Southern Miss football rallies to beat Tulane, pick up biggest win of Will Hall era
NEW ORLEANS — Natrone Brooks came around the edge unimpeded, and the Southern Miss football defensive back made Tulane pay for it.
Brooks blocked a midrange field goal attempt by Kriston Esnard early in the fourth quarter Saturday, taking three points off the board for the Green Wave and setting the Golden Eagles up with excellent field position to take the lead for the first time.
Southern Miss went on to secure a 27-24 win at Yulman Stadium, the biggest since Will Hall took over as the program's coach before the 2021 season.
Brooks' big play underlined what already was an outstanding day on special teams for the Golden Eagles (2-2), and a disastrous one for the Green Wave (3-1), which suffered a letdown after beating Kansas State on the road last week.
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Golden Eagle special teams unit stands out again
Southern Miss' special teams were once again the highlight of the night.
The biggest special teams play came in the fourth quarter, on Brooks' sequence that gave the Golden Eagles their first lead.
But both of the Golden Eagles' scoring drives in the first half directly resulted from excellent special teams plays, too.
First, USM punter Mason Hunt pinned Tulane at its 2-yard line with a booming punt, which subsequently placed the Golden Eagles offense at the Tulane 44 after a Green Wave three-and-out. That produced the Golden Eagles' first touchdown drive of the game.
Later in the second quarter, Jay Jones blocked a Tulane punt, setting the Golden Eagles up deep in Green Wave territory and a field goal thereafter.
During a game in which the Golden Eagles got outgained by over 100 yards, the special teams made the difference.
Kristin Booth and Eric Scott Jr. combine for the exclamation point
Southern Miss defensive lineman Kristin Booth was out of his element, dropping back into coverage with 7:30 left and the Golden Eagles clinging to a 27-17 lead.
Still, Booth managed to get one of his sizable hands onto a Michael Pratt pass, tipping it up into the air for his teammate Eric Scott Jr. to reel in.
Scott brought it back for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the Golden Eagles a comfortable 10-point advantage.
The play marked Scott's second defensive touchdown of the season. He also returned an interception for a touchdown against Liberty in the Golden Eagles' first game of the season.
This time, USM hung on to win.
Southern Miss defense generates pressure against outstanding Tulane offensive line
One of the major questions entering Saturday was whether the Golden Eagles would be able to make Pratt uncomfortable in the pocket.
Tulane entered with the fourth-best pass-blocking efficiency in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus data.
The Golden Eagles made Pratt's life difficult anyway. Armondous Cooley and Dominic Quewon registered sacks in the first half to finalize key stops after the Green Wave offense rolled in the first quarter.
In the second half, the Golden Eagles defense took the offensive, registering another two sacks to bring the total to four.
The Green Wave accumulated 253 yards of total offense in the first half and looked poised to run through the Southern Miss defense all night. But the Golden Eagles adjusted in the second half, keeping the Green Wave off the scoreboard until the final minute.
David Eckert covers Southern Miss for The Hattiesburg American. Contact him at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Southern Miss football picks up biggest win of Will Hall era over Tulane
