Southern Miss squares off against Georgia Southern in Sun Belt play

By Canadian Press on October 8, 2025.

Southern Miss (3-2) at Georgia Southern (2-3), Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. EDT.

BetMGM College Football Odds Opening Line: Southern Miss by 3. Against the spread: Southern Miss 3-2, Georgia Southern 2-3.

How to watch: ESPN2

Key stats

Southern Miss Offense

Overall: 388.8 yards per game (71st in FBS)

Passing: 249.2 yards per game (55th)

Rushing: 139.6 yards per game (96th)

Scoring: 31.0 points per game (57th)

Southern Miss Defense

Overall: 397.4 yards per game (103rd in FBS)

Passing: 230.0 yards per game (83rd)

Rushing: 167.4 yards per game (108th)

Scoring: 26.2 points per game (87th)

Georgia Southern Offense

Overall: 347.4 yards per game (100th in FBS)

Passing: 211.8 yards per game (84th)

Rushing: 135.6 yards per game (98th)

Scoring: 26.0 points per game (85th)

Georgia Southern Defense

Overall: 481.0 yards per game (135th in FBS)

Passing: 218.4 yards per game (68th)

Rushing: 262.6 yards per game (136th)

Scoring: 37.4 points per game (131st)

Georgia Southern ranks 125th in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert 46.6% of the time. Southern Miss ranks 54th on offense, converting on 42.6% of third downs.

Southern Miss ranks 10th in the FBS with a +6 turnover margin.

Georgia Southern ranks 127th in the FBS with an average time of possession of 26:49.

Team leaders

Southern Miss

Passing: Braylon Braxton, 1,236 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs, 64.9 completion percentage

Rushing: Jeffery Pittman, 206 yards on 43 carries, 4 TDs

Receiving: Carl Chester, 257 yards on 14 catches, 2 TDs

Georgia Southern

Passing: JC French, 946 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs, 59.9 completion percentage

Rushing: OJ Arnold, 309 yards on 50 carries, 3 TDs

Receiving: Camden Brown, 392 yards on 20 catches, 5 TDs

Last game

Southern Miss beat Jacksonville State 42-25 on Saturday, Sept. 27. Braxton threw for 152 yards on 13-of-22 attempts (59.1%) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also carried the ball 12 times for 41 yards and one rushing touchdown. Pittman had 80 rushing yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. Tychaun Chapman had one reception for 43 yards.

Georgia Southern fell to James Madison 35-10 on Saturday, Sept. 27. French led Georgia Southern with 165 yards on 14-of-24 passing (58.3%) for one touchdown and no interceptions. David Mbadinga had 14 rushing yards on three carries, adding one reception for eight yards. Brown put up 111 yards on five catches.

Next game

Southern Miss plays at Louisiana on Oct. 18. Georgia Southern hosts Georgia State on Oct. 18.

The Associated Press