Statesboro, Ga. — Southern Miss continues its remarkable turnaround season, holding off a furious late rally from Georgia Southern to claim a 38–35 road victory on Thursday night at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.
Quarterback Braylon Braxton led the Golden Eagles with 237 passing yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jeffery Pittman powered the ground game, carrying the ball 31 times for 140 yards and two scores.
Braxton connected early with Tychaun Chapman for a 50-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter, then found Carl Chester from 30 yards out midway through the second to put Southern Miss up 21–7. Pittman’s 2-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 28–7 just before halftime, capping a dominant first half in which the Golden Eagles scored on four consecutive drives.
Southern Miss appeared to have the game well in hand when Creighton Wilbanks drilled a 42-yard field goal with 10:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, stretching the lead to 38–21. Moments later, Josh Moten intercepted Georgia Southern quarterback JC French IV—the team’s third takeaway of the game—seemingly sealing the win.
But Georgia Southern refused to fold. French led two late touchdown drives in just over four minutes, trimming the deficit to three with 2:14 left. However, the Eagles’ onside kick attempt failed, allowing Southern Miss to run out the clock and escape with the win.
The victory marked a milestone for Southern Miss (4–2, 2–0 Sun Belt), which went just 1–11 last season. It was also their first road win since a 34–31 overtime triumph over Louisiana-Lafayette on November 9, 2023.
French finished 24-of-43 passing for 313 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for Georgia Southern (2–4, 0–2).
The matchup was the first modern-era meeting between the two programs. Their only previous contest came in 1941, when Mississippi Southern defeated Georgia Teachers College 70–0.
Southern Miss will look to extend its winning streak next week as it returns home for another Sun Belt showdown.
