The SMU Mustangs (5-5, 4-2) used a tremendous defensive effort against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (0-10, 0-6) on Saturday, walking away with a relatively easy 34-6 win at Gerald Ford Stadium.
SMU opened the game with a 79-yard touchdown drive capped by a Garrett Gilbert 36-yard touchdown run to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead. After a Chase Hover field goal on the next drive, Southern Miss responded with their lone scoring drive of the game thanks to a shanked punt that gave the Golden Eagles a short field.
SMU then took complete control with 17 straight points in the second quarter as the Mustangs defense intercepted Southern Miss quarterback Chris Campbell twice in the final five minutes of the first half. SMU added a touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap a 34-6 victory.
Box Score Hero: The SMU defense held the Golden Eagles to just 51 rushing yards on 22 attempts while intercepting two passes in the game. Southern Miss, coming in averaging more than 170 yards rushing per game, was held to just 178 yards of total offense in the game.
But Did They Cover? The Mustangs easily covered the 14.5-point spread as favorites.
For More On This Game: For more on SMU football, visit SB Nation Dallas. And you should probably start reading Big East Coast Bias.
Next Week's Schedule: Southern Miss will take on UTEP on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. CT. SMU will face Rice at 2:30 p.m. CT.
