Around the Sun Podcast | YouTube

NEW ORLEANS — Following a momentum-building 38-24 victory over Rice in the LendingTree Bowl to cap the 2022 campaign, Southern Miss will open its 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, when Alcorn State visits Hattiesburg at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 
 
The Golden Eagles have outscored the Braves 116-30 in the past three meetings between the in-state foes. 
 
Southern Miss’ non-conference schedule also includes trips to Florida State (Sept. 9) and Mississippi State (Nov. 18) and a home game against Tulane (Sept. 16). Alongside annual dates with its West Division opposition, the Golden Eagles’ conference schedule features a home date with Old Dominion (Oct. 7) and a trip to App State (Oct. 28) out of the East Division. 
 
Southern Miss was picked to finish fourth in the West Division in last month’s 2023 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll. 
 
Head coach Will Hall will guide a team that brings back five All-Sun Belt selections from 2022 and had four players included on the 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt teams. 
 
The Golden Eagles were 7-6 overall in 2022, earning a spot in Bowl Season alongside a conference-record seven-team Sun Belt contingent. Southern Miss capped its first year in the Sun Belt with the aforementioned LendingTree Bowl victory, helping the conference maintain its FBS-leading .614 bowl winning percentage since the dawn of the College Football Playoff era in 2014. 

 

To listen to head coach Will Hall, redshirt senior tight end Cole Cavallo and senior safety Jay Stanley’s comments from the 2023 Sun Belt Football Media Days, download the latest Around the Sun podcast episode on Apple Podcasts, Pandora or Spotify—among other platforms—or visit the Sun Belt Conference YouTube page. 

 

2023 SCHEDULE
9/2      Alcorn State
9/9      at Florida State
9/16    Tulane
9/23    at Arkansas State*
9/30    Texas State*
10/7    Old Dominion*
10/17  at South Alabama* 
10/28  at App State*
11/4    ULM*
11/9    at Louisiana*
11/18  at Mississippi State
11/25  Troy*
 
2022 ALL-SUN BELT RETURNERS
First Team
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., AP – Miami, Fla.) 
 
Second Team
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., RB – Miami, Fla.)
 
Third Team
DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Sr., DB – Greenwood, Miss.)
 
Honorable Mention
DL – Jalen Williams (Sr., DL – Tylertown, Miss.) 
LB – Averie Habas (Sr., LB – Rice Lake, Wis.) 

2023 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT SELECTIONS
First Team
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., RB – Miami, Fla.) 
DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Sr., DB – Greenwood, Miss.)
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., AP – Miami, Fla.) 
 
Second Team
DL – Jalen Williams, Southern Miss (Sr., DL – Tylertown, Miss.)