WKU Football: Southern Miss Q&A with To The Top Talk
We’re just a day away from WKU’s next game against Southern Miss. With a winning season now off the table after the brutal loss to FAU, WKU…
We’re just a day away from WKU’s next game against Southern Miss. With a winning season now off the table after the brutal loss to FAU, WKU is now playing for pride against an equally struggling Golden Eagle program. With all of that in mind, we thought that we’d get a Southern Miss perspective on the game. Luckily for us, we got Jamie Arrington from the To The Top Talk Podcast to give us his thoughts on the Southern Miss program, the game, and some predictions. Without further adieu, here is our conversation with Jamie.
It’s been a tumultuous season in Hattiesburg as the Golden Eagles have replaced two coaches in the span of a couple of months. Why did USM leadership take such drastic action with Jay Hopson? And what has the fallout been around the program since his week one departure?
My understanding is that Hopson stepping down was a mutual agreement. It started to feel like he was losing the team during our game last year. Then once all of the players started opting out this summer, it was apparent there was a problem. He said his heart wasn’t in it anymore and after the embarrassing loss to South Alabama on national TV to start the season, it was apparent that we needed to move in a different direction. The fallout seems like it keeps coming with interim head coach Scotty Walden leaving to take the head coaching job at Austin Peay a few weeks back. Not to mention players opting out, injuries and key players and depth missing multiple games due to COVID-19.
USM sits at 2–5 on the year. How has the team responded on the field to the turmoil? Did last week’s win over North Alabama give USM fans hope for a late-season surge?
It has been a struggle on the field at times from a depth and talent standpoint but the “next man up” mentality is firmly in play. Emotion and energy has been a rollercoaster ride on the field this season but the win over UNA certainly was a momentum boost the team has been needing. I’m not sure if it will translate into wins during the last part of the season but will a few key players returning this week there is certainly a glimmer of hope.
What direction do you see the administration going with the head coaching hire?
I feel good about the direction the athletic department is taking with the coaching search. I think that Athletic Director Jeremy McClain has a really good gauge on what we need right now. He inherited a basketball program that has been down for a while now and made the hire of former player Jay Ladner which I think will be a home run hire when all is said and done. Since Hopson stepped down, McClain has been hard at work securing the funds to bring our program back into the top five of coaching salaries in Conference USA (Hopson’s salary was near the bottom). There have been a number of candidates who’ve expressed interest in the head coaching position. The two with the most chatter right now are Coastal Carolina Head Coach Jamey Chadwell and Indiana Defensive Coordinator Kane Wommack. McClain already hired Chadwell to be the head coach at Delta State back in 2012. I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in him once the season ends as well. Kane Wommack is a former Golden Eagle football player with a bright future in coaching. His father was the defensive coordinator here during some of our best years in the late 90’s/early 2000s.
on onto the game…
Quarterback Jack Abraham was an all-conference level quarterback last season but has only passed for 175 yards per game in 2020 (7 TD’s/4 INT’s). Why has he struggled so much thus far?
The yards per game stat is a little deceptive. He only played in one half during the Rice game after suffering an injury in the second quarter. Take away that game and he’s averaging 278 yards per game. That being said, it certainly hasn’t been the year he had hoped for. Losing two of his big-play threats last season (Quez Watkins and Jaylond Adams) certainly hasn’t helped his cause. Not to mention his favorite target Tim Jones has been out over half of this season. The running game was non-existent in the first few games in 2020 and defenses were coming after Jack. The running game has made huge strides but Abraham hasn’t been able to reap the benefits of a balanced offense due to injury and COVID-19.
Note: since this q&a came back it was announced that Abraham will be out for the remainder of the season. Southern Miss will be using third-stringer Trey Lowe against WKU
Freshman running back Frank Gore Jr has a great legacy to live up to. How has his first year in Hattiesburg gone thus far?
Frank Gore, Jr has been impressive both on and off the field. The level of maturity shown is rare for athletes his age. He is already a team leader as a true freshmen and you can tell that he is genuinely bothered by losing a game. It only took him a few games to secure the lead back role. Gore Jr is averaging 5.4 yards per carry for the season and has had two 100 yard games in the past four games. He is going to be extremely fun to watch as he matures physically. This weekend, you will likely see multiple running backs contribute such as Darius Mayberry, speedster Dee Baker, and bruiser Kevin Perkins.
Who are some other skill position players that the WKU defense should worry about Saturday?
Wide receiver Tim Jones is the best player on the team but has only seen action in three games this season due to COVID-19 and a nagging hamstring injury suffered in the second game this season. I don’t believe he is 100% but he might be available this weekend. “Big Play” Jason Brownlee has emerged as another threat at wide receiver. His combination of size, speed and ball skills has led to multiple large gains and big scores in 2020.
USM’s defense has given up 37 points per game thus far, Why has the unit struggled so much in 2020?
Prior to the season, multiple Golden Eagle veterans and contributors opted out of the 2020 season gutting what should have been a very experienced defense. There are a lot of new faces, particularly in the secondary, that have gotten better as the season has progressed. At the same time, there are quite a few players being asked to contribute who weren’t expected to see the field as much this season. The defense has shown flashes of being solid but not consistent enough for this team to be a contender in CUSA West.
How do you see the game playing out? What’s your final score prediction?
I think Southern Miss is a very volatile team right now. When healthy, the offense can put up some points. At the same time, the defense has had trouble keeping the opposition off the scoreboard. As far as a prediction, know that I have been known to be incorrect from time to time. I was very incorrect on this site last season. Hopefully, I’m incorrect again. I’ll give a slight edge to Western Kentucky based on the strength of the Hilltopper defense with a final score guess of 24–23.
I want to thank Jamie for taking the time to do this q&a with us. You can listen to the podcast weekly here and follow their Twitter account @ToTheTopTalk for fun analysis and reaction to Saturday’s matchup.