Two Sun Belt teams searching for momentum meet at The Rock in Hattiesburg. Arkansas State (2-4, 0-2) visits Southern Miss (1-4, 0-1) at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
Arkansas State insider Ty Doucet-Harmon punctuates stats with duck calls. He's cheering for Trey Owens, who has 1,461 passing yards, and receiver Hunter Summers after last week's 56-49 shootout loss to South Alabama. Southern Miss insider Delphine "Dee" Broussard delivers Southern burns with a smile. She confirms that starter Ethan Hampton is out with a broken throwing hand, so Landry Lyddy makes the start. Lyddy has six touchdowns, and Mario Sanders has five scoring catches.
ESPN rates both defenses near the bottom of the country, so this one could be a shootout. Southern Miss lost 55-34 at Troy on Oct. 7. Both teams had extra rest. Mild weather and the potential for big plays make every possession matter.
Our call: Arkansas State 35, Southern Miss 30.