Southern Miss football didn't win Sun Belt West but program is a winner
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
HATTIESBURG — Mathis Haygood made it clear Southern Miss football wanted the chance at a Sun Belt conference championship.
The sophomore linebacker was distraught as he stood at the podium to meet with the media at MM Roberts Stadium. The Golden Eagles (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt Conference) fell 28-18 to Troy (8-4, 6-2)on Nov. 29 and the loss prevented Southern Miss from winning the SBC West title and a spot in the conference championship game.
Yet, Haygood still found positives to reflect on the regular season.
"We flipped the script," Haygood said. "You know, being 1-11 last year. Don't get me wrong, we did great this season, but we didn't complete what we wanted to."
Positives that first-year Southern Miss coach Charles Huff found, who shared a similar cadence to Haygood.
"Our guys busted their tail to get to seven wins and a chance to get to eight," Huff said. "That's a pretty daggone good season. I think if anybody had put those numbers in a hat and you drew them, we'd be happy with it."
Huff doesn't allow moral victories. The Golden Eagles lost their final three games of the regular season. But Huff does notice trending progress.
"Am I satisfied? Absolutely not," he said. "I didn't come here just to go to bowl games. I came here to win. We're a winning program now. So now we've got to take the next step. Part of that is going through some growing pains."
Huff believes the particular tangibles of a winning season — or a winning culture have arrived at Southern Miss. He said he understands fans' frustration of missing out on a championship, but believes it's a positive feeling.
"We have a winning culture now," he said. "That's the first step. This is no longer the 1-11 doormat of the Sun Belt. We are a winning program. We have a winning culture to take the next step."
Southern Miss has earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022, flipped a turbulent 2024 season to potentially seven or eight wins and has put a sense of direction for a program that appeared lost. Huff described it as only the start.
"We were losers," Huff said. "We're going to a bowl game. There are a lot of teams in the country right now, at some bigger conferences and lower conferences that would trade places with us in a heartbeat."
Transfer quarterback Braylon Braxton has been the motor for the Golden Eagles' offense. The preseason Sun Belt offensive player of the year lauded the program and the city of Hattiesburg during his final collegiate season.
"I mean, we were just a resilient bunch," said Braxton, who threw for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception. "We play for each other. We knew this thing wasn't gonna be easy when we signed up for it. Everybody knew we were getting ourselves into when we came to a 1-11 program … but I'm just thankful for this opportunity."
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Southern Miss football didn't win Sun Belt West but program is a winner
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos