Southern Mississippi will be missing some key offensive parts when it plays UAB.

The Golden Eagles will face their Conference USA rival Thursday night without injured running back Damion Fletcher (groin) and wide receiver DeAndre Brown (shoulder). Receiver Johdrick Morris (concussion) also is out.

Coach Larry Fedora doesnt seem overly concerned about how his team will adapt, because Fletcher and Brown both players missed spring practice.

We went through all of spring without DeAndre or Fletch, Fedora said. So weve been here before, and we have talented young players that can fill those spots well.

Then again, maybe it leaves Southern Miss (3-1, 1-0 CUSA) more vulnerable to an upset, especially after a tough near-miss at No. 18 Kansas last weekend. The Blazers (1-3, 1-1) havent won in the previous nine meetings and were humiliated 70-14 last season in Hattiesburg.

I think they have an outstanding football team, Blazers coach Neil Callaway said. I think Southern Miss and Houston are the two most talented teams in our league. Ive been very impressed with their speed. Their skill position guys on both sides of the ball can really run. Their quarterback does a good job of managing the game for them.

Defensively, their speed at linebacker and in the secondary is outstanding. We went over there last year and got embarrassed. Hopefully, well get that corrected.

Southern Miss snapped a five-game losing streak with last years rout. The games biggest star wasnt Fletcher or Brown, who did catch a 60-yard scoring pass.

Quarterback Austin Davis rushed for five touchdowns and added the score to Brown as well. Southern Miss rolled to a team-record 49 points in the first half and scored the programs most points since a 70-0 win over Cal-State Fullerton in 1975.

If that isnt enough to get UAB fired up for this game, the Blazers are reeling from a 56-19 rout at Texas AM for their third straight loss.

Its a lot of pressure, defensive end Bryant Turner said. You work so hard over the summer and you expect better outcomes. Its very discouraging when you dont get those outcomes. The coaches keep telling us that the tide is going to turn and we have to keep working hard. That helps us stay focused.

Fletchers absence means the game wont feature a matchup with two of the leagues top runners. He was fifth in the league in rushing for the leagues No. 2 rushing team. UAB quarterback Joe Webb ranks second with 432 yards and four touchdowns for the top running team.

He can run it and he throw it, Fedora said. He can do it all. He threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards and I think there are only two (returning) quarterbacks in the country that did that. Hes right on track to do it again this year. Hes very, very talented.

Hell face a tough challenge in a Southern Miss defense that is giving up a league-best 64.2 yards a game on the ground.

Webb has struggled in passing, throwing for five touchdowns and getting intercepted five times. Davis, meanwhile, has eight TD passes and only one interception.

The Blazers well remember what Davis and the Golden Eagles did to them last season.

We think about it a lot and cant get it off our minds, Turner said. We have to focus on ourselves now and go out and do what we need to do Thursday.

Posted on October 1st, 2009 by admin
Filed under: College football news, NCAA college football