Nov 29, 2006, 17:30 GMT
Houston, TX - Friday night the Conference-USA title will be on the line, as the Houston Cougars host the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Robertson Stadium. The Golden Eagles are no stranger when it comes to the conference title, as the team has won five league championships in the last 11 years. It was not all smooth sailing for the Golden Eagles this season, as the team had to endure a lot of peaks and valleys en route to this title game. USM opened the year with three wins in its first four games, but following the strong start the team stumbled, dropping three of its next four contests, with the lone win coming against Houston, 31-27, in Hattiesburg. Fortunately the Golden Eagles got back on track and closed out the year with four consecutive wins, including a 42-7 victory over Marshall this past week, which helped clinch the East Division title for USM. As for the Cougars, it has been 10 years since the team last captured the Conference-USA title. Houston claimed the league championship in the inaugural season for the conference back in 1996. With the exception of a small mid- season slump, the Cougars had a tremendous season, posting a 9-3 overall ledger. Houston opened the 2006 campaign with four straight victories, but after the fast start the team was knocked back down to Earth with three consecutive losses, including the setback to USM. However, that would be the last game the Cougars would lose as the team recorded five straight wins to close out the regular season. As mentioned earlier, these two schools have already clashed once this season, as the Golden Eagles captured a close victory in Hattiesburg back in October. Overall, Southern Mississippi leads the all-time series 7-3, however the last time these two teams collided in Houston, the Cougars prevailed, 27-24.
The Golden Eagles' offensive unit could be considered a one-trick pony, as the team has relied heavily on the ground game throughout the majority of the season. USM ran its way to the title contest this season, as the team is churning out 174.2 ypg on the ground. Overall the team is producing 333.5 total ypg which has led to a solid 25.7 ppg. The success of the ground attack can be attributed to the emergence of running back Damion Fletcher. The freshman was simply sensational this season, rushing for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns, while averaging an impressive 5.1 ypc. Fletcher finished the regular season second in the C-USA in rushing, while the team has a whole finished atop the league. With the tremendous success of the ground game, the Golden Eagles rarely felt the need to 'air it out', however when the team did decide to throw, quarterback Jeremy Young did a commendable job. Young only threw for 1,423 yards on the season, however the signal caller play within his own abilities and made very few mistakes, as he finished the regular season with 11 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
The play on the defensive end of the field is the main reason why the Golden Eagles are playing for the conference title, as the unit has surrendering just 18.2 ppg, while holding opponents to a mere 303.8 total ypg. Opponents found it hard to accomplish much offensively, as the Eagles permitted just 131.2 ypg on the ground, while allowing just 172.6 ypg through the air. The team also made big plays throughout the year and closed out the regular season with 23 forced turnovers and 24 sacks. Gerald McRath had a solid season for the Golden Eagles this year, as the linebacker led the squad with 76 tackles and also recorded eight TFLs and two sacks. Robert Henderson and Matthew Chatelain both led USM with 4.5 sacks apiece, while Henderson also tallied 12 TFLs for the Golden Eagles. Caleb Hendrix was by far the best defensive back for the Eagles this season, as the senior finished with 43 tackles, five TFLs and a team-high four interceptions.
As for the Cougars, their offensive unit has terrorized defenses throughout the year and come into this matchup averaging a whopping 32.7 ppg, while producing 439.6 total ypg. Houston's main source of offense has come through the air, as the team is collecting 268.4 passing ypg. Quarterback Kevin Kolb has been one of the top quarterbacks in the entire nation this season, as the signal caller has completed 68.2 percent of his passes and has thrown for an impressive 3,165 yards. Kolb was extremely efficient in 2006 and rarely made mistakes, finishing the year with 25 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Another quality Kolb possesses is the ability to spread the football, as 14 different players caught at least one pass this year. While Kolb tried to incorporate everyone in the offense, his two main targets were Vincent Marshall and Donnie Avery. Marshall and Avery were a solid receiving duo throughout the season and cause problems for every defensive backfield they faced. Marshall finished the regular season with 63 catches for 678 yards and six scores, while Avery hauled in 48 passes for 767 yards and five touchdowns. While the Cougars' passing attack gets most of the attention, it would be foolish to forget about the team's ground game which finished second in the conference with 171.2 ypg. Houston does not have one dominate running back, instead the team possesses two very good tailbacks that have abused opposing defenses all year. Anthony Alridge and Jackie Battle have proven to be a tenacious duo and have combined for 1,678 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Defensively is where the Cougars have had some issues this season, as the team is allowing 338.2 total ypg, while surrendering 22.1 ppg. Houston has done a commendable job against the run, allowing just 138 ypg, but the unit has struggled against the pass, permitting 200.2 ypg through the air. The defense has also had trouble making the big plays on the season, as the Cougars have forced 23 turnovers, while collecting just 19 sacks. The team has also had problems on third down throughout the year, as opponents converted 46 percent of their third down chances. Safety Will Gulley was tremendous throughout the season for the Cougars, as the defensive back collected 83 tackles and a team- high five interceptions. Phillip Hunt was the anchor for the front line of Houston, as the sophomore tallied 47 tackles to go along with nine TFLs and a team-high six sacks. Linebacker Trent Allen was the workhorse for Houston on this side of the football, and made his presence felt in every contest in 2006, as the junior led the team with 85 tackles.
The Golden Eagles might have defeated the Cougars earlier this season, however this matchup is not in Hattiesburg, instead it is in the heart of Texas. Houston's offensive unit is extremely dangerous and it is hard to see Southern Mississippi containing Kolb and company again this season.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Houston 38, Southern Mississippi 27
© 2006 The Sports Network
Your Talkback on this Story