Southern Miss football vs. Texas State: Scouting report, score prediction

Southern Miss football is bound for San Marcos and a matchup against Texas State for the first time since the two teams combined for over 100 points in a 2015 USM win.

The offense for the Golden Eagles (3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) looks a bit different these days, with an explosive and disruptive defense leading the way for an attack that is still a work in progress.

Here's what to know before USM kicks off against the Bobcats (3-4, 1-2) on Saturday (4 p.m., ESPN+).

Layne Hatcher leads balanced Texas State offense

Texas State coach Jake Spavital has Air Raid roots. A University of California fan blog once described him as the "Bear Raid Commander" during his time as the Golden Bears' offensive coordinator.

But USM coach Will Hall was quick to point out that this is a more balanced Texas State offense. The Bobcats throw 36.3 times per game while averaging 33.0 running plays.

"They're not like Mike Leach, you know what I mean?" Hall said. "They're trying to run the ball. They're bringing tight ends in the box and doing those things too. We're not fixing to see Mississippi State this week. ... It is Air Raid principles, but it's more similar to what we've seen week-to-week."

The run game hasn't been super effective in San Marcos through seven games, with the Bobcats averaging just 2.9 yards per rush.

At quarterback, they can rely on veteran Layne Hatcher, who has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,695 yards and 14 touchdowns so far this season. The former Arkansas State quarterback has thrown seven interceptions, too.

AGAINST THE GRAIN:Southern Miss football is taking the contrarian approach at quarterback. Will it pay off?

LADNER:Southern Miss basketball has 9 players from transfer portal. What's Jay Ladner's plan?

POLLS:Where Southern Miss basketball teams rank in Sun Belt preseason polls

Disruptive duo highlights Bobcat defense

Two of the Sun Belt's top three when it comes to tackles for loss will be lining up across from the Golden Eagles on Saturday.

Defensive lineman Levi Bell has racked up nine TFLs, trailing only TJ Jackson of Troy. Just behind him is outside linebacker Jordan Revels, with eight.

"(Bell) is a really good player," Hall said. "He's caused a lot of disruption all season long. They're a bigger defensive front. He plays so hard. He plays with relentless passion and aggression.

"(Revels) at the Jack linebacker is a guy who can really set the point of attack and also provide some pass rush. They've done a good job causing disruption, and that's something we've gotta be able to control."

It should be a stern test for the Southern Miss offensive line, which played well in the Golden Eagles' victory over Arkansas State last week but has been a concern, in general, this season.

Going for two

Southern Miss is looking to win two FBS games in a row for the first time this season and just the second time under Hall.

A 2.5-point favorite on Fanduel as of Wednesday evening, USM would move above the .500 mark with a win for the first time since 2019.

With two dramatic victories under his belt at Tulane and vs. Arkansas State, Hall sees the value in stringing good moments together.

"It'd be great," he said. "That's probably the next step for us as we build this program back is to win two in a row. That'd be another step in the right direction. That would be something we haven't done here in a while.

"It's not the be-all-end-all for where we're headed. What we're really focusing on is continuous improvement."

Score prediction

Southern Miss 23, Texas State 20. As usual, this is going to be ugly. And, as is the case every week for the Golden Eagles, whether or not they come up with a win is likely going to depend on whether or not they can take care of the football. With six giveaways in the last two games, look for them to address the problem here.

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 vs. Texas St.: Scouting report, score prediction