By: Troy Roberts
(Photo/Troy Roberts-The Mojo Network)
Behind a dominant first half and a gutsy second-half effort by the home team, Southern Miss held on to defeat Georgia Southern 38–35 Thursday night at Paulson Stadium.
Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton racked up 237 yards and two touchdowns, while Mississippi State transfer Jeffery Pittman picked up 140 yards on the ground with two scores. The Golden Eagles poured it on early, building a 21-point halftime lead by scoring four straight times before the break.
Georgia Southern clawed back with 28 second-half points, producing two late touchdowns in the final few minutes. However, this would not be enough as the eagles could not recover the onside kick for a shot at overtime.
Georgia Southern receiver Camden Brown made history in defeat, hauling in 12 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. This tied a school record for catches in a game and marked his third straight 100+ yard performance. JC French finished 24-for-43 for 313 yards, adding two touchdown passes and two rushing scores, but also three interceptions.
Southern Miss improves to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the Sun Belt with the victory in the first meeting between the two teams, while Georgia Southern falls to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the league.