LendingTree Bowl preview: Southern Miss prepares for old friend in Rice Owls
Southern Miss has an opportunity to put a stamp on a successful season in year two of Will Hall’s rebuild in Hattiesburg.
The Golden Eagles are spending the better part of the week in Mobile preparing for the LendingTree Bowl against former conference foe Rice.
It’s the first postseason action for the program since 2019 and the team is searching for its first bowl win since 2016.
“It’s a big deal to get us back in the postseason,” Hall said following Wednesday’s practice. “It’s a big step in the right direction. Haven’t won a bowl game here in quite some time, so the kids are excited. We’re playing an opponent that’s very similar to us. They have played a lot of close games, they’ve played a tough schedule and they could have a lot better record than what it is.”
The Owls come in with a 5-7 record and are competing due to a shortage of bowl eligible teams and the program’s APR scores allowing it to participate.
The two have a common opponent in Louisiana, with Rice having defeated the Cajuns in September and USM doing the same on national television in October.
“Extremely blessed for the seniors to be able to play another game,” running back Frank Gore Jr said. “We also have a chance at a ring and a trophy which would be big for me and my teammates and the program. So we’re excited.”
No surprises
As of Wednesday, Hall expects the same roster that clinched bowl eligibility a few weeks ago in Monroe to be on the sideline and healthy for the battle with Rice.
Hall says Trey Lowe will remain the starter at quarterback for the fourth straight game and plans to mix in some super back action, as well.
The offense will have an opportunity to establish itself on the ground with Gore Jr against the 91st-ranked rush defense in the country.
Gore Jr, who is USM’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Ito Smith in 2014, is excited about the opportunity to avenge the team’s last two meetings with the Owls, which both ended in losses.
“Our advantage is that chip on our shoulder,” Gore Jr said. “Because we’re already the underdogs, even if the spread gives us the favor. People look at us as Southern Miss, knowing we were 3-9 the last two years so that’s how they look at us.”
Defensive focus
Despite some question marks within the Rice offense, USM is preparing defensively for what the Owls usually bring to the field.
Star playmaker Luke McCaffrey is expected to return to Rice’s lineup, according to reports, after missing the last two games of the regular season.
McCaffrey has 656 receiving yards on a team-high 51 receptions and 137 rushing yards. The fourth-year sophomore has found the end zone seven times this season, including twice against Louisiana.
Not expected to play is Owl quarterback TJ McMahon. According to Rice coach Mike Bloomgren, AJ Padgett has been taking first-team reps in practice this week after starting the regular season finale against North Texas.
Padgett is a true freshman from Frisco, Texas who has played in two career games. Between action against UTSA and UNT, Padgett completed 20 of 40 pass attempts for 339 yards. He averaged 10.9 yards per attempt in nearly leading the Owls to an upset win over the Conference USA runner-ups at UNT.
“We’re just getting ready for Rice’s offense,” Hall said. “They really do a great job of holding the football and shifting and motioning. Really controlling the clock. We’re just getting ready for their offense no matter who they play at quarterback.”
Rice is tied-worst in the country in interceptions thrown and the Golden Eagles are the Sun Belt’s top ball-hawking defense, but Padgett is responsible for only one of the Owls’ 19 interceptions.
The odds in sports books continue to favor USM with the Golden Eagles currently a six-point favorite on Saturday.
The game is set to kick off at Hancock Whitney Stadium at 4:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 10:57 AM with the headline "LendingTree Bowl preview: Southern Miss prepares for old friend in Rice Owls."
