It was an ugly game. Southern Miss lost 41-13, which makes the following numbers both humorous and upsetting.

Total Yards:
South Carolina: 449
Southern Miss: 404

Trips to the red Zone: Southern Miss: 6… only 2 of which resulted in points.

As good as South Carolina was… Southern Miss beat themselves.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume Southern Miss scores 7 on each of those other four trips into the red zone (LOL!), 28 points would have been the result. The score in “Landon’s Hypothetical Land”: 41-41. (Southern Miss would have found a way to lose in overtime.)

If for some reason or another you are upset with me and would like to get me riled up by bringing to light additional embarrassing statistics… have at it and post your findings in the comments section below.

I don’t want to talk about it. I haven’t been this embarrassed since… well… the last game we played.

Welcome once again to the brief results of my over-analyzation of the Conference USA mid-major that is my fall/winter lifestyle, Southern Miss.

College football season is here, and it kicks off on a Thursday with Southern Miss. THE Southern Miss you’ve come to know, love, then cheer for against the “bigger guys”.

What’s at stake in 2010? With 13 consecutive winning seasons, Southern Miss has the third longest streak in the nation of its kind. Additionally, we’ve been to 8 consecutive bowl games, and we’re picked by many journalists to win Conference USA this year.

No pressure.

Southern Miss is famous for 3 things: 1) Being consistently good but never consistently great, 2) Finding a way to either dominate or be dominated on a national TV stage, and 3) Promising to play “Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime.”

Be careful what you wish for.

The first game of the 2010 college football season features Southern Miss against a formidable SEC team (Anyone) on the road (Anywhere) on ESPN in prime time (Anytime).

Fearless prediction: South Carolina 27-14 Southern Miss.

2010 Season Overall: 10-2, C-USA Championship, and a spot in the Dallas Football Classic or Liberty Bowl .

09/02 at South Carolina [ESPN] 6:30 CT - Loss

09/11 vs Prairie View A&M 6:00 p.m. CT - Win

09/17 vs Kansas TV [ESPN] 7:00 p.m. CT - Win

09/25 at Louisiana Tech 6:00 p.m. CT - Win

10/02 vs Marshall [CBS College] 7:00 p.m. CT - Win

10/09 vs East Carolina [CSS] 6:30 p.m. CT - Win

10/16 at Memphis [CSS] 11:00 a.m. CT - Win

10/30 vs UAB [CSS] 11:00 a.m. CT - Win

11/06 at Tulane 2:30 CT - Win

11/13 at UCF [CBS College] 11:00 CT - Win

11/20 vs Houston 6:00 CT - Loss

11/26 at Tulsa [CBS College] 5:30 p.m. CT - Win

I’m nervous. Very nervous. Can’t breathe, to be quite honest with you.

It’s here… college football season. Because you’re all honorary Southern Miss fans (by default, due to reading this blog of course) let’s practice our fight song you don’t screw it up as you yell it from your couch tomorrow night.

Southern Mississippi To The Top! To The Top
So lift your voices high, show them the reason why
That Southern spirit never will stop!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Southern Mississippi all the way, banners high
And we will Fight! Fight! Fight! to victory,
Hear our battle cry!

Great job, gang. Great job.

That was Southern Miss’ record in the first season fielding a football team. The year was 1912. Fairly certain that they used an actual golden eagle as a substitute for a football.

Oh my. A couple of videos promoting Southern Miss season ticket packages from 2003.

They’re bad. Bad.

Yes, I know about DeAndre Brown getting arrested.

Yes, I was freaking out in anticipation that he’d be suspended for the college football opener on ESPN.

No, he won’t be suspended. Disciplined internally, but not suspended.

It’s always nice when the big boys pay attention to what you’re doing. EA Sports is a year behind schedule on the North End Zone video scoreboard, though it’s nice to see they added the South End Zone stadium addition this year, even though there are some slight architectural differences for the field level bleachers.

So help me… if we don’t lose that inflatable Southern Miss helmet in the North End Zone. By far the most high school-ish piece of our gameday puzzle.

NCAA 10

NCAA 11

NCAA 10

NCAA 11

One of my all-time favorite Southern Miss player remains unclaimed after finishing his college career.

Fletcher’s agent, Steve Colson, said the lack of interest shown by professional teams is mind-boggling. Like Fletcher, Colson hasn’t given up and expects his client will be in a training camp.

“They are missing out,” Colson said. “Damion is the eighth all-time leading rusher in college football and he can’t get a look. That’s sad.

[...]

Until then, Fletcher is back in school and remains 20 hours short of graduation. If the NFL does not work out, he will fall back on his coaching degree, which would signal the end to Fletcher’s remarkable career.

July 13, 2010 is just around the corner.

72 days until football season.

No, this is not the actual cover… just my dream.

Just a reminder that college football season kicks off 3 months from today: Southern Miss vs. South Carolina on ESPN.

We’re going to hear way too much crap from Alabama fans this year Alabama fans are going to be their typical selves, so I figured I start my trash-talking early.

At some point, if you’re a male Alabama fan with hugely drooping Bama Bangs, shaking a red and white pompom, wearing a bow tie above khaki pants that are too tight, and sunglasses hanging on a cord around your neck, don’t you have to look at yourself in the mirror and think, “My God, I am a huge clown. Tuscaloosa is the only place on Earth right now where I could walk into a bar without people believing I was dressed up for Halloween as the biggest tool in America.”

- Clay Travis

The worst part is that I coupled it with my Southern Miss hat. I’m such a traitor. I’m sorry.

I want my Southern Miss man crush Damion Fletcher to play pro ball more than anything, but not with Seattle division rival St. Louis.

Here’s the first photo of Fletch in a pro uniform.

Aside from the excuse of a “game” against Prairie View A&M, this is going to be a fun season. Two ESPN games against an SEC and Big 12 opponent.

And yes, your college football season begins with a Thursday night match up involving Southern Miss.

Thur., Sept. 2 at South Carolina (ESPN)
Sat., Sept. 11 Prairie View A&M
Fri., Sept. 17 Kansas (ESPN)
Sat., Sept. 25 at Louisiana Tech
Sat., Oct. 2 Marshall
Sat., Oct. 9 East Carolina
Sat., Oct. 16 at Memphis
Sat., Oct. 23 Open
Sat., Oct. 30 UAB
Sat., Nov. 6 at Tulane
Sat., Nov. 13 at UCF
Sat., Nov. 20 Houston
Sat., Nov. 27 at Tulsa

My eternal man crush, former Southern Miss running back, Damion Fletcher this week in a practice facility in Atlanta.

There is no goal line stand to hold such an athlete.

Based on Yahoo’s Rivals.com rankings, the recruitment rankings in the Big East over the last three years would have been #2 in 2008, i#5 in 2009, and #4 in 2010. This comes without the benefits of recruiting into a BCS AQ conference.