Down 11 points in the third quarter, Southern Miss looked to keep things close in its final game against heavily favored Troy. The Golden Eagles began to find momentum driving downfield.
Then, as it seems to have done all year, bad luck blended with a poor decision or any other way to describe a series of misfortune struck again. Freshman quarterback Ethan Crawford threw a short pass to Frank Gore Jr., but the running back was instantly meant for what looked to be a big loss. Then, Gore attempted to throw a lateral pass back to Crawford, but instead, the ball ended up in Troy's Chris Rogers' hands for a 40-yard scoop and score.
The sequence of events seemed to sum up Southern Miss' frustrating 2023 season as the 35-17 loss to Troy ended the Golden Eagles' season with a 3-9 mark.
"The criticism is fair," said Southern Miss coach Will Hall in regards to the season. "Nobody is more critical than me. Nobody is more upset at how this season turned out than I am. I'm highly agitated and upset with how the season turned out.
"I believe I'm the man for Southern Miss. I believe Southern Miss has great days ahead, and I'm going to be in charge of it."
THE GAME
Troy jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, but the Golden Eagles answered with a 19-yard field goal from Andrew Stein. On the Golden Eagles' next drive, Frank Gore Jr. erupted for a 57-yard touchdown to give Southern Miss a brief 10-7 lead. Gunnar Watson put Troy back ahead by halftime after finding a wide-open Chris Lewis for a touchdown.
In the second half, the Trojans broke the game open after Watson threw a second touchdown, followed by the scoop and score. Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Troy (10-2) sealed its win with a halfback pass to Chris Lewis for a 30-yard touchdown.
CRAWFORD'S GROWTH
Crawford was sacked six times, with four of those happening in the first quarter, but the freshman managed to finish 11 of 21, throwing for 121 yards and a touchdown while running for 31 yards.
In the final five games, which saw USM go 2-3, Crawford went 19 of 38, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and running for 96 yards and a touchdown.
"He is really talented," Hall said. "He is really tough. He can really play at this level. He is going to have some competition going in. We are excited about this recruiting class and what we are going to add to it. He is really, though, and is a winner. He made some boneheaded plays today that cost us, but he made some plays that'll help him grow and be better from it."
THE FUTURE
After the game, Southern Miss' Director of Athletics released a statement reaffirming his decision to retain Hall.
"The football season was a disappointment from a won-loss standpoint, and it is not the standard or expectation at Southern Miss," said McClain in the statement. "However, even during a difficult year, within the program there have been reasons to be encouraged. While changes adjustments to the program are needed and expected this offseason, we believe Coach Hall can provide the leadership to continue to rebuild our proud program and get us back to competing for championships. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support and show commitment for our young men. You are appreciated."
In three seasons at Southern Miss, Hall holds a 13-24 record, including the LendingTree Bowl victory in 2022. According to 247sports.com, the Golden Eagles' 2024 class, which includes 14 three-star recruits, is ranked No. 74 overall and is ranked No. 3 in the Sun Belt.
"I think we are really close," Hall said. "We are a young football team that has to grow and get better. But we have to get better, and that's certainly on me. I'm determined to do that.
"There are some things that we are not doing well that we got to fix. Our roster is in a really good standing. We have to get this third recruiting class in here. Then we have to coach better, and then we have to play better. We will start addressing that immediately."
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