a stout Gamecock defense that was
allowing an average of only 256 yards a game. South Carolina made some defensive adjustments
during the break and slowed the Rebel attack considerably in the 2 nd half by only allowing 95 yards.
The Gamecocks took their first lead 28-24 late in the 4 th quarter and appeared to have the game in
hand. However, QB Ethan Flatt and company would not be denied. Flatt led the Rebels on a 73-yard
drive in the games final two minutes that ended with a 29-yard TD pass to Bill Flowers on 4 th and 10.
Tennessee comes to Oxford this weekend fresh off an upset road win over then #3 Georgia 19-14.
The Volunteer defense was dominant in holding the high-powered Bulldog offense to under 300 total
yards. The Vols control their own destiny in the SEC-East race after the win last week and should be
ready to play Saturday. They are an extremely physical team with a rushing attack that will be hard to
stop.
Gator's Take: Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. With the win last week,
Cutcliffe's seat has cooled considerably and optimism among UM faithful has resurfaced. If the Rebel
defense can slow down the Volunteer ground game, they should have a good chance to win. It's tough
to win on the road in the SEC, especially two weeks in a row. Each team has an excellent place-kicker
and they will decide the outcome. VOLUNTEERS 26 Rebels 24
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five game losing streak that doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.
They were beaten at home by UAB, 27-13 on Saturday. However, outside of QB Kyle York, MSU didn't l
ook that bad. The Bulldogs showed improvement on both sides of the ball and RB Jerious Norwood
(Brandon HS) rushed for over 200 yards.
QB Omarr Conner will be back from injury next week in time to face Florida. Call me crazy (I've been
called worse lately), but I think with the extra week of practice and their big O-line that's improving every
week, the Bulldogs will have a chance to pull an upset here. Florida will not be “up” for the game after
playing Middle Tennessee St. this Saturday and will be anticipating the annual showdown with Georgia
the week following the State game.
Gator's Take: Bulldogs 14 Off Week 7