A.J. Little: Southern Miss Offense Embracing Fresh Start Entering Sun Belt Play

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss may not have gotten the result it wanted Saturday night in New Orleans, but A.J. Little believes the Golden Eagles walked away knowing a little more about what this offense can be.

Southern Miss held a late lead before falling 24-21 to Tulane, but after an offense that had struggled to find consistency in previous weeks showed signs of life, Little believes the biggest lesson now is learning how to finish.

Southern Miss Football, A.J. Little — Southern Miss Football | Josh House

“I feel like it taught us just because you got a lead, don’t let off the gas pedal,” Little said. “And for us, it gave us confidence because we know we can be a great team, a good team. So, for us, it’s just playing to the end.”

A Fresh Start In Sun Belt Play

Troy head coach Gerad Parker coaches against Alabama State during the their game in Troy Ala., on Saturday evening, September 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Now the Golden Eagles turn their attention to Sun Belt Conference play and a Tuesday night matchup at Troy on ESPN2. For Southern Miss, the message from head coach Blake Anderson has been simple: The record is 0-0 again.

Little said the locker room has bought into that fresh start. “We embracing it heavy, because for us, it’s just a relief, for our coach believing in us like that, saying zero and zero,” Little said. “And us in the locker room, being like, ‘Man, let’s go. Let’s do it.’”

That belief comes at an important time for a Southern Miss team ready to turn the page from its nonconference schedule. “The coaches, we all believe in this thing,” Little said. “So we ready to do it.”

An Offense Growing Together

Southern Miss Football — Landry Lyddy scrammbling out of the pocket against Tulane, September 26, 2026 | Josh House

That belief has developed alongside an offense that Little says has come a long way since fall camp. With so many new faces trying to learn how to play together, chemistry was not going to happen overnight. Through the first month of the season, however, Little has watched the group begin to come together.

“Man, we have grown tremendously,” Little said. “Us being new, everybody being new at the portal, us coming in, actually learning each other and it being a brotherhood. So this offensive unit has came a long way.”

Part of that growth has been finding leaders. Little said Southern Miss was still searching for some of those voices around the Alcorn State game. As the weeks have passed, more players have started stepping into those roles. One of them is quarterback Landry Lyddy. Making his first start against Tulane, Lyddy helped put Southern Miss in position to win. Little was impressed not only by his play, but also by the way the quarterback handled difficult moments.

“I feel like it showed that he was all in, and that’s what we needed,” Little said. “As a quarterback, that’s kind of the man of the team.” Even when things went wrong, Little said Lyddy continued to lead. “Even if he threw an interception, he’s not doubting nobody or doubting himself,” Little said. “He’s just ready to go back out there and do it again.”

Veteran Leadership Making A Difference

Little also pointed to veteran receiver Dalton Davis as another example of leadership within the offense. After dealing with injuries throughout his Southern Miss career and missing part of fall camp, Davis had an opportunity to make an impact against Tulane, including finding the end zone.

“He been here for five years, dealing with injuries and coming back and having a big game,” Little said. “Seeing him smile and be there to score a touchdown, that was great for him.” Little said Davis’ leadership does not always require words. “He’s a great leader,” Little said. “He don’t have to say things, he can just go out and do them.”

Ready To Get Back To Work

The loss to Tulane still hurt, but Little said the Golden Eagles have already moved forward. “For us, it’s just we moved on from it,” Little said. “We just ready to get back on the field.” Tuesday night gives them that opportunity. With Southern Miss playing on ESPN2, Little knows more eyes will be on the Golden Eagles. But that is not where his focus is.

“If they do, that’s fun. But if they don’t, it’s okay,” Little said. “We just ready to go out there and play and just show the world what we can do.”
WR A.J. Little

For Little and Southern Miss, the opportunity is simple: Conference play is here, the record is 0-0, and it is time to see how far this offense has really come.

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