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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Jeff Bower (16th season, 103-72-1) 2005 record: 7-5 (Beat Arkansas State in New Orleans Bowl) C-USA finish: 5-3 (t-2nd East) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 95th (111.3 ypg) Passing: 33rd (246.0 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 73rd (160.8 ypg) Passing: 75th (233.3 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 at Florida Sept. 9 SE Louisiana Sept. 16 NC State Sept. 26 at UCF Oct. 3 at Tulsa Oct. 14 Houston Oct. 21 at Virginia Tech Oct. 28 East Carolina Nov. 4 at Memphis Nov. 11 at Tulane Nov. 18 UAB Nov. 25 Marshall Depth Chart: Offense 9 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. SE 13 Anthony Perine Sr. 2 Damion Carter Sr. FL 16 Josh Barnes Sr. 26 Joe Singleton So. LT 75 Chris Clark Jr. 68 Jacquine Wrice Fr. LG 55 Travis Cooley Sr. 63 Wesley Housley So. C 56 Robby D’Angelo Sr. 74 Rick Thompson Jr. RG 70 George Batiste Sr. 72 Sam Wilson Fr. RT 66 Ryan McKee So. 67 Ryan Hebert Fr. TE 83 Shawn Nelson So. 48 Jonathan Palmer Sr. QB 10 Jeremy Young Jr. 12 Stephen Reaves Jr. FB 33 Bobby Weakley Sr. 40 Cole Mason So. RB 28 Cody Hull Jr. 8 Larry Thomas Jr. Depth Chart: Defense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 47 Matthew Chatelain Sr. 99 Shadler Manning Sr. NT 94 Ryan Watson Jr. 78 Mam Nyang Fr. DT 97 Martavius Prince Jr. 92 Eric Phillips So. DE 91 Robert Henderson Jr. 96 Ken Griffith Sr. WLB 41 Tokumbo Abanikanda So. 27 Wayne Hardy Sr. MLB 42 Mitch Craft So. 34 Marcus Raines Jr. SLB 24 Gerald McRath So. 22 James Denley Jr. CB 21 Jasper Faulk Sr. 18 Cornelius McGee So. CB 14 Caleb Hendrix Sr. 23 Eddie Willingham So. SS 6 Brandon Sumrall Jr. 20 Ladarius Webb So. FS 15 LeVance Richmond Jr. 29 Lance Moore So. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 16 Darren McCaleb Sr. P 3 Britt Barefoot So. KR 6 Brandon Sumrall Jr. PR 21 Jasper Faulk Sr.

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Jeff Bower was there when it started. Bower, entering his 16th season as Southern Miss coach, was at the helm of his alma mater 10 years ago when Conference USA began as a six-team football league. His teams won three league titles in C-USA's first four seasons of existence.

Since 2000, the Golden Eagles haven't been as dominant. They won the 2003 title by going 8-0 in an 11-team conference, but each of the other five seasons has been marked by at least three C-USA losses.

Bower would like to return the Golden Eagles to a position of power in a conference that has expanded to 12 teams with two divisions and a league championship game. To do so, however, will require doing what got him there in the late 1990s. "Any good championship team has great leadership and good chemistry," Bower says.

Bower says there's "more depth, more parity" as evidenced by two first-year C-USA teams - Tulsa and UCF - winning their respective divisions a year ago. But Bower, 31-15 in league play since 2000, will have his Golden Eagles make a run at the C-USA East title behind an unproven quarterback and without a dominant running back. Despite the apparent shortcomings, Bower routinely finds ways to place Southern Miss in position for the postseason.

OFFENSE

For the first time in three years, Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower will be breaking in a new quarterback. Junior Jeremy Young, who's had limited snaps the past two years, held onto the No. 1 job in the spring and enters the season with a slight edge over Stephen Reaves, a Michigan State transfer. Reaves did not participate in contact work in the spring while recovering from a torn ACL last fall.

"Jeremy came a long way (in the spring)," Bower says. "And he gives us that added dimension of being a good runner by being able to pull the ball down and make some plays."

While Young emerged in the spring, running back Cody Hull made his move late last season. Hull took over the starting job in the final regular-season game against Tulane and also started in the New Orleans Bowl victory over Arkansas State, averaging 123 yards in those starts. Hull, a good receiver out of the backfield, is a tough, strong, durable runner and a solid blocker.

Tight end Shawn Nelson gives the Golden Eagle passing game a legitimate big-play threat. Nelson earned freshman All-America honors last year by catching 35 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns. His return, along with Anthony Perine and Josh Barnes, gives USM its top three receivers back from 2005.

If the Golden Eagles are to challenge for the East Division title, the play up front will be responsible. Southern Miss returns four starters on its line, a unit led by preseason All-America candidate George Batiste at right guard.

DEFENSE

It's rare to see the Golden Eagles without a returning starter at linebacker, a position that regularly produces all-league candidates. Gerald McRath has the potential to become a playmaker in the mold of past standouts like Kevis Coley and Michael Boley, but he has to overcome the injury bug first. When healthy, McRath is fundamentally sound. He doesn't miss tackles. Tokumbo Abanikanda is expected to blossom into a key member of the defense. He started at weak-side linebacker in the New Orleans Bowl and had two tackles for lost yardage in the game.

On the defensive line, end Robert Henderson began to display signs of becoming an imposing player last season. He finished the year with five sacks, which tied for the team lead.

Cornerback Caleb Hendrix and strong safety Brandon Sumrall anchor the secondary, which returns only one starter - Hendrix, one of the top cover corners in the conference. He is coming off a hamstring injury that slowed him late last year and this spring.

SPECIALISTS

Southern Miss will have the league's top placekicker, Darren McCaleb, and the league's top surname for a punter, Britt Barefoot. McCaleb, an All-America candidate, ranked fourth nationally a year ago in field goals made (1.92 per game). Beginning his fourth season as the starter, he has made 53 of his 64 field goal attempts in his career and holds the school record for field goals made and points scored (255).

FINAL ANALYSIS

Southern Miss made it to the postseason for the eighth time in nine years, but for the Golden Eagles to make a run at the league title will require a quick maturation process. There's a new quarterback and no dominating runner in the backfield.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles will break in three new starters at linebacker and two each on the defensive line and in the secondary.

Bower has directed successful rebuilding projects before, and he has the talent to do it again. A veteran placekicker should make the Golden Eagles a threat in close games.