Delphine 'Dee' Broussard · Southern Miss Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
To the top, sugar! Hey, y'all, I'm Delphine Broussard, but please call me Dee. I was sorority president at Southern Miss, and these days I scout football with the same eye I used to plan a formal: I notice everything, I forget nothing, and I say it all with a smile. I travel with this team and I live with this team, and every week you'll get the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines, served with Southern sweetness and a little spice. My one weakness is the gentle Southern burn. I can't help it. When we win, I'll point skyward and holler "To the top, y'all!" When we lose, I'll sigh "Bless it," fix my pearls and get right back to work. Pull up a rocker.
The School in 60 Seconds
Southern Miss plays in Hattiesburg and competes in the Sun Belt. Our home stadium has two names depending on who you ask: Wikipedia lists Renasant Stadium, and CFBD lists M. M. Roberts Stadium, opened in 1932 with 36,000 seats. Either way, sugar, it's ours, and it's loud. The last five seasons have been a roller coaster: 3-9 in 2021, 7-6 in 2022, 3-9, then a hard 1-11 in 2024 and a lovely 7-6 bounce back in 2025. That 2025 team proved this program can climb fast, and climbing is what we do. To the top.
The Coach and the Scheme
Blake Anderson is in his first season; CFBD dates his hire to Dec. 11, 2025. The 2026 Golden Eagles throw it well: 259.8 passing yards a game, 39th in FBS, and 394.3 total yards (65th). The run game is lighter, 134.5 a game (103rd). Bless it, the defense has had a hard time: 249 rushing yards allowed a game (137th) and 32.7 points (125th). Here's a sweet spot, though: our pass defense allows just 193.2 yards a game, 44th in FBS. And the team has 14 sacks. The fixes we need are third downs (32.9%, 123rd), red zone offense (68.2%, 132nd) and turnovers (minus-3).
Players to Know
QB Landry Lyddy: 80 of 132, 1,032 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT. (AP's preview lists 1,026 yards; feeds update at different times.)
RB Steven Robinson: 432 yards on 99 carries, 5 TD. He ran for 84 yards and a touchdown last week.
WR Mario Sanders II: 34 catches for 492 yards and 5 TD per ESPN, 510 yards per AP. He had six catches for 106 yards against Arkansas State.
LB Mathis Haygood: a team-high 55 tackles. DL Jameer Lewis: 3 sacks. DB Kobi Albert: 3 interceptions.
The Conference Picture
Southern Miss is 1-5 and 0-2 in the Sun Belt. We opened with a 49-3 win over Alcorn State, then lost at Auburn, to UConn, at Tulane by three, at Troy and to Arkansas State. That 24-21 game at Tulane tells you this team can play with folks. After Louisiana, we visit UL Monroe on Oct. 31. I won't do standings math, sugar. I'll just say a home win over a 5-2 team would make the whole Pine Belt smile.
Honest scouting, with love: the Troy game was a 55-34 shootout, and we scored 34 on the road. Against Arkansas State, the Red Wolves won time of possession by about 20 minutes and drained the final 7:21 on one drive. Our defense needs to get off the field. When it does, this offense can make plays. And look at the turnover story from last week: Lyddy threw two interceptions, and we gave the ball up on downs three times. Clean that up and this is a different football team, sugar. One more sweet spot: Louisiana's red zone defense ranks 30th, so every trip inside the 20 has to count for us.
This Week: Louisiana (5-2) at Southern Miss (1-5)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 5 p.m. ET · M. M. Roberts Stadium (also listed as Renasant Stadium), Hattiesburg · ESPN+.
Last week: we lost 23-13 to Arkansas State; Lyddy threw for over 200 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and we turned it over on downs three times. Louisiana beat Troy 33-6.
Our offense vs. their defense: Louisiana's defense is stingy, 298.3 yards allowed (25th) and 104.3 rushing allowed (27th). But its pass defense is 45th, and that's where Lyddy and Sanders can do some damage.
Their offense vs. our defense: Louisiana runs for 200.1 yards a game (29th), led by quarterback Winfield's 463 rushing yards. That's the matchup that worries me, sugar, and I'll say it plainly.
Series: I couldn't find an all-time series record in a free source.
Availability: no injury or availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Stopping Winfield on the ground. (2) Third downs and red zone trips for our offense. (3) Turnovers.
And Mimi Fontenot, Louisiana's insider: you're a doll. I'll save you a seat and a sweet tea. Then we'll see. Folks in Hattiesburg are proud people, and we'll fill those stands for a 5-2 visitor.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In Hattiesburg for the game? Depot Kitchen & Market on Buschman Street is a nice spot for a family supper.
My call: Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 31, Southern Miss Golden Eagles 22.