by Hunter Dawkins, Owner/Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm
RUSTON (GG) — Southern Miss mounted a spirited comeback attempt in the fourth quarter but fell short in a 30-20 loss to Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Golden Eagles (2-2) had a two-game winning streak snapped, while the Bulldogs improved to 3-1.
Quarterback Braylon Braxton led the Golden Eagles’ offense with 392 passing yards and two touchdowns, including a 34-yard strike to Davis Dalton with just 22 seconds remaining on a tipped ball by Carl Chester.
Chester did haul in five catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, marking the second time this season a Golden Eagle registered a 100-yard receiving game in 2025.
Despite the late surge, Southern Miss was unable to overcome a sluggish first half that saw Louisiana Tech build a commanding 30-10 lead by halftime.
The Golden Eagles’ defense tightened in the second half, holding Louisiana Tech scoreless over the final two quarters. Linebacker Chris Jones tallied a career-best 13 tackles while Michael Montgomery added his second-straight game of 13 stops, helping to stifle the Bulldogs’ offense.
Southern Miss outgained Louisiana Tech 514-340 in total offense and dominated time of possession, holding the ball for over 32 minutes. However, costly mistakes, including a second-quarter interception returned 48 yards for a touchdown by Louisiana Tech’s Kolbe Fields, proved too much to overcome.
Louisiana Tech capitalized on its opportunities early, with Blake Baker and Omiri Wiggins each rushing for touchdowns. Eli Finley was the Bulldogs’ top target, recording six catches for 155 yards, including a 73-yard reception that set up an early score.
Southern Miss kicker Reed Harradine contributed two field goals, including a 38-yarder in the first quarter, but missed a critical 37-yard attempt in the second quarter that could have shifted momentum. He added a 30-yard make early in the fourth period.
“Preparation is something that you really don’t know. It’s kind of like baking a cake, right? You get a cake, and you eat, and it tastes good, but you don’t know all the steps that went into making that cake taste good. And sometimes, when you talk about preparation, it’s all the steps,” said Huff. “You know, you can just put the cake in the oven, or you can make sure that it’s preheated. You can make sure that it goes in for 18 minutes. You can make sure you do all the little things. I think that is probably what we learned the most from last week. It is not just one side of the ball. It’s not just players, it’s everybody. I think hopefully we’ve learned that the way we prepare Monday to Friday is going to be exact replica of how we perform in the arena. That doesn’t mean you’re going to win, but it gives you a great chance to be able to perform consistently.
The Golden Eagles return home next week for their final non-conference tilt of the year when they play host to Jacksonville State in a 6 p.m., contest.
