Why I love Gerald McRath. The Southern Miss Jr. declared for the NFL draft…

“I’ve graduated with a degree in sports administration and business and now I want to work my butt off for the pros,” McRath said from his Georgia home.

{Another angle of “The Block” can be found here.}

I’ve probably spent less time on the computer over the last 12 days combined than I do on your average weekday, therefore I thought it was high time I addressed one of the most entertaining bowl games we’ll see this season: Southern Miss vs. Troy.

Needless to say I was fired up beyond belief. Not since the drive home from the 2003 TCU game has a post-game car ride ever been so sweet.

Southern Miss started the season 2-6, dropping 5-straight at one point during the season. To win a bowl game against a worthy opponent, and to finish with a winning record for the 15th year in a row (less than 10 NCAA D-I schools can boast of this). The bowl game itself was the perfect analogy for the 2008 season.

Troy had an excellent team this year, playing it close with Ohio and could’ve (should’ve) beaten LSU at home. Their 8-4 record going into the bowl game was proof positive.

The game was not without a downside. DeAndre Brown’s injury (see video below) was the break heard round the world. Though university physicians say that he’ll be back, running wind sprints by July 1st.

The quick Year In Review:

Terrible officiating.

Gold jerseys are debuted.

Lack of discipline.
Crying myself to sleep.

All.Gold.Uniforms.

Longest play ever.

Best bowl (kinda) ever.

New Orleans Bowl Highlight Reel

DeAndre Browns Leg Break

Troy’s Kicker Throwing a Temper Tantrum

Incredible game.

Those who missed watching the New Orleans Bowl on TV missed one heck of a show. Somehow we managed to visit Cafe Du Monde, Acme Oyster House, and Pat O’s in the 4 hours before the game… a perfect afternoon which set the stage for an incredible but emotional game.

- Southern Miss refused to wear the away jerseys and Southern Miss was penalized for the all-gold uniforms.

- Troy caused a fumble for a TD on the 2nd play of the game.

- Our star reciever (a true freshman) broke his leg.

- Our inconsistent kicker hit two crucial FGs of 47 an 39 yards late in the game.

- Southern Miss blocked Troy’s FG in overtime to will the game.

- I drank Diet Coke.

- Attenance: 30,102.

Southern Miss… to the top!!!

Now it’s time for Christmas, rooting for underdogs in other bowl games, and rooting against the Crimson Tide.

Chelsea and I fly out at 7 AM (bleh) Saturday morning, New Orleans bound with the New Orleans Bowl on Sunday night. (Southern Miss vs. Troy — the battle royale)

Can we expect to bump into any of you there? (I’m sure my question will produce some entertaining answers.)

Phew! Ranking all 34 bowls over at ESPN.com… the result?

33. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Troy
8:15 p.m., Dec. 21 (ESPN)
First-year Golden Eagles coach Larry Fedora kept intact former coach Jeff Bower’s streak by guiding his team to a bowl game for the seventh consecutive team. Southern Miss will have to beat Sun Belt champion Troy to keep intact another one of Bower’s streaks: six consecutive seasons with at least seven victories.

After starting the year 2-6 including 5-straight loses, Southern Miss finished the year with a 6-6 record and will be attending it’s 11th bowl in the last 12 years.

C-USA? Meh.
New Orleans Bowl? Meh.
Troy? Meh.

At least we understand that we’re not that great. Thinking you’re better than you actually are hasn’t turned out very well as of late.

Top recruit DeAndre Brown went 97 yards for the longest play in Southern Miss history on Saturday. Damion Fletcher is now the all-time leading rusher in Southern Miss history. QB Austin Davis is shaping up to be the next great QB since Brett Favre. After losing 5-straight games earlier in the season - believe it or not - Southern Miss is bowl eligible with one more win.

For the first time in its football history, Southern Miss debuted their first gold-on-gold jersey scheme. Any big change like this is always exciting for the fans. I still don’t know whether I love them or hate them… though I don’t care so long as USM is winning.

For those who’ve been so kind to inquire, I do not have a pistol to my head due to the current football season letdown that is Southern Miss.

We suck. We haven’t really sucked for 15 years.

With the wedding/honeymoon I wrote-off this season in my mind to keep me from losing my cool in the lead-up/newlywed phase.

We all have to suck sometime… I just wish it wasn’t while McCain was down in the polls too.

Could be worse.

With 5 minutes on the clock, down by three, Southern Miss drives 93 yards for a 1st and goal with only 1 minute reaming… and one of our best players shoves a UTEP player in the back: 15 yard penalty… we end up settling for a field goal.

Larry Fedora must get control of his team, or I’m going to spend my first two months of marriage pitching hissy fits at my computer in front of my wife.

We’re 2-3… it’s going to be a long fall.

One fall Saturday during college I went on a canoeing trip the morning before a Southern Miss football which I was set to attend later in the day. On that canoeing trip our boat hit a rock, pushing me forward into a support bar, splitting my shin wide open.

Hospital? Stitches? Nay.

I went to the game with a 2 inch gash in my shin, blood trickling through four quarters of what turned out to be a 3-0 win by Southern Miss.

This guy has me, and anyone else beat: Lineman Chooses Amputation Over Surgery

…and I don’t like them. I’ve been waiting for them to dawn gold jerseys since the new logo/color scheme, and maybe it was the rain that gave them a weird look… I’m just not nuts about ‘em.

I don’t know what it is, but I think having the gold pants with the gold jersey would’ve looked much better.

This is the first time Southern has worn gold jersey’s since the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl. They lost that game as well (to Boise State).

…it’s the lack of quality officials. Thanks for those pass interference calls, you worthless zebras: Southern Miss loses to Marshall, 34-27.

With 11 penalties for 123 yards, you can fault Southern for some, but not all… especially the two interference calls which pretty much cost Southern a touchdown.

But what does Southern do with 1:50 on the clock after coming within by 1 touchdown? On sides kick… nay! They boot the ball into the endzone. Sometimes I wonder if Jeff Bower is still hiding in the locker room with a headset, calling plays.

Still, Southern managed to put the ball into the endzone with 3 seconds remaining… only to have Marshall knock it to the ground. Well, kill me with a spoon.

Southern moves to 2-2.

But hey… at least we were not 1-3 with a 38-7 loss to Georgia Tech.

Always good things to say… especially about Southern Miss.

27-13

The Auburn-Southern Miss game was pretty much everything we thought it’d be.

Auburn won.
Southern Miss threatened to win

.

Up until the end of the third quarter, I was filling the air of Chelsea’s apartment with some of the more foul language I’ve exuded in my football-watching days. I already had the shotgun loaded and was placing the barrel into my mouth just about the time Southern had their first big drive.

As much as I want USM to be a Top 25 team year in and year out, there’s something satisfying about my team being a ‘giant killer.’ Southern Miss may not always be viewed as a great team, but they’re never viewed as a terrible team — except when we got our hides handed to us by Boise State on national TV… though Chelsea and I got on TV, so it’s all good.

Every Auburn fan will admit that as much as they were certain in an Auburn win… the fact that Southern was on the field did nothing to put their mind at ease over the last week. USM’s plays in the 4th quarter show what type of a team they can be when they fire on all cylinders.

It’s so tough to cheer during this game. I love both teams… both universities… so much. Seriously.

We were at the last game AU-USM faced off… 15 years ago. Dad had on Southern Miss gear. I had on Auburn gear. Aaron was covered in cotton candy. Mom’s hands were covered in cotton candy, attempting to wipe it from Aaron’s face. To the amazement of the surounding Auburn fans, we cheered for both teams. At one point an Auburn fan sitting behind Dad tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Just WHO do you want to win?!”

In the end, Auburn won… which is a good thing if they’re going to shut-up the ‘Bama crowd this year.

In the end, Southern Miss lost… which is a good thing because their Freshman QB and Freshman WR got experience that will win the conference this year, and will win bigger games next year.

By the way: Is anyone else as sick of that Dr. J, Dr. Pepper commercial as I am?

…because we’ve gotta beat Auburn.

This could be good or bad…

Southern Miss 23, Auburn 20
The Golden Eagles’ recent history against SEC teams isn’t good. After all, they haven’t beaten anyone from the SEC since knocking off Alabama in 2000, but I think USM’s array of skill talent will keep things very interesting, making enough big plays while the Auburn offense continues to try to get into a rhythm.

DeAndre Brown has already been given his props this week by ESPN, and Fedora hasn’t even let him run wild quite yet:

“DeAndre Brown had a terrific debut for Southern Miss and displayed great ball skills. The freakish 6-foot-6 freshman wideout snagged four passes for 92 yards and a TD against Louisiana-Lafayette. And for those of you wondering whether Larry Fedora’s spread would hinder USM’s ability to run the ball, well, it sure didn’t seem to be the case. The Golden Eagles rushed for 427 yards as TB Damion Fletcher ran for more than 200 himself.”

He’s also a true freshman.