'It’s a Game Saturday': 3 Southern Miss Football Takeaways as Fall Camp Enters Week 2

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Week 2 of fall camp is officially underway for Southern Miss, and with each practice, the Golden Eagles are getting closer to the point where questions about this football team need to be answered.

During the first week of camp, much of the conversation centered around installing the system, building the culture and evaluating a roster filled with new faces. Now, Head Coach Blake Anderson and his staff are beginning to get a better idea of what they have.

There are still plenty of questions to answer: Who is beginning to separate themselves in some of the key position battles? What will the starting offensive line look like? Which players can be trusted when the pressure begins to rise?

After Monday's practice, Coach Anderson met with members of the media and provided some insight into where things currently stand. More importantly, he made it clear that one major test is coming: Saturday's first scrimmage.

Here are three big takeaways from Coach Anderson’s latest comments.

No. 1 – Saturday Is Going To Tell Us A Lot

Everyone here at Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI has been talking about the competition across this roster, but Saturday's scrimmage could finally give Anderson and his staff an opportunity to begin separating some of those battles. When asked if he was beginning to see movement within different position groups, Anderson said there has been some, but it is still too early to start naming winners.

“Not early enough to crown anybody yet, but I think in each room, especially the position coaches, are starting to get a feel,” Anderson said. “I mean, I think if nothing else, you’re starting to figure out who will fight through when it gets hard.”

That last part stood out to me. At this point in camp, Anderson is not only evaluating who can make plays. He is watching what happens when guys get tired, when the unrelenting South Mississippi heat starts taking its toll, and when practice becomes uncomfortable. “It’s hot and late in the practice, who starts finding a way to kind of get comfortable at tapping out and who will push through,” Anderson said.

Saturday will take that evaluation to another level. “Saturday is going to be huge for us,” Anderson said. “I’ve told them this: It’s a game Saturday. We've got to find out who we got, and we’re going to run out of time.”

Joe Rounds running through drills at Fall Camp. | Josh House

Anderson said the goal is to get somewhere around 65 to 70 snaps with each of the first two groups, with additional work for the third group if possible. The scrimmage will also feature live football outside of the quarterbacks.

It could be the closest thing Southern Miss gets to a real game before Sept. 5. “We got to expose issues,” Anderson said. “You know, we got to expose and, really honestly, not expose, and find guys that can tackle in space, guys that can protect the ball.”

Week 1 gave the coaching staff its first look at this roster in a fall camp setting. Saturday should give them their first real opportunity to see how these guys respond when the football becomes live and the environment starts looking more like a Saturday afternoon.

Anderson even said he believes Southern Miss should have “a pretty clear picture” coming out of the weekend. That makes Saturday one of the biggest days of fall camp so far.

No. 2 – The Offensive Line Is Still Wide Open

One of my biggest questions entering Week 2 was whether Southern Miss was beginning to identify its starting five along the offensive line. Apparently, we are not there yet.

When Coach Anderson was asked how the first five offensive linemen were beginning to mesh together, his response was about as straightforward as it could be. “I don’t know who they are,” Anderson said. That tells you everything you need to know about where this competition currently stands.

Anderson said Southern Miss has used a different combination throughout camp and that there has been “constant fluctuation” within the group. “I don’t think we’re even at a point where we can talk about jelling,” Anderson said. “I don’t know who they are.”

There is some good and bad that comes with that. The good news is that there appears to be legitimate competition throughout the room. Anderson said nobody has a solid spot right now, including some of the more experienced players.

The concern is that eventually Southern Miss needs to identify its five and give that group an opportunity to begin building chemistry before the season starts. That competition is also about to get even more interesting.

Anderson confirmed that OL Aloali’i Maui and OL Greg Nunnery Jr. are returning to the program after an NCAA rule allowed those players (plus DL Jameer Lewis) to come back. Anderson made it clear, however, that nothing has been promised to them. “You might not play a snap,” Anderson said of what he told the returning players. “I have no idea. It’s completely up to you.”

The first priority will be getting all three physically ready to practice before determining where they fit into the competition. Their return gives Southern Miss more options, but it also means the offensive line picture could remain unsettled for a little longer.

Competition is good, especially for a roster that has undergone this much change. But at some point, five guys have to emerge. Week 2 could go a long way toward determining who those five will be.

No. 3 – Anderson is Finding Out Who He Can Trust

Blake Anderson fielding questions for the media at Fall Camp. | Josh House

There wasn’t necessarily one breakout player Anderson pointed toward Monday. In fact, when asked whether anyone had surprised him or emerged early in camp, Anderson said, “I don’t know that anybody’s just really, really stood out.” But listening to him talk about individual players revealed something else. This staff is beginning to learn who it can trust.

Redshirt-junior defensive back Champ Lewis might be one of the best examples. Anderson said he was not pleased with Lewis’ work during OTAs after what he believed was a solid start to the spring. The coaching staff challenged him and even moved him down the depth chart.

Lewis had two options at that point. He could allow it to frustrate him, or he could respond. “He could have pouted about it. He didn’t,” Anderson said. “He really has worked to give us what we wanted.” Anderson went on to say Lewis has been solid throughout fall camp.

He also had strong praise for redshirt-junior defensive back Kobi Albert, pointing toward his football IQ, consistency and leadership. “Super high football IQ. Super consistent work ethic, leader, natural leader,” Anderson said. “Everybody gravitates towards him.” Those comments fit directly into what Anderson has been preaching since arriving in Hattiesburg.

Talent matters. But so does how you work. How you respond to coaching matters. How you handle adversity matters. And when Southern Miss eventually determines who will be on the field Sept. 5, dependability could be one of the biggest deciding factors.

There are going to be players on this roster who are faster, stronger or more gifted than others. But through the first part of fall camp, Anderson continues to emphasize consistency, toughness, and doing things the right way. As the competition begins to tighten, those details could be what separates one player from another, and that's what we'll be watching for throughout Week 2 of fall camp.

The Bottom Line

Defensive Line — Southern Miss' defensive line is working through drills at Fall Camp. | Josh House

Week 1 was about getting started. Week 2 is where things begin getting serious. Southern Miss still has plenty to figure out before Alcorn State arrives at The Rock on Sept. 5. The offensive line remains unsettled. Position battles are continuing throughout the roster, including a three-way quarterback competition that appears to have at least a little bit of separation at this point, and Anderson is still evaluating which players can be trusted when things get difficult.

But Saturday could change a lot. For the first time this fall, Anderson wants his team to treat the day like a game. “It’s a game Saturday,” Anderson said. For a Southern Miss roster with this many new faces, it may be the most important evaluation opportunity Anderson and his staff have had yet.

By the time the Golden Eagles walk off the field Saturday, we may finally have a much clearer picture of what this football team is beginning to look like. Week 2 is officially underway. Now it's time to start finding out who is really ready to play.

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