Battle for the Bell Rivalry Renews Saturday at Armed Forces Bowl

Duke faced off against Temple
in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl.
Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Anthony Andro

for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (Janaury 3, 2019) How do you know that Southern Miss and Tulane are rivals heading into Saturday’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium?

               

The teams haven’t even played in 10 years and there’s still a little something extra on the line. And that something extra is more than the Battle for the Bell, which is the trophy that’s awarded to the winner of the game between the two schools separated by a little more than 100 miles.

                

Even though the teams haven’t played since the current rosters were either in junior high or elementary, Saturday’s 17th annual bowl game at TCU will have a little extra meaning.

               

“I haven’t played in a game like that since I was at Tulane,” said Tulane senior safety P.J. Hall. “There’s no animosity. But I think what kind of defines a rivalry is the history behind the teams. 

It’s not something that just happens once a year. It happens over 10, 20 years. The history makes is a rivalry. We’ve got the history, the bell. We’re taking it as a rivalry game.”

               

Neither team has played in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl but they’ve met 30 times going into the game. Southern Miss (7-5) has the upper hand with a 23-7 mark. The Golden Eagles will be putting a six-game winning streak against Tulane (6-6) on the line as Tulane hasn’t beaten Southern Miss since 2002.

                

The ties between the two teams run deep, too. Southern Miss head coach Jay Hopson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Tulane in 1992. Southern Miss junior quarterback Jack Abraham, who became just the third quarterback in school history to throw for more than 3,000 yards this year, committed to Tulane when he was in high school. That changed when Tulane made a coaching change and brought in the current regime led by Tulane head coach Willie Fritz.

               

“For our program it’s a rivalry,” Abraham said. “We’ve played them a good deal in the past. We’ve still got the bell. That’s obviously a big deal and another thing to play for. We’re treating this as a rivalry. We’re trying to approach it as another game. I’ve got connections to Tulane. I’ve had connections to them. The team as a whole is treating this as a rivalry.”

                

Both teams share another trait. They are looking to the game to end their seasons on high notes. Southern Miss lost back-to-back games to end the regular season while Tulane dropped three straight to end the year.

                

They’ve each had more than a month off to get ready for Saturday’s game and plan to use it as a springboard for spring football and the 2020 season. The best way to do that is with a win.

                

“It’s pretty much standard protocol for both programs,” Hopson said. “The last one (to Florida Atlantic) was a tough one to swallow. We were playing for the division championship and the ball didn’t bounce the way we wanted it to. That’s football. We just feel blessed to have an opportunity.”

                

And it doesn’t hurt that a win is going to come at the expense of a rival.

               

“I know when I took this job a lot of people said ‘When are you going to play Southern Miss again?’” said Fritz, whose team is renewing its regular-season series against Tulane in 2022. “We’re so close in proximity to each other. It’s a natural rivalry and I’m glad we’re getting a little taste of it here in 2020.”

Florida State downs Southern Mississippi 42-13 in Walk-On's Independence Bowl

FSU TB Cam Akers (3) averaged 7.2 yards
a carry against Southern Miss.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA (December 27, 2017) The Florida State Seminoles jumped out to a 23-6 lead at halftime in route to a 42-13 win over the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The 33,601 fans in attendance braved temperatures that dipped into the high 30s, to see the Seminoles raise their season record to 7-6, while the Golden Eagles fell to 8-5.

The Golden Eagles scored first on a five-yard run by Kwadra Griggs at the 11:05 mark in the first quarter. Florida State responded with 23 unanswered first half points; paced by James Blackman's three first-half touchdown passes. The throws to Auden Tate (20 yards and 10 yards) and Cam Akers (14 yards). Ricky Aguayo added three points with a 29-yard field goal and two extra points. The 20-yard pass to Tate came in the first quarter with the other two TDs and field goal coming in the second quarter. They continued their scoring assault in the second half, adding 10 additional points before Southern Mississippi could score again. The Seminoles added nine more points in the fourth quarter on another Blackman to Tate pass and a Aguayo field goal.

Blackman (shown below) completed 18-of-26 passes for 233 yards and four touchdowns. With the four passing TDs, the freshman, who played his prep ball at Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, broke the bowl record. In addition, junior running back Auden Tate set a new reception touchdown record with three. For his performance, Blackman was selected the Offensive Player of the Game by a vote of the credentialed media. 

When ask about improving over the last month, Blackman responded:

“It’s been a great month to be honest. Even though we’ve been through a lot, we still were able to come together and play as a team. We reacted as a team, and we were with each other and stuck together. We did what we had to do to become bowl eligible, and now we won this bowl game. I just want to thank everyone that was put around me from the coaches to the players, and everyone had great energy around me. They helped me lift up this team and helped me be in this position.” 

Red shirt senior Nate Andrews was selected the Defensive Player of the Game in his final game of his college career. The free safety for the Seminoles recorded six tackles; five of which were solo. 

“It meant a lot. All year, I really haven’t played a lot. But being back out there with those guys meant a lot. Like a lot of guys, I could have just laid down and gotten mad at all the coaches that I wasn’t playing. But I kept praying and asked God to give me an opportunity. And when the opportunity came, I was ready for it. I want to thank all the coaches, especially (interim head coach) Odell Haggins. He stuck with us, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity to play today.” 

Team-wise, Florida State posted 452 yards of total offense (238 yards passing and 214 yards rushing), while Southern Mississippi had 260 yards of total offense (129 yards passing and 131 rushing). The Golden Eagles were led by senior running back Ito Smith (16 carries for 92 yards) and quarterback Kwadra Griggs (13-of-25 for 86 yards and one touchdown).

Florida State pushed their bowl record to 29-16-2, along with the longest consecutive bowl appearance streak at 36. The 2017 Independence Bowl was their first appearance in Shreveport. The Golden Eagles have made three appearances in the bowl game. Their lost in 2017 was their first loss in Shreveport. In 1980, they defeated McNeese State by the score of 16-14. In 1988, the downed Texas-El Paso 38-18.

Houston Faces Southern Miss for C-USA Championship. What Does It Mean?

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 2, 2011) On the night before the biggest game in recent football history, questions abound about what it all means; win or lose, for the Houston Cougars?

When the No. 6 Houston Cougars (12-0, 8-0 C-USA) hit the field at Robertson Stadium at 11:00am to face the No. 23 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (10-2, 6-2 C-USA) they will be looking at completing their best regular season in school history.

The Cougars will be facing their first ranked opponent of the 2011 season in Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles have lost two games this season; Marshall (26-21) on Sept. 10 and UAB (34-31) on Nov. 17.

Houston and Southern Miss have met 13 times previously, with the Golden Eagles holding the edge 8-5.

The game notes issued by the University of Houston Athletic Communications Office states the following facts and statistics:

·        Houston makes its third appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game and will be hosting for the second time.

·        UH is 1-1 in the C-USA title tilt, with that win coming in 2006 (34-20) vs. Southern Miss at Robertson Stadium. Houston fell at East Carolina in 2009 (38-32).

·        Houston owns a 4-3 series lead vs. Southern Miss at home, but the Golden Eagles own an 8-5 advantage in the series overall.

·        Houston has won three consecutive at Robertson Stadium vs. USM.

·        Head Coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-1 vs. Southern Miss, including a 50-43 win in 2009 at Robertson Stadium.

·        Houston looks for its 13th win on the season, which would extend this season’s school record total. Houston is also looking for its 13th consecutive win, which would also extend the school’s longest winning streak.

·        A 13th win by Houston would be tied for the sixth highest win total of the modern era.

In addition to these stats; many issues arise depending on the outcome of the game.

Let’s look at a few of these issues individually.

If Houston beats Southern Miss and gets a bid to a BCS bowl game, what will the status of head coach Kevin Sumlin be?

His name has already been floated around as a potential replacement at numerous jobs, including Arizona State and Texas A&M.

I do not think the University of Houston would want to lose Sumlin at this point. He is too much of an asset to the university and I do believe university administration will go the any lengths to keep him.

If the Cougars advance to a BCS bowl game, it would be, more than likely the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

That would be the biggest and most prestigious bowl game appearance in school history.

With the game being played in New Orleans, hundreds if not thousands of Cougar fans would hit the road for the Big Easy.

Can you imagine the majority of the Superdome filled with screaming, red and white clad Cougar fans?

The game would be nothing more than a post-season home game for the Cougars.

As a result of the C-USA championship and the BCS bowl game appearance, the Cougars could be expected to use the momentum of 2011 to next season and beyond.

Many things ride on today’s game, but the only issue on the mind of the Cougar players and their staff is beating Southern Miss.

If they accomplish that feat, the rest will take care of itself.

Clavell Named Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week

FRISCO, TEXAS (January 3, 2011) Sam Houston State forward Gilberto Clavell has been named the Southland Conference men’s basketball player of the week, the league office announced Monday.

Clavell averaged 16.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in the Bearkats’ three games last week. He scored 24 points against Air Force in the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Classic and added 21 at UTEP on Sunday.

The senior from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (Florida Air Academy), connected on 53.3 percent of his shots (16-of-30) and sank 17-of-23 free throws (73.9 percent) in the three games, which also included a win over Western New Mexico. This is the second time this season Clavell has been named the conference player of the week.

He was previously honored Nov. 29 after he scored a season-high 29 points in an upset at Colorado State. In 12 games, Clavell is second in the Southland in scoring, averaging 18.9 points to go along with 7.3 rebounds.

Honorable mention this week goes to Stephen F. Austin guard Denzel Barnes, Central Arkansas guard Imad Qahwash, Southeastern Louisiana guard Brandon Fortenberry and Texas State forward Cameron Johnson. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland men’s basketball sports information directors.

Each school’s SID nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player.

UTEP and SMU Women Set for NCAA Hoops Action

IRVING, TEXAS (March 18, 2008) Conference USA will send three women’s basketball teams to postseason play as UTEP and SMU accepted bids to the NCAA Championship, while Southern Miss will participate in the WNIT. C-USA will be sending two teams in the national tournament for the first time since 2005.

SMU (24-8), who earned C-USA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, earned a 12th seed in the Oklahoma City Regional and will face No. 5 seed Notre Dame (23-8) on Sunday, March 23 at 2:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by ESPN inside the Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., on the campus of Purdue University.

The winner of that game will advance to take on the winner of the No. 4 seed Oklahoma/No. 13 seed Illinois State contest in the second round on Tues., March 25.

SMU, who has won 10 of its past 12 games, has a prolific offensive attack, averaging 74 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the floor. The Mustangs limits their opposition to 64 ppg. SMU is led by first-team all-league honoree Janielle Dodds' 15 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Delisha Wills is also in double figures, chipping in 12 ppg.

SMU won its first C-USA title and became the first team in the league to win a tournament crown after losing its last two regular season games. The Mustangs last conference championship came in 1998-99 as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.

The teams have met twice before: Notre Dame came out on top, 76-60, in South Bend, Ind., in the 1981-82 season, and the Mustangs prevailed two years later, 64-63, at Moody Coliseum.

Notre Dame is ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Irish started the season on a hot streak, winning 12 of their first 13 games, including 10 straight. They then lost four of their next seven games, including showdowns with traditional powers Tennessee and Connecticut. The Irish have three players averaging double digits in scoring: Charel Allen (14.5 ppg), Ashley Barlow (11.7) and Lindsay Schrader (10.4).

Earning an at-large bid to the “Big Dance” is C-USA’s regular season champion UTEP (27-3). The No. 7 seed Miners will face No. 10th seed Western Kentucky (26-7) in the Spokane Regional Saturday in Stanford, Calif. The game will be televised by ESPN2 with an approximate tip time of 10:30 p.m. EST.

Western Kentucky was the Sun Belt Conference's East Division champion with a 16-2 record. The Lady Toppers beat Middle Tennessee, 65-49, to capture the conference tournament title on March 11 in Mobile.

WKU is led by senior forward Crystal Kelly, who averages 22.7 ppg to rank sixth in the nation. She is also averaging 10.6 rebounds, eighth in the country, and tops the NCAA with a .649 field goal percentage. The 6-3 Kelly is one of four Lady Topper players with double figure scoring averages. The Lady Toppers are eighth in the nation in field goal percentage (.468) and 10th in rebound margin (+7.6 rpg).

The winner of Saturday's game will meet either No. 2 seed Stanford (30-3) or 15th-seed Cleveland State (19-13) on Monday, March 24.

The Miners were the first program in league history to go through the conference schedule unbeaten and established a league-best 23-game winning streak.

In WNIT action, Southern Miss earned the league’s automatic bid and will find out its destination late Monday night. C-USA also has hopes for Marshall and Tulane earning a WNIT at-large bid.

The WNIT expanded its field to 48 teams in 2006-07. The eight-team expansion allows for an automatic bid from every conference (31). The 2008 Postseason WNIT will feature 16 first-round games, followed by 16 second-round games, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games and the championship. All games in the single-elimination format are played at the home facilities of participating schools.